Toddlers & TV

[LiamsMum]

Hi everyone
My 19 month old son LOVES television, he will sit there and watch about 3 half-hour programmes in a row if I let him. The shows I mean are like Blues Clues, Elmo, Hi-5, Thomas the Tank Engine etc etc. He just gets so taken in by it and I'm wondering if any of your kids are the same. My sister-in-law tells me that her 2 year old daughter won't sit down and watch TV. I'm just wondering if a couple of hours a day is too much for a toddler. He also gets plenty of exercise and he has toys to play with, but he just seems to love TV. Thanks...

Just a comment in a book by Miriam Stoppard that I have read recently (I quite like her stuff), she states that an hour a day is enough TV/video for a toddler - so I try to stick to this (tempting though to let DS watch a bit more sometimes, but I try & resist !!). My DS likes Teletubbies & also a nursery rhyme tape - which we have over & over & over again !!

He also watches the rugby with DH at weekends, that's DH's idea of childminding!

I think a couple of hours a day is probably abit too much. I try and make sure my ds dosen't watch more than an hour maybe 4 times a week. My reasoning is that when he is older I'd be sad if he was one of those kids who would rather sit around and watch TV than do other stuff. At his nursery they recommend no more than 15-20 minutes per day.

LiamsMum, my ds (now 28 months) went through a phase of being almost transfixed by the TV. I forget exactly what age he was but it was before his 2nd birthday. He seemed to be able to sit in front of an entire 75 minute Tellytubby video without moving. However, he has since changed this behaviour and will now only sit still & watch the TV when he is very tired or when he is still a bit sleepy first thing in the morning.
If your son leads a very active life apart from when he's watching the programmes you choose for him, then I wouldn't worry too much - maybe he just needs a bit of "still" time.

My boys love TV, we do sit with them while they watch it and do lots of other stuff too, I don't think 3 half hour programs is too much, enjoy the break!

We didn't have television downstairs in the house until the chldren were about 8 & 9 years old. When we finally gave in because we got fed up of lugging it downstairs for the babysitter,they used to have to get the newspaper and tell me what they wanted to watch. I would then decide if it was appropriate or not, The rule was also no television in daylight hours, great in the summer!! They always used to find something else to do.

We watch very little television and if I try to tape something because I think , Oh I'd like to watch that, I never end up watching it!

The children now have tv's in their room, but they can only watch videos's as there are no ariels! We do watch a film together at the weekend, when we had a family room built last year we went out and bought a 32" digital dolby whatever with DVD and VCD VCR etc. it's hardly ever used!