How much TV does your 4yr old watch?

[OhDearMe2]

DD1 is 4.5yrs, she's at pre school 5 mornings a week and she does 2 or 3 'full days' 9-3.30' depending when I'm working.

On average I would say she watches:

30min-45mins a day in the week (sometimes it's non but some days it's 1.5hr film!)

1-2hrs a day at the weekend (usually 1hr in the morning so we can lie in / relax over breakfast) and then often a film one of the days.

Just interested to hear what others do as I have massive guilt!

In the week it tends to be that I put the TV on either when I'm getting ready first thing or when I'm cooking in the eve or just when I'm tired / run out of fun ideas / it's raining!

DD2 (18months) doesn't watch anything alone but is often in the room when it's on. She will always play with her toys and mostly stay with me (usually in kitchen) but I'm worried about this. I can't see how it is avoidable though, all our doors can be opened by her so I can't keep her out of the room very easily. Most of the time she's with me tbh but when DH is looking after them I think he lets her watch it!

What are others doing in their house??

A film once or twice a week.

We don't have it on otherwise.

Don't feel guilty. My 4 year old is about the same, more some days. She'd watch all day if I let her sometimes. But she's 4, wrecked from Montessori and I know it's temporary.

My 17 month old will only actually watch the to if there's songs on or she's completely exhausted, the rest of the time she just potters around.

My 6 year old was also a telly addict at age 4 but could easily go days with no tv at the moment. He's all about football/Lego.

Don't worry, limit it when you can and try to get some exercise with her, even a quick walk, but tv isn't that bad.

Meh the tv is always on in the back ground here. They watch what they want when they like. They usually then bugger off when they have had enough. I don't see anything wrong with letting them watch tv

3 year old Dd is very bright and learns a lot watching her programs. She goes to pre-school and we have been told she outshines many of their pupils. Even older ones. Gets her shapes and colours all right, almost spot on with the alphabet, knows her numbers and can count. I'm not saying this is because of TV but proving that TV doesn't have to be a set back in education

Roughly the same he gets 2 programmes when back from nursery so dh and I can eAt or sometimes one and he will sit at table with us then weekends he might have a programme in morning and film in afternoon. He has been able to watch whole films since he was 2 I have friends with 4.5yo like ds who would love to have their kids watch a film.

He would literally watch tv every wAking moment if he could!!

Mine are similar ages and watch roughly the same amount-sometimes more, sometimes less. They don't often watch films, as eldest doesn't really have the attention span for them.

When we get home for dinner, if they ask for it I put it on so I can make them dinner, sometimes they're tired so just want to chill out and watch some tv, which is also one of the ways I relax when they're in bed so I understand! It's hard at this age as they can't read to themselves to relax and she's often too tired after school to focus on anything at all so colouring/drawing/playing etc all go out of the window.

I'd be interested to know if the people who say their kids don't really watch tv have kids who can amuse themselves easily (genuine, not goady). Just because our tv is normally on if they need occupying so I can get a few jobs done. The alternative is them whinging at me to come and play with them, so they're not actually doing something productive, in which case, watching CBeebies is probably the better alternative, IYSWIM.

Always on here in the background when we are home. We do go out everyday though and ds has nursery every morning. So we aren't actually at home all day watching tv. I find he self regulates if I have it on non stop, it just becomes boring to him after a while rather than being a big deal.

Screen time can begin any time after 4pm on weekdays here, often he is busy doing other stuff till 5ish anyway. Screens off at 6pm. Saturdays roughly the same, Sundays might be slightly more. He doesn't watch TV as such, but tablet, games (mostly educational), DVDs, or videos I've put through ViewPure and pinned on his Pinterest board (also largely educational).

I think the latest guidance from the AAP says it's more important what the screen time is rather than just that it's a screen, but even previous guidance you'd have been well inside - think it was up to 2 hours a day for 4 year olds?

Thanks, this is interesting!

Yes I think it's within guidance, I was just curious really.

DD1 would watch TV / films all day if we let her and I hate it! I'm now following:

No TV at all on weekday morning unless I absolutely need some time to do something specific.

No TV until 4.30 on weekdays unless she's super tired from school.

Screens always off at 5.30 anyway as that is dinner time.

Limiting at the weekend to first thing (she is up at 6 usually so it allows us a short lie in which I can't give up...) and the odd film as a family rather than a habit.

I really think TV / iPad can be brilliant, she's learnt so so much but we find behaviour is worse when we say it's time to turn it off which is my reason for limiting more. A couple of days this week I just said no and she had a lovely time playing with her toys (some of alone in her room) and it made me realise it's almost the 'go to' toy if she's not at pre school or in the garden (which we often are). I think it started when I was B/F DD2 because i didn't want DD2 (not younger then) on her own / roaming the house and she would sit with me if the TV was on. It's become a habit and I would like it to be more of a treat or something she knows is for when tired . We will see how it goes this week!

To answer your question about playing by themselves its a yes and a no here. They are usually good in the morning, less so when they are tired

But as the telly isn't really ever on here it is not an option for "babysitting" them iyswim. I never think that I want time to do something so I could put the telly on. I either tell them to scrat or find something that will interest them like colouring.

The TV is on loads here, and he often asks for it to be on. But as for actually sitting, just watching something, he more or less never does that, he gets bored. It's more like comforting background noise whilst he plays.