Screen time for infant aged kids

[Orangeinmybluelightcup]

I am sure this has been asked before and will be again after this! Screen time... I've heard the guidance on this has changed to be more about it not interfering with other activities. But what's a normal amount?

My kids TV time is more than I would like really, the issue is they get up /go to bed at different times and want to watch different things to each other but will then still watch what the other has picked. Ds can readily watch 1.5hrs in the morning because I'm not playing at 6am! Then Dd gets up and wants to watch a couple of things before it goes off. I feel it sort of sets us off on the wrong foot, but we do plenty through the day so does it really matter?! They're both off playing now.

Mine had not much after school, we had no device that was theirs and their TV watching was not excessive anyway. They did do coding on the Raspberry Pi as I wanted them to learn the skills side of it.

I wouldn't personally worry about morning TV though, we did have phases of that.

I honestly feel it is fine! Cbeebies in on in the morning, I use it as a clock (I know I could use an actual clock!) We are out and about in the day, varied activities. Parenting is tough, tv helps!

We have it on until after breakfast then a bit after lunch and a bit after dinner. Completely honestly the morning tv is to give me time to wake up and have a cup of tea. My DC don’t necessarily just sit there staring at the tv though; once they’ve woken up a bit they’ll play while watching

Oh good! I've always felt its fine in a real world sense but was talking to a friend who goes more on a total allowance and our morning TV would mean no more all day! Which have 40mins after school, 20m of their choice each, and Dd gets to watch 30m of more family orientated TV after younger brother has gone to bed.

I never wanted all that counting of minutes, it turns it into a bigger thing IMO.

In our house, we just don;t put the telly on after school and there was no device to ask for.

We don't allow any tv in the mornings on weekdays. Sometimes oldest tries to sneak downstairs to watch it, but it goes off as soon as we are up. It's just too much of a battle to then re-engage them in getting ready to get out the door, so saves a lot of hassle.

My primary aged one then mostly watches tv between about 3:30-4:45 and then probably again for a bit at some point before dinner (she'll also play outside or do something else during this time). I need to work in the afternoons so she can pretty much do whatever she wants as long as she leaves me in peace.

I'm not bothered about how much time they actually spend in from of screens, because I watched so much tv as a kid. Literally, all day every day of school holidays and every day after school and I used to stay up til like 10pm on the weekends and had a tv in my room from fairly young (younger than I'd ever let my dc have one). I turned out perfectly fine, loved to read, have a PhD now. It didn't kill my brain cells. We also spend a lot of time outside, so I think they have a healthy balance. It's just the mornings are a nightmare with tv so that's where I draw the line.

I agree with the 'not interfering with other activities' comment in your OP. If your kids spend plenty of time being active, being sociable (ie spending time with other kids), being creative (crafts, lego, whatever) and reading to you or listening to you read then I think that matters a lot more than the actual number of minutes of screen time.

Our kids have 2 tv's they can use between them, tablets and the teen has a phone. We do not restrict their screen time and they do a mixture of different types of activities daily. Their tablets cut the youngest 4 off just before tea time so they eat as they get too engrossed in games.