How to structure the day & reduce TV time with preschoolers?

[Winterhotchocolate]

Just looking for advice from some other mums/dads. I have 2 DC. Today we missed our usual morning activity and then it was raining all day so we’ve not been able to go to the park and I feel like the DC r watching far too much TV. If I offer crafts they say no or other activities they say no they want tv. If i do manage to get them to do something else it doesn’t keep them interested for long. How do you structure your days especially if u r unable to get out? How much tv time do u allow? And how do u control it? Any ideas on how to encourage them to do other things other than tv?

I've always found turning the tv off harder than never turning it on IYSWIM, so if it's off when they come down in the morning they don't ask for it to be switched on. So my first instinct is to just turn it off. I don't drive so we've invested in good waterproofs so we only very rarely have a full day in, we just get a bit wet!

My dc are 2 and 3 (almost 4)and they love crafts, cooking (obviously just basic stuff), helping to clean, games (orchard toy ones are a favourite ). In terms of tv it can go on after tea (so 5.45-6 ish)and stay on until bed at 7.30. Dp just automatically puts it on when he gets up with them but I prefer not to. They might have the odd hour at other times.

InDubious do u find you are able to get things done without tv? I find I’ll only get about 5 mins before I hear tears

Mine are the opposite, I try and sit them in front of the TV to buy me 5 mins peace and they just harass me to do crafts or play games!
Orchard games are a big hit with my just 4 and 2 year olds. Stickers always go down well too. I’ve got loads of bags of foam stickers from Hobbycraft which they love.
I don’t turn the TV on when we get up in the morning and they rarely ask for it.

I had to adjust expectations about what was possible. I didn’t really leave mine alone for more than a minute or two at a time unless playing solo and would bring them with me to “assist” with chores, which would never be massive jobs anyway. Eg loading the washing machine, dishwasher etc, washing up etc were all things they could “help” with.

This was me today. He watched 40 mins this morning then off to the shops despite it throwing it down. Then we break it up with lunch. He plays with some toys a bit while I clean. Then we read LOADS in his room and played with toy cars and broke that up with me doing more cleaning whilst he looks at the activity books and pictures. I talk to him from next room upstairs. Then we do some washing up together, spoon, plastic plate etc. Then we did a bit of loading the washing machine. He likes to help pour the detergent in and set the programme. . He loves helping.maybe an Early bath etc. I'm 8m pregnant and it actually felt relaxing today. Ds is 3yo.
Now watching a 40 min Xmas film whilst I sit on sofa. If ds watches too much TV he gets cranky. If he cries for it to be put on I maybe say let's play with this or tidy this up and then he can watch 1 cartoon. Praise them for the tidying up part so they associate helping with cartoon reward perhaps.

My dc vary, sometimes they're fine just left playing together/alongside each other, other times they witter before I can even have a wee! I get as much as I can done on easy days and do lots of playing on more needy days. They would certainly rather do pretty much anything with me than watch TV without me. Stuff takes longer, lots longer, with toddlers helping but it's rarely that much of a problem. Putting a load of washing on might take me 15 minutes by the time we've gathered it up together and taken it down to the utility room and put it on but we're rarely in that much of a rush tbh.