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Original poster

Tv for 18 month old

28 replies

partlyponder · 30/08/2022 10:49

My 18 month old loves the tv.
I planned on being a minimal screentime montessori-esque super parent.
But that's not how it's worked out at all.
I'm worried him watching tv everyday is going to detrimentally affect his behaviour.
Can anyone advise?
Is tv time really as bad as they say?

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Wnikat · 30/08/2022 10:50

I have no idea of the research but the more tv my kids watch the worse their behaviour is. He’s 18 months old, don’t turn it on if you don’t want him to watch it.

AnneLovesGilbert · 30/08/2022 10:51

The advice is no tv till they’re at least 2. Babies don’t need tv or screens or benefit from them. They thrive on interaction and engagement - chatting, singing, playing, being read to, being left to entertain themselves with toys or a patch of grass, a bowl of water.

If you’re doing all that for most of the day a bit of tv won’t actively hurt but it’s for your benefit not theirs.

cestlavielife · 30/08/2022 10:54

Is he watching cbeebies something special?
Cbeebies programmes that talk about colours aNd numbers and etc?
Disney movies?
Or horror movies?

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UsernameIsCopied · 30/08/2022 10:57

You're the parent, you decide. If you don't want him to watch it, don't turn it on.
There is a lot of official advice online, just look it up. The advice is that when they are very little they should ideally not have screen time, but if you do put the TV on you should it with them because they benefit from the interaction with you, not from what they're watching.

Danascully2 · 30/08/2022 11:03

At that age mine used to watch in the night garden while I cooked the dinner because he was an absolute livewire and it was the only way I could do it safely. Anything on cbeebies will be educational too. There is a big difference between a bit of tv here and there and handing your 18 month old a tablet for hours every day to use by themselves. Also ask yourself what would happen if he was a second or subsequent child rather than (I assume) the first? Very likely watching age appropriate tv with their sibling. Try not to feel guilty!

locke360 · 30/08/2022 11:03

There was some research which concluded that more of 2 hours a day can detrimentally affect behaviour and social skills in under 5's.

I think it really depends on how you are doing it. Are you plonking him in front of it for prolonged periods and leaving him to it? That will deprive him of time he would otherwise spend exploring/ interacting with the real world.

Or are you watching a 10 minute programme with him and talking about it?

Is he watching rubbish on youtube or something educational?

TV in and of itself is not bad at all - like everything, it depends what you do with it and how much.

EastVillage77 · 30/08/2022 11:44

I think the 'No TV!!' rule is a bit silly to be honest - are you seriously not having the tv (or radio) on for two years?

I think in moderation its fine, especially when you need free hands.

We love Miss Rachel 'Songs for Littles' on Youtube as well as counting and colour videos - I prefer interactive videos we can watch together to talk back to the screen with.

GalactatingGoddess · 30/08/2022 11:51

My DD has watched short bursts of TV since she was around 10m. She is 23m now.
Her behaviour has always been fine.

The only things I ensure is that it's no more than 15/20 mins at a time then it's a long break and colouring/walk/park/books or just independent play time. She will have about 3 - 5 of those blocks in the day, usually when I'm cooking/prepping food or when I'm just exhausted and need to sit down. Also, no hyper TV right before bed. I always leave 1 hour before bed to wind down or physically play to tire her out.

I also ensure she watches something useful for half those blocks, so we've started on the BBC Proms/nature documentaries with me talking to her and explaining.

I have a family member whose DC is the same age and was letting him watch for 1/2 hrs before bed. He would not sleep and his behaviour was hard to manage. She's stopped that now after advice/telling off from her HV and he has completely switched up with sleep and behaviour.

2 TV anecdotes there for ya...

StrawberryShortcake01 · 30/08/2022 12:51

Sorry, I should have said that my kids have watched some tv before the age of 2, but I do limit screen time. I just thought it would be useful to know what is advised, as the OP was asking if TV was as bad as they say. I do agree too much screen time has a detrimental impact on speech, concentration skills, the ability to play and entertain themselves and sleep.

StrawberryShortcake01 · 30/08/2022 12:58

I do know some parents whose children watched no tv at all until 3 years old!

MoreTeaLessCoffee · 30/08/2022 13:12

The advice is no tv under 2.
In the real world, I only know 1 family who enforced this and they did it by getting rid of their tv which would be a bridge too far for me I'm afraid.
In the pandemic I was heavily dependent on it as it was the only way I could work and it was on most of the day at times, I'm down to 1-2 hours a day for my (now) 3 year old which I'm comfortable with, it's how we relax after lunch or before teatime.

I don't feel it's doing any harm, in fact the opposite at times as we will talk about what she has seen and sometimes she will want to act it out. Some tv is total rubbish though, I have tried to steer towards CBeebies which feels a bit meatier.

My advice would be to try and use it tactically, e.g. when you need a break or need to get some housework done, don't have it on just as background noise. I also have a rule of no tv until after lunch at the earliest.

BeanieTeen · 30/08/2022 13:13

I think it depends a little on what they watch and how they watch it. Some kids sit there on a tablet or phone watching Peppa Pig over and over on a loop, that’s probably not so great.
Having Cbeebies on a tv, so there is variation of programs and things between their faces and the tv, so it’s not all consuming, I think is fine. We’ve seen no adverse effects in our children from that anyway. They can watch tv and still play with toys or do some drawing at the same time. A lot of their imaginative play is inspired by things they’ve seen on the tv, (my second is mad about ‘Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures’ he re-enacts it all with his dinosaur toys, and knows what they all are called just from watching that show). You don’t see that when they are holding phones and tablets, it’s just a bit all consuming.
So TV has always been no big deal for us - but holding a tablet up to their noses has always been a no no except for very long car journeys (we have family that live 4 and 5 hours away).

mmmflakycrust81 · 30/08/2022 13:25

I agree about tablets - we have one and its used only for long train and car journeys as they get totally sucked into it and dont interact with you or it. The TV feels more social.

Twizbe · 30/08/2022 13:37

My youngest was that age during lockdown so watched a lot of CBeebies.

My eldest was 2 when his sister was born so watched a lot of CBeebies while I fed his sister.

I got complimented on their good behaviour the other day.

I don't buy into this no screen time thing at all.

eddiemairswife · 30/08/2022 13:40

I had mine in the old days of 'Watch with Mother' which we would watch after lunch, and a few years later along came 'Play School'. I lost count of the number of newspaper trees I constructed. TV was not available all day (apart from the Test Card), so there wasn't the temptation to have it on all the time.

oceanbleu · 30/08/2022 13:55

We did no tv until 2. We don't have a tv at home so managed ok. I struggled at my mums though as they always have the tv on. Now he's allowed to watch but since we've introduced it he constantly asks. On some difficult days (which lately is quite often) I just give up and let him watch for however long he wants. It's just a fight I don't have in me to be honest. I would have maybe restrained it for longer but it does have its place. I wish I had followed the whole 'wholesome no screens' thing but practically it was very hard.

Original poster
partlyponder · 30/08/2022 15:32

Twizbe · 30/08/2022 13:37

My youngest was that age during lockdown so watched a lot of CBeebies.

My eldest was 2 when his sister was born so watched a lot of CBeebies while I fed his sister.

I got complimented on their good behaviour the other day.

I don't buy into this no screen time thing at all.

Thanks for this. I have seen comments before from parents whose children have watched a lot of tv and they don't feel like it's done any harm.

OP posts:
Hugasauras · 30/08/2022 15:52

How much TV are you talking about? Hours every day, not good. 30 mins here and there when you do plenty of other non-screen activities? No issue. DD1 is currently watching TV as we've been out all day from 9am and are all pooped!

Endlesslaundry123 · 30/08/2022 15:59

My daughter did 30 mins of "screen time" each day during pandemic for her baby sign language classes from 5 months (with me). Then educational and song programs from about 14 months (cocomelon, little baby bum, the Wiggles etc.) and since I got pregnant with her little brother (and gave birth 2 months ago) she's had more screen time than I would like. She's just about 3 now. She's super bright, creative and has amazing language skills -- she's learnt so much from the different children's programs she watches. We do what we have to do to survive.....

RedRobyn2021 · 30/08/2022 16:22

Yes I had similar aspirations!

My daughter is also 18 months, she does watch tv everyday because I use my phone to keep her still when she does a dirty nappy and when I brush her teeth.

6/7 minute episode of Bing/Hey Duggee/Puffin Rock when I'm changing a nappy

2 minute YouTube video for teeth brushing

Sometimes I put Ben and Holly on the actual tv for her

She is watching about 20-30 minutes a day of tv

I actually really don't know whether I'm doing the right thing restricting her or whether I'm doing the right thing letting her watch it at all.

I worry about pretty much everything to be honest

RedRobyn2021 · 30/08/2022 16:25

I'm sure I read that TV is more damaging if it's just on in the background because children struggle to filter it out to creatively play.

Aria999 · 31/08/2022 00:02

Dd2.5 has been watching paw patrol pretty much since she was born (she has a big brother)

She is a little obsessed with paw patrol, but she's very articulate (this gets a lot of comments) and better behaved than DS was (who had carefully restricted screen time at that age).

Do what you feel works best but if you notice a behavioral impact, cut it down.

Flittingaboutagain · 13/01/2023 23:41

The WHO advises no screen time before the age of 2. In France it’s no screen time before the age of 3.

Infants and toddlers under the age of 2 should not spend any time in front of screens, according to new guidelines issued by the World Health Organization.

French parents have been told to keep children younger than three away from screens in the government's latest book of health-related advice for under-18s.

Flittingaboutagain · 13/01/2023 23:42

Meant to quote thanks.