TV for 17 month old

[Fiveleaves]

I'm 5 months pg with DC2 and really exhausted. I have resorted to 20 mins or so cartoons every other day or so. Is this ok? I just need a break sometimes as toddler very active.

What do others do about toddlers and TV? Do you set a time limit?

I really don't see a problem with it at all. I've found that, when the tv is on, my dc will watch it for a while then go off to play and then come back to it. I've also found that a lot of ds' imaginitive play comes from the things he watches on tv (fireman Sam, Ben & Holly or peppa pig usually) and that he's interested in reading the books and magazines based around them. My dc are 1.5 and 2.10. We watch tv for a few hours every now and again. They also play on their own, together and with me.They go to nursery 3x per week and do all sorts of arty and creative stuff there.
Honestly, let him watch it; it's not going to rot his brain.

Yeah, I agree. She doesn't seem interested for more than ten Mins and wanders off to get toys, books but that ten mins can be the difference between me getting breakfast or having a quick catch up on emails! ( and mumsnet!)

If you're worried (not that you should be) why don't you buy a dvd of stuff that you're happy for her to watch? We tended to not let DS1 watch telly until he was 2, but DH got him ready in the morning after I went back to work and needed time to pooh etc, so he used to put on the 'sing and sign' dvd we had then. It was just nursery rhymes and stuff but it would keep DS1 entranced for 10 mins or so (enough to do stuff).

When he was nearing 2, DH started putting telly on for him after bfast in the morning (see, how I'm blaming him for all of this

Good idea about DVD, Eleth. Will see what they have in the library.

Anything is ok! Short of putting him in a cage under the stairs or feeding him mars bars daily - you need a break.

When DC2 arrives there will be more TV believe me. My first never watched TV until I was PG and he was over 2. DC2 watched it from 18 months and DC3 was shoved infront of it in a bouncy seat!

All of them bright happy kids and no obvious damage done .

Yeah, I watched loads of TV when small and it didn't seem to turn me into a couch potato! I have a degree and everything!