How much TV do your 3/4 year olds watch?

[NatalieH2220]

Pre lockdown we always had limited TV time, not because I had an issue with it, We were just usually out most of the weekend.

Now there's not a lot of choice of where to go, we're spending more time inside, I'm noticing tv time is creeping up for my almost 4 year old.

How much tv time does your 3/4 year old have a day?

3.4 yo here - 30 minutes in the morning, 30 in the afternoon, 15 before bed.

Mine has loads at the mo. A few hours a day during the week when we have to work. That's just how it is. An hour in the morning. Another hour or two throughout the day whilst we work/homeschool. Then maybe a bit more in the evening. He is usually only stationary watching it for maybe 60/90 mins a day. The other times it is on and he's maybe playing and watching at the same time.

I have no issue with it. When he's not watching it we are doing things together, we live rurally and he's always out and about doing stuff in the fresh air.

He would be watching far less if he was at nursery or life was as normal. But nothing is normal right now. I cannot entertain him 12/13 hours a day and get everything else done.

Lots, really. We're a bit of a telly watching family I have to say. It is just cbeebies though, I find a lot of it very informative and I think he actually gets a lot from it. Has been telling me about things he's learned from Go Jetters or do you know.
I take the view that it's more important to worry about what you do with children, rather than restricting things. We go out at least twice a day to the park and run around, I make time for lots of reading together, we cook together and talk, we paint and play with play dough, we do quite a lot of basic maths and things because he's interested. He has time on his own to play too. So then it doesn't seem so bad that he also watches telly when we're not doing that!

Loads, probably a film in the morning so 90mins, then another in the afternoon, and 2 episodes of mickey mouse clubhouse before bed so probay 4 hours. Obviously no tv in the day in the week as she is at nursery

Some days its only 1 film, but we also watch tv so it is on most of the day when we are home.

Loads. Maybe 2 hours a day? She wakes early and watches her iPad for 30 mins or so until we wake up. Then likely another hour and half in day. Trying really hard not to have her watch so much but it's survival at the moment.

He watches a lot of Netflix and YouTube. Doesn’t bother me one bit - he’s learned loads from it and it’s a good way to occupy him when he’s tired or I have cleaning etc. to do.

Loads, tbh. None in the week while at nursery but a lot at weekend.

It's obviously not good but there's barely anything to do anymore. Can't go visiting, to a soft play, play dates, birthday parties, zoo. So It's just watch tv, craft activity, play, out for a walk, repeat.

Omg mine watches WAY too much tv. He wakes up super early so we put him in front of it so we can get some extra sleep.
Then we’ll probably leave it on for most of the morning while he plays in the house. We go out for an hour most afternoons and once it’s dark out he’s back on Netflix.

I have been feeling sooooo guilty about it but DP works from home and I’m a nurse so there’s really not many other options.

On the bright side, I have noticed that DS now turns it off himself when he’s had enough of it.

In normal times DS was at pre-school all day everyday so the only TV he got was 30min after dinner.

It is what it is right now 😬

Some CBeebies in the morning while I make breakfast/ tidy up / do morning things. Then she has the tablet for about 40 mins before we go up for a bath at night which is lovely because if it's been a long day I get some mindless phone / screen time too and it sort of gives me a little boost to be more playful for bedtime / bathtime which makes it all run much smoother.
Sometimes a bit in the day too if it's crappy weather or I want a sit down. Like someone else said she won't sit still and continually watch it she's usually puttering about while it's on.

All of it....

Way too much in winter lockdown. About 90 mins to 2 hours a day.

Quite a lot to be honest. It's usually on in the background while playing. I'd rather have children's tv on that I have full control over, than a tablet which I find he gets much more engrossed in.

Wayyyy too much then it's on in the background. I'm making an effort not to have it on but I always make sure we go out a big walk for at least a couple of hours a day (normally more) but yeah... TV daft. She just loves it!

My tv is on all day. Even when doing other things. Right now it's the least of my worries.

Some days 0 (when she's in nursery, mainly), some days two films back to back (so 3+ hours).

What I've learned about kids TV is that most of its pretty educationally and morally sound, lots of learning and working through emotions and experiences that small children have.

So given the extenuating circumstances of lockdown, I've stopped worrying about screen time.

We do other stuff, it all balances out.

@isitjustifyable

My tv is on all day. Even when doing other things. Right now it's the least of my worries.

This. I'm pleased I'm not the only one!

Honestly, can you pick out adults that had, or didn't have loads of tv?