how to keep toddler occupied without using tv

[5secondstilltakeoff]

Since I have had my ds2 i find I am more reliant on TV to keep my ds1 occupied when I have things to do e.g. housework, cooking, putting baby to sleep, showering or even just having a moment to myself to relax. I am finding that I am starting to use it as a crutch but it is having negative consequences on ds1 behaviour. He doesnt want to go out anymore (i know this as he tells me this and throws tantrums if I start trying to get him ready to leave the house) and would prefer to sit in watching cartoons. Another source of conflict is how long he gets to watch tv and what he can watch on it (prior to baby 2 he would watch only 30mins a day and only a set number of cartoons but now he is quite demanding about what he wants to watch). He also plays with his toys leas and reads less then before. I kind of want to just get ris of it completely but am really at a loss yo how I will keep him occupied without it. Any ideas or insights on how you manage to find time for yourself to do what you need to do.

We have restricted all telly until 'after teatime', for grown ups as well as DD. I did the sticking on cbeebies whenever I wanted peace when she was little, but she soon turned into a couch potato tantrum monster, so no more.

As DD is likely to be an only child I do try to encourage her to learn to play on her own, but I do also let her 'help' with washing up, laundry, hoovering. Yes it takes twice as long, but I grew up with siblings who were still incapable of helping with housework in their 40s so I'm training her early

I have found it helpful to only have a few toys out at a time and keep the rest away somewhere, then change the accessible toys for ones she hasn't seen for a few days when she starts to get bored. It works really well for keeping her occupied although it is a trick I learnt from dog training

Hi, I had an 18 month gap between mine and what really helped me was a 'play all morning, jobs after lunch routine'. It's hard, because the temptation is to get the housework etc 'out of the way' before playing or going out, but what happened in practice with that was that jobs took much longer and the children were cranky by afternoon (plus a nightmare to get down for a nap as not tired enough). So I quickly instigated an 'out at 9am' routine that got us up and ready. Out was anywhere, sometimes just in the garden to water the plants, then I would spent until midday completely devoted to playing, reading etc. Then lunch and nap. I'd either nap too or get housework done, then they'd be left to their own devices in the afternoon. Because they'd been played with and tired out they were generally quite content to play alone or watch me in a non whiny, non destructive kind of way.

I have no idea if this routine is transferable to anyone else's children - they're all so different, but might be worth a try?

Sorry, I'm on my phone; hence grammar and lack of formatting!

Watch eagerly... Removed TV from living room few weeks ago as didn't want DS (nearly 1) to watch it as much as I do did. Will be TTC over next few months and all the above pointers are very useful, thanks

Watching*

Preschool, that's what it's for.
Messy play, outdoor activities, dancing, play dough,sand, paint, dressing up, stories, dens, trikes.

I had a CS too and totally sympathise. Even now DC are almost 4 and almost 1, I can see a marked difference in DC1's behaviour on a lazy rainy day when we've had more TV than usual.

Once I was more mobile and confident with two DC, I instigated a kind of loose routine where we go out in the morning, then have lunch, then walk the dog, then choose what to do in the afternoon. That takes us to about 3pm. DC1 can have a DVD or CBeebies, or help me make dinner, or play/paint/draw. Then we have CBeebies on for the bedtime hour. The morning trip out is sometimes soft play, meeting friends or the park, but just as often it's the shops - I make a list for DC1 with pics so he can help me - plus he helps with jobs like hanging the washing out before we leave the house too.

His free nursery hours were a godsend ;)

I was also going to suggest the cupboard..My DS also liked to climb in his cupboard.

give them anything no matter what you are doing if he wants to "help" give him a dry cloth if polishing. Give him a teatowel to dry something ..although by the time he has dropped it on the floor 3 times it may need washing again. give him clothes to put in the washer.

a pan and 2 spoons. take a fave car, or train so can be pushed on floor in kitchen.

Another thing I find trip to library pile of new books and they get drawn in for a while

galt water magic books are really good for keeping toddlers quiet and entertained they just use a water pen to reveal colours on a page.
If the weather is ok sand or water trays outside are great too.
It does get easier when baby's naps get more predictable you can arrange activities that need a bit more attention when baby is asleep.
Some days just turn into tv days though particularly if we have had a bad night.

My son will not be occupied by TV. Nor stickers. Drawing. Cooking. ANything, really…the only thing he will stop and watch is anything to do with shuttle launches, or diggers (he's 21 months), otherwise Im having to entertain a screaming banshee all day, every day…I;d enjoy the time you have to clean etc, some of us don't get even 2 minutes to prep lunch! I envy you lol.

Marking place with interest
DS is 2y4m and DD due any day now
DS has been in full time nursery since he was 11mo so I have very little recent practice entertaining him on my own - let alone with a newborn in the mix! He is very much a running around outside kind of kid, his nursery workers agree he is hard to engage in arts and crafts type stuff. Tv works for short periods, the iPad works better but definitely has a negative effect on behaviour and I do worry about the long term effects too.

Hi all

Wanted to update on progress on the no tv front. We are much less dependent on it now. Thursday is our indulgence day when ds watches more than i would like (2-3 hours) but he is generally happy to go without it for the whole day. We got him a leappad which has lots of educational games on it which he likes. We are also out a lot more now. So all in all we are better off then where we were but still probably need to cut it down more. He is starting nursery in September so that should probably help. Thanks for all the advice. I got the water paint book by the way but i think i enjoy it more then ds.

Hard work with two isn't it.

I've got 2.1 and 9 month old.

Big one colours in, attempts to do jigsaws, plays with cars, I made little tunnels once with the sofa cushions and shoe boxes and he enjoyed pushing his cars through them for a while, I will rotate toys so he's not seeing the same ones over and over again.

Erm..... Argh what does he do?????

We got cheap play kitchen stuff from sainsburys.

It's hard work isn't it.

As for TV we went through a big tv phase but we watch less now as I'm more used to handling them both.

Makes you realise how much easier it must be with just a toddler!!!!

I assume your partner is off to work in the morning? I ask because I wonder if he could look after your DS1 first thing, to help set the tone of a day with less TV.

I feel your pain - got a 7-week old DD2 and my 3.5 DD1 watches a lot of TV as a result - though she remains very happy to go out etc.

About a year ago I found that during teatime prep, my then 2 yr old was usually overtired and, unlike my older son and my cousin's two kids who I nanny FT for, he WOULDN'T watch tv! I had always out CBeebies on for 20 mins before tea as we are open-plan, and I was worried about them all coming into the kitchen if not hypnotised by the tv. Best things that worked with cranky tv-ignoring son were:

• Sifting lentils/rice between stacking cups (wouldn't work if your kid was a 'stick everything in your mouth' kinda kid)
• Cheapo pasta (real), a saucepan and a spoon, he could add real herbs from any pots on kitchen counter (cue cute individual leaf picking)
• A mixing bowl, spoon, oats (again value), small amounts of water, sometimes raisins, the cinnamon jar, making a 'potion'

These were all messy so involved a fair amount of clearing up but he could spend up to half a hour v peacefully on them. And he could do it quietly if knackered or chat to me while I made real edible food.

Now he is 3, and became acquainted with Fireman Sam when he had chicken pox in Jan. Sadly he does not hate tv any more! And if he tells me one more time that I am fricking Dilys Pryce or that Sam is the Hero next-door...

It was easy to limit or avoid tv when I just had one child - we went out every morning. Now I have 11 week old twins and I can't face it more than 2 or 3 times a week, so my 3 year old watches a lot more, but she spends every afternoon at nursery (1.30-6pm), and doesn't miss the tv, so I am not concerned. I also manage to do art and baking and books with her most weeks, but the tv definitely allows me time to do chores and make meals without serious harm being done to the twins in their bouncy chairs (as she leaps around them - tv stops her treating the living room like an obstacle course. I vowed she'd have little or no tv in her pre-school life, when she was born, but I have had to eat my words as time has gone on! Think she's ok, though...

Well done for the progress secondstilltakeoff = it's not easy especially second time round. I used to feel guilty overusing it at nap times etc, but like you soon after we got rid of the tv, which meant we didn't watch it anymore and then only had laptop so could limit programmes more.

some great ideas here and some kids seem to be better at entertaining themselves than others imo. my dd1 was better than dd2 but was that maybe cos she had too idk! Going cold turkey on ignoring the winghing is tough but I think it pays off if you can hack it.
Have you seen this website it has some good articles on TV and boredom
www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/intelligent-creative-child/boredom-busters-good-for-kids

Do you know what I mean by "invitations to play" ? They are all the rage on pinterest. It's basically setting up a few toys/ props / objects to encourage imaginative play. Eg. you set up some toy cars by a home made ramp (tray perched on sofa) and just let your child discover them.
I've found that sometimes it can really engage my two and they can be absorbed for a good while.

Get a nanny.