What age did your kids start watching TV?

[BabaganooToo]

I have a 15 months old DS. He's fantastic, but (as expected) high energy and full on. Hates being contained. Refuses to go in the high chair currently. So when DH is at work and I'm on dinner duty it's impossible to cook, or do anything other than watch DS run around.

So I thought TV would be the answer to buy me half an hour to get stuff done. But he has ZERO interest in TV... Now don't get me wrong, i know this isn't a bad thing really but I feel myself actually yearning for a time I can stick him in front of it and it'll keep his attention 😅 I know it's bonkers.

What age did your toddler start liking watching TV?

And I've tried involving him with the cooking, and wearing him, giving him "tasks" to do - just doesn't work. When wearing him I can't cut use a knife realistically. Giving him things to do he naturally loses interest in about 5 seconds.

@BabaganooToo we both work full time (and some) too. I feel your pain!

DC started responding in a way that suggested a degree of awareness of what was happening on screen at about 15/16 months. At 21 months, they can watch an episode of Bluey or similar and then come tell me when it's finished. That buys about 5-8 minutes if it's needed!

Maybe 2 and a half. We always watched specific programmes and then switched off. Mainly Thomas and then later on The Wiggles, In The Night Garden, bit of Cbeebies. I loved The Wiggles. Ds is 18 and i can still remember the songs... Cold Spaghetti, cold spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti spaghetti. Hot potato, hot potato...

My twins are 18 months and have been watching tv for probably a couple of months now. Miss rachel is an absolute game changer they are obsessed 🤣 cant say it lasts long but definitely gives me enough time to cook or get some bits done round the house. I would try a play pen or strapped in high chairs. Sometimes they just have to scream for a few minutes 🤷🏼‍♀️

I think baby Einstein managed to buy us a little time at that age. Probably still available on YouTube X

My DS would watch cartoons for about 10mins when he was 3yrs but didn't sit though anything longer until he was about 4.5yrs. He's 6yrs now and it is still a very rare occasion he will sit through a full movie.

Only things like planet earth at that age

My son was like this until he was about 6. Have you tried a playpen instead

I do find it funny when people say that kids that age should just be put where they are told. Ds1 was very happy in his play pen either emptying out the toys or watching TV.

Ds2 firmly disapproved of ANY form of containment from the day he was born. Would scream and scream if he was put in the sling, car seat, push chair, playpen etc. Yes you can just enforce that they are miserable, but it's no fun for anyone. I rearranged the cupboards so everything breakable was up high and he had great fun making the cans into towers and tipping rice onto a blanket with spoons, cups etc to dig with. It did mean living with broken eggs, flour raining down and lots of things thrown around. I can cope with chaos though.

Mine started being a bit more interested in TV at around 18mo. He likes Giant Jack on Netflix, Peter Rabbit, the Twirlywoos.

I don't let him watch Cocomelon, or anything that (I think) is overstimulating.

ours listens to songs (and not she is older stories). Loves it. We have a family film night together but no TV (only for us adults when she's in bed.
At nursery they did watch some educational stuff, and at school they have cinema club which she sometimes goes to.

In The Night Garden was always a big part of bedtime routine for our boy when he was little, so around age 2 I think. He then found other cbeebies programmes he liked.

Thanks everyone. Seems as though we're not alone and perhaps he's still a bit young to actually sit and watch anything. Or maybe he's just not interested and long term that's not a bad thing really! Some good suggestions of what to watch too. In The Night Garden is lovely so hoping he'll like that! And Bluey of course 😍

And for those who asked, yes we've tried playpen, jumperoo etc. He just screams. Of course I can put him in the high chair when required, and I do, but I was just trying to find ways of keeping him occupied that make us both happy 😊

Hi! I also have an above average-y active toddler and it's hard to take your eyes off her long enough to get anything done. Even the sofa is a hazard as she climbs all over it and falls off the arms. I think it's a temperament thing (not making it up, nursery says she's particularly "busy").

Have you tried a kitchen tower? I can sometimes get a few bits done if she's up in the tower with a rice cake or toy to keep her busy

The other thing is letting her play on a towel on the floor with some cups of water / mini buckets. That's novel enough to buy some time.

Have you tried Ms Rachel on YouTube?! The woman is like toddler magic 😂

@IDontDrinkTea yes love Ms Rachel! It's the only program he actually looks at, and smiles and laughs at, but will only stay for a minute at the most.

@Islandermummy haha sounds familiar, nursery call DS "mischief" 😅 I thought about a learning tower, I think he'd really love it so it's on the Christmas list for him but they're not cheap! I just hope he uses it. We bought one of those soft play sofas for him and he never really uses it which is a shame.

It’s been a while since mine were that little, but when they were I had a stool for them to use in kitchen which was basically like a wooden box with 4 tall sides and open at the top, so they could stand safely at the counter and play with toy food etc while I cooked. It was big enough that they could sit down in too, but not strapped in so they felt they had freedom but they couldn’t go anywhere. I’ll see if I can find a pic, haven’t seen any for years with friends or anything so not sure if they still sell them.

https://www.littlehelper.co.uk/products/little-helper-funpod-kitchen-learning-tower-04?pk_cid=1&pk_keyword=shopifyGB414719796843930381575897143&pk_medium=multifeeds&pk_campaign=Google&pk_source=Google&pk_content=ToysGamesToysPretendPlayToyKitchensPlayFood&utm_source=Google&wi=off&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy8LTq7DFggMV7IhQBh0yuwCGEAQYAiABEgKDlfD_BwE

Our 1 year old loves Ms Racheal on YouTube about the only thing that does the job for 10/15 mins

It was when my DS was turning a year that he first started to watch. It was Cocomelon. Then I realised how overstimulating it is, especially so young, so I stopped that. Now he's 22 months he has a small amount of TV, and still very interested (postman pat, miss rachel), mainly as a distraction when he's eating at home (otherwise he refuses to eat). However, he does usually get bored quickly and start playing with toys, jump about, or want a book read to him.

My nearly-3 year old still has zero interest. Will wat h for about 5 seconds then go off and play. My younger one who's 15 months is much more likely to stare at a telly if given the chance. I think it's more personality than age.

Kitchen tower is a great shout I think I got one around that age. Then they can get involved with the cooking etc or just play with water at the sink.

I didn't attempt much cooking around that age tbh I did it all in batches when he was asleep or with someone else, so all that needed to be done was heat things up.

Get the learning tower from Facebook / eBay, mine was about £20/30 (the little helper one linked to above)