what are your rules around watching TV...

[mummy23x]

Do you let your children sit for hours in the morning after they have woken watching TV for example from 7.30 am to 10.00 - 11.00 am??

I have a DS1 aged 7 DSS aged 3 DS2 aged 6 months and another baby due in October. Although we do things as a family, I feel the children excluding 6 month old, should be able to entertain themselves without feeling like TV is there main source of entertainment...

I'd be interested to hear how other mums and dads do this..... :)

No TV here as it broke and can't afford a replacement. But doesn't seem to be any loss, kids play and wotnot, it's not an issue.

When it did work I did limit screen time though again it wasn't really an issue as they weren't very interested.

But if your children are in the habit of watching TV and you have another baby on the way, screen time limits are going to mean a change in routine for everyone ie. quite a lot of work for you! But I do think that if you want to reduce their screen time, you will manage it of course.

I have two DSs (9 and 10). During term time, I only allow TV on Wed, Sat and Sun and we only have it on in the afternoon / evening, after they've taken exercise and done homework etc. They do use their iPod touches in the mornings, but I confiscate them for a day if they do something naughty(!) I've found that since I've started restricting TV or iPod, they have started playing more games together (Cluedo, Mastermind, Scrabble, Monopoly, etc.) which I'm delighted about.

We have no set TV times or limits but I won't have it on as background noise. They watch free access TV at the CM's house twice a week but here it is on for a wee while only. Often it doesn't get turned on all day - the weather has been so great that it's been off for 2 days as the DC just want to be outside.

I do use it to help me, eg if DD is napping after a bad night then DS and I snuggle up with a DVD and I sleep too

I don't limit very much because they have very long days at school (we're out of the house between 7.15am and 6pm during weekdays, and between 8am and 1pm as a minimum on Saturdays....if they are in matches, this can be extended to 5-7pm) Home work is on top of this so if we're lucky enough to have some time off at any time, they tend to watch TV in a catatonic manner - as do I!!!

The only rule I have is that it doesn't go on (during the week) until dd1 (only one who is at school until July) is washed, dressed, hair brushed etc ready for school. They normally get to watch it for about 15minutes before we leave. And homework/change out of school clothes needs to be done before it goes on in the afternoon.

And that if dd1 is up before 7am at weekends, she needs to go back to bed read/listen to music etc, after 7 she can put the TV on.

I don't have any other rules, I can't be arsed. If we are doing something (paint/playdough/puzzles etc) it is off. Other than that .. meh!

I wish there was a like button for some of these posts...I really like how some of you deal with this. We too dont have live TV as we moved in January and Virgin dont cover where we live for TV so its been a blessing in disguise, although they do request to watch films, my DSS who is 3 4 in september, will instantly ask "what can I do" after going through a list of drawing, colouring, playing with Thomas, park etc... he will always request TV. Someone here just said that they put out various activities for her DC to chose from and play with so that is what I will do from now, also our house lacks in ROLE PLAY toys and ive seen a really nice wooden pretend grocery shop/cake shop/theatre with puppets all in one so I will invest in that and hope they will have hours of fun on a rainy day. I really dislike the thought of children being glued to TV's too much, I know they can learn lots of different things but I feel engaging in reading, talking, playing with friends, toys etc is much more beneficial.

They also listen to story CD's whilst in bed which they have always done from day one.

Thank you all for your wonderful ideas and

www.gltc.co.uk/fcp/product/-/toys_games_wooden_toys/Play-Shop-and-Theatre/10000002518

This is the link to the Play shop... I think you will all love it

I started off with good intentions when DS was small. He only got TV at tea time so I cook etc without constant interruptions so he stayed out of the kitchen and I could get on. Then a friend's child started watching Milkshake and we tried it too. I had to ban tv in the morning before work as I couldn't be doing with the 'it's' not finished tantrum. Child number two is usually more into TV than child 1 in every household I know.

Mine have the tv's (yes bad mummy) on alot. I don't mind if they are not glued to them. Quite frankly I have better things to do than scan the tv listings for interesting programmes they might like. They select a dvd they want if that is their choice. They watch what they find interesting, play games with their dolls or cars or whatever. If they are just buzzing about and getting silly i.e. not watching and not playing the box goes off tantrum or not! Or if the same programme is on all weekend (very annoying)

DS would rather watch motor or science programmes or sport and never watches rubbish Americanised cartoon nonsense. DD is addicted to Ben and Holly, Peppa Pig and Fireman Sam and occasionally Dora. I don't think that is too bad really.

We don't have rules, just tend to realise the tv has been on a while. Same with iPad/computer. Ds occasionally has a bit of a strop if we turn off, but usually he just accepts it and finds something else to do. He also does lots of playing in the garden, drawing or colouring, model making, Lego etc, so i don't worry if we have a lazy day with lots of tv.
If he's knackered, he's not fit for much else anyway!
Disclaimer: despite ds being 5 and a half, his channel of choice is still cbeebies . If it was anything else I'd be much more strict in terms of time.

Yes, story CDs are great - and rotate the toys. I put some away for a bit then at night, after they've gone to bed, get out a new batch and they get all excited to see some they've forgotten. At the moment they have two favourite games, playing huts (involves a lot of moving of bedding and toys) and playing "office" where they seem to sit and pretend to type. Bit odd but keeps them happy day after day...

Too much. DD is 3 and has about 20 minutes in the morning as we get ready to go out and and I need to sort out 4 month old. She may then have up to 2 hours, with some after lunch and round dinner time. DP lets her watch some stuff which i think is too grown up - eg the Simpsons! I had to stop that, just recently it was Sponge Pants Bob, or something, which again I thought was too old. I hate all the adverts too, 'Mum, can I get that, I want that'. I need to put a bit of a stop to it, but sometimes its my saviour when I am feeding DD2 and she is climbing all over me and poking her. .

SpongeBob SquarePants

And I read that it is actively bad for pre schoolers, that is, not just not good, but actually dulls their brains. Of course it is extremely popular! In the class bear book, half the kids had photos of bear watching SBSP

I feel like such a softie mum now lol! DD watches tv before she gets ready for school in the morning. (30 mins then breakfast then get ready to go) by the time we get home & shes read her story she watches tv till dinner is ready (5 half 5ish) then she gets in the bath, then its bedtime & stories. Weekends are different. If we have nothing planned then tv in the morning after breakfast is usually 3 hours. After dinner & bath we have DVD nights on friday & saturday night but that usually gets turned off around half 8. Sundays usually have a nice film on in the afternoon so we watch that maybe do some colouring before or after & bedtime is usual stories then bed.

There seems to be a big gap in the market for decent childrens TV after they are too old for Cebebies say from five to arounf eight or nine - programmes like Tracy Beaker, Dr Who etc have horrid language and behaviour or are a bit scary.
We'd let ours watch a lot more if you could just pop on a channel you could trust.

2 hours of screen time (computer + tv) max a day.

the time from waking up until I get up doesn't count, though

Yes I limit, found it essential. I've run all sorts of systems but at the age OP has DC, it would be something like 1-2 hours/day of child-only time. Viewing time shared with adults is extra.

I have 3 dc and I try to ensure there are periods of no TV (including laptop and handheld games etc), currently we have no TV before noon on Sundays or after 6pm on Saturdays, I want them to be able to entertain themselves as well. I hate that blank look, while staring at the TV screen.

We don't have live TV as our digital box thingy broke and we haven't replaced it.

DS1 didn't watch any TV until he was over 2, DS2 (nearly 2) sees what DS1 does by default, although we try to just have it on when he naps.

We have a good selection of DVDs, which are great as I know how long the episodes are and can agree a limit before it goes on. Generally (if they aren't ill or anything) the limit is 30 minutes before dinner. That doesn't include time on the iPad though, which is max another 30 minutes.

We pre-record almost everything, though ds is 3 now and can be trusted if I put CBeebies on in the morning and go get more kip (had crappy pregnancy and now have 6 week old). However within an hour he's usually turned it off.

3-4 days a week he gets up to an hour of programmes before bed, usually when very tired after nursery. Rarely at other times except for Top Cars with Daddy and Pointless with me, or when poorly. The telly always goes to bed by round 7.15 though so he often has to choose a short programme when we say 'one last programme'.

So he watches more than I expected but only programmes I agree to record, and has almost never seen an advert. He now knows how to pause and fast forward the tellybox which is great when I'm feeding baby but once he learns to put a programme on we'll be a bit stuffed. Might motivate him to learn to read though!

My DCs are aged 6, 4 and 2.

My 4yo isn't really interested in TV - she will watch for maybe 10 mins and then wander off to do something else.

My 6yo is a very active boy and has a busy week with school, activities (tennis, football, beavers and swimming) and play dates. He does like watching TV and playing on the computer, but I find that I don't have to deliberately limit it - it seems to happen naturally.

It's the 2yo who I'm worried about - he is a bit of a telly addict and would sit entranced for hours if I let him. As I've never had to worry about it with the other two, this crept up on me and I suddenly realised quite recently that he is watching more than I would like.

I don't have a number of hours per day rule, but just use a distraction technique - "right DC3, let's switch off now and go to the playground / play trains / read a story shall we?".

We do have a rule of TV off at 7pm.

We don't have a set time limit, we have times when the TV is on or off though. My DDs are 3.6yo and 13mo. DD2 doesn't really watch TV but DD1 is quite keen.

We pre-record lots of things (Tree-Fu Tom is the latest craze) and DD1 is allowed to watch one thing after breakfast, one thing after lunch (if we're home) and one thing while I'm getting dinner ready. Normally it works out as about 1-1.5 hours a day.

They're only allowed tv at the weekends and it is never on during the week. We found they were rushing everything in order to watch tv and the whole household is much calmer without. At the weekends it is restricted to mornings and evenings.

The television doesn't go on when the weather is good enough for playing out. My DCs are usually outside from when they get up to when they go to bed when the weather is good, we open the garden doors and they are in and out as they wish. ATM they are having a water fight with other children on the road.

We gave up TV for Lent and DS (7) hasn't mentioned missing it once! We also cut down computer usage to one hour per week to make sure that didn't just become an easy substitute. We'll go back to watching TV after Easter but I think we'll certainly be cutting back. There has only been a couple of occasions so far where I've been shattered and wanted to relax with a movie rather than read/ bake etc. It certainly has it's merits but we will be cutting back.

My parents refused to buy a TV because they thought it would stifle our creativity... in a way I agree with them but it did give me quite a few social problems, I couldn't play the games my friends all played containing TV characters... I used to end up playing the horse, or the dog, or the baby. This was in the 80s when all children watched the same few TV programmes and they all knew them except me.

With DC I am hoping to be more balanced. One can't really be a fully functioning member of this culture without TV, the internet, computer games etc... good subject though will watch with interest...