is 2 yo watching too much tv?

[TwoMinutesToMidnight]

Starting too worry she maybe watching too much tv. Her tough routine is below please let me know what you think and if ut is too much ideas on how to cut it fown. I have a 4 month old too and worry I use the tv too much at times.

7.30-1pm - nursery or toddler group/organised activity. So no tv usually.
Then lunch and nap til 3pm
Then usually her baby brother naps late afternoon and it gets dark so early snd thats when the tv comes on. Sometimes from 3.30pm til bedtime. Sometimes we colour, paint etc and the tv comes on at 5pm instead.

I feel as if I'm relying on the tv too much. This afternoon for example both kids have colds and chesty coughs and gave cried non stop so ive put the tv on for a bit of quiet.

I feel really guilty like I should be doing productive arts and crafts every min of the day.

3.30pn til bedtime is a lot of tv IMO.

It's not a choice between crafts and tv! I let my dd potter around so she can get used to entertaining herself. She might make a mess etc, or she can help me with stuff that's all fine. Other options are to get out and go for a walk, yes it's dark but we have the option of going to the library or shops (what do you have locally?)

It's hard at this time of year. But if they're unwell then I wouldn't feel guilty.

Can you try and get both napping at the same time ie 1-3?

Then go for a quick walk/ garden/ pop to get milk etc until 4pm when dark

Invite people over with toddlers to play

Set up some trains/ Lego/ tea set/ etc etc and let her play a while alone.

Make a den ( sheet over table), let her play whilst you comment and look after baby

Water play - large bowl on towel in kitchen on floor, add calpol syringes/ duplo people and lots of bubbles. Make warm, add a long sleeved bib and strip her down to nappy/ underwear and t shirt and let her play

Fill tray with rice/ couscous and add cars/ people/ spoons and let her play like a mini table sandpit

Can you go to library?

Is she able to play on her own? She will get used to it if you leave her to her own devices more often. I realise my toddler will often just get on and toddle about merrily without the tv on - but tbh if you are struggling and they are sick Dont worry about it

I do think 330 till bedtime is too much though and I think if you made a rule to leave it off till 5 /530 you would find she played better alone

Can baby sleep in buggy while you all have walk to library or shops ?

Thank you all. They both sleep 1-3 then baby has a late afternoon nap around 4.30-6pm. He won't sleep anywhere other than his cot so will scream from overtiredness if we're out as he will be up from 3pm til bedtime.

I really need to cut down on the tv. After writing this post I felt guilty turned the tv off and we made xmas cards with glitter. But tv is back on now.

water she will entertain herself at nursery or for dh but not when I'm around.

how much tv should I aim for no more than per dsy on average? 1-2 hours throughout the day or is that too much still?

Please don't beat yourself up or whip yourself into a daily craft frenzy - that way madness lies. It's not a crime to use the tv a little especially if you need to get the dinner on or whatever and children's programmes are often quite good and educational so unless you're sticking her in front of Eastenders then you're not harming her brain. Just think how you like your own day - you need stimulation, a bit of relaxing in front of the telly and a bit of quiet time eg reading. You don't want hours in front of the telly and you don't want endless activities either - you need a mixture and that's what she needs.

You do very well to take her out every day especially when you have another little one! You just need to restructure the end of her day a little bit so she has an hour or so of tv (doesn't have to be all at once) and some quieter play like reading, drawing, jigsaws, teddy bear's picnic, lego, playing shops etc etc. Just work out what fits in best with your day - you may find it easier to have tv hour when you're making dinner and to have the tv off as it gets towards bedtime to wind her down a bit or you may do it the other way round, whatever works best for you. If she's ill and just fancies laying on the sofa watching telly - that's fine too.

Bottom line - don't feel guilty you're doing a great job and your children are very lucky to have such a caring, conscientious mummy xxxxx

Thank you notso it's something I've always struggled with - feeling guilty and a like a failure and that I'm not good enough.

I hate during the tv as a crutch and before ds was born she watched maybe half hour max a day, but now it's becoming more and more the norm, esp as ds is ebf and I use tv to entertain dd when I bf.

After naptime I'm going to do my very best not to put the tv on until 5pm when I make dinner. Going to try and do something together for those 2 hours (read, colour etc). Gate feeling like a crappy mum at times.

It doesn't have to be craft and you don't have to do something in all of that time. It could be a bit of reading, playing toys then you cook tea and get dd to "help" eg give her saucepans with dry pasta to mess about with.

We all feel like crappy mums but we are just doing our best and that's all we can do. Having two very little ones is very hard work and I promise you, you're certainly not the only one who uses the tv!!! If it makes you feel better get a DVD of nursery rhymes or songs that you can sing together so you feel like you're still interacting x

I have 2 yr old and 4 month old too. And yes, dd watches way too much tv! In little bursts, but it's the only way I can get household chores done sometimes.

Do you put it on or does your dc ask for it on? Last couple of days I've put boxes of duplo, bricks etc in the way of her 'route' to the telly, iyswim. She's been playing with these and not asking for tv as much.

But sometimes I think it needs to go on so I can sit with a cuppa for 5 mins

I think if you're worried about it and always consciously try to cut it down, it won't be too much of a problem.

Ooh yes, I spotify music for her e.g. Justin Fletcher nursery rhymes. Not my choice of music but it seems to help keep her amused without tv on. Also theme music from cbeebies shows can be a good compromise.

I always thought my dd watched too much tv. She is now 15, has 3 gcses, and forecast many more with good grades. She is involved in many activities in and out of school. What I'm saying is, don't feel guilty all the time, I don't think it does as much harm as people make out. Having a toddler and a small baby is very hard, but make the most of it, they grow up real quick!

I have two under 2 as well and we dont have any Childrens TV (or about once a month)

but we do have adults telly and dd1 loves it because I sit down for a whole hour or more while she plays. I read to her and interact but she loves to go off by herself. it is just when the telly is on then I am reliably in one place and available for immediate cuddles. she doesn't watch it (but it is age appropriate)

I dont put it on much before 4 and turn it off at 5.15 to make her tea, and not every day - so it makes us all happy!

I agree with Dingit. There is a lot of chat about how awful tv is for kids but I take the view of everything in moderation. We only have CBeebies on for kids tv - nothing with adverts - and my DD1 5 has learnt lots from it. DD2 is only 4 months and I use the radio as background noise for her! Sometimes DD1 would watch tv for a couple of hours after she'd dropped the daytime nap, it was her downtime.

I think you are doing a great job and should give yourself a break. You need some downtime too and the ability to get things done, a few hours tv for the kids will do no harm.

Thank you all for making me feel better and for the advice! I'm going to make a conscious efforr to try other distractions toys etc before I resort to the tv first. And going to try and limit the amount she watches in one go - say am hour?

beano its kind of both - sometimes I put it on for her to get stuff done, other times she asks for it. She's really into pixar films at the moment and will watch one everyday which seems too much to me (I've considered films as tv by the way)

I have a 2.5 year old and an 11 month old and I use TV a lot. However, just like you I balance it out. I take them out every day, they have play time with me, play time on their own, reading time with me and some crafts. But the day is long and I agree that TV does not rot the brain as much as they say (I watched heaps as a child and managed to make it through a law degree and have my own business). Go with your gut and don't feel guilty, you sound like a wonderful, caring Mummy xx.

Thank you kiwi there's something about tv that just makes you feel guilty isn't there.

You don't need to "do" things as an alternative to TV in my opinion. As long as she has some stuff to potter with she'll quickly learn to entertain herself, which is actually really important. Have her help you sort laundry, pair socks, sweep, etc. it's all stuff that needs doing but if you slow it down a little she can join in and do something meaningful without you frazzling yourself with glitter! My 6 yr old DD would still rather be allowed to mop "like Cinderella" than anything else

I've been worrying about this too. I got to the point where I realised that the TV was often on in the background and no one was paying a huge amount of attention to it.
Now we have certain points in the day and certain programmes that DD (2) watches. She loves Something Special, Ballamory, Topsy & Tim and Katie Morag.
I guess she probably watches about an hour to an hour and a half a day, but spread over the day and programmes that she actually enjoys and gets a lot out of.
However, with DC2 due next Wednesday I'm sure the TV will be on a lot more often for a few weeks!

Our nearly-2-year-old is a great potterer, but I'd fall over in astonishment if he sat down for a whole film. Half an hour on my lap is his limit if he's poorly, about 10 mins if he isn't.

If I'm cooking he has his own cupboard that he puts all the Tupperware in then takes it out etc. etc. He's just worked out a wooden spoon plus a biscuit tin makes a great noise, and he likes to observe the mixer from the kitchen step.

If we're sitting down watching something light (the National Trust programme had a lot of great sheep and bees) or on the iPad/listening to the radio etc, he plays with his living room toys - cars, dolly in pram, bricks, bucket on head. If you keep saying "Wow! you've got a bucket on your head!" he can keep it up for ages. The Radio 2 drive time show has great toddler dancing music too.

I am quite crafty but I hardly ever do craft with him yet. It just lasts about 2 seconds at this age.

Can you read books with her while you bf?

Only a suggestion, I know some people will struggle to do that, but I used to get cosied up on the sofa with both DS (or in bed) with a pile of books while I bf DS2.

I also agree that the later you put the TV on, the better. I still struggle with this now (DS 6 & 9), but I try and make sure I keep putting off putting it on (iyswim!) until I really can't stand it any longer, because I know once it's on, it will be difficult to turn it off.

Also I found my two very reluctant to do other activities or entertain themselves once they had watched TV (hence leaving it til later).

Craft is indeed exhausting at this age!