Help with reducing screen time

[HopefulBeckie]

Please don’t judge me for allowing my 20 month old screen time 🙈
At first it was just a little. But then my parents & in-laws would let him watch tv almost all day. So he started screaming all the time to watch teletubbies or the wiggles. I try my best to distract him with toys & crafts on days I’m not able to go out but it either entertains him for 5 mins or he starts screaming because he doesn’t want to do anything but watch tv.
His tantrums are really getting to me and I know tv is the cause so I’m banning it for at least a week. But I know it’s going to be super tough and would appreciate any advice

These are all great but generally they need supervision to some extent (at least at the age of the OPs child - I don't think many people would let their 2 year old play with water in the garden without keeping an eye on them) which is no good if you need to keep them occupied while you cook or get ready.

I have a just turned 2 year old and do try to keep TV to a minimum, mostly while I'm cooking dinner as our kitchen is small and its not safe to have her underfoot (which usually leeds to her playing with the cats food or getting too close to the oven). I mostly use Miss Rachel and pretent that it helps with her speech.

I lie to my small children all the time - the tooth fairy will bring you a pound when your tooth falls out, Santa will bring you presents at Christmas time, no we don't have any crisps (when we do, but they're mine all mine). Never the big stuff, but yes the little stuff. I think most parents do.

Like I said, there's plenty of saying no and upsets with small children, I think parents are typically pretty good at judging when their DC are at their limit (hence Google being off when I had an overtired child who was ready to go into emotional collapse at any moment and really just needed to sleep).

Yeah it really isn’t good. I never thought it would get this bad! I don’t think I’ll get rid of the tv though. I think if he never sees it on he might eventually forget about it. We already hide the remote so hopefully that’ll work

Strangely he doesn’t. I can’t seem to keep him interested in anything longer than 10 mins max. He will play with toys but just gets frustrated with them. I have no idea why though. I’ve tried simpler toys, more complicated ones & will play with him too. The only thing that he seems to really enjoy is being outside & running around. But there’s only so much of that you can do especially with how horrendous the uk weather has been lately

That’s good it took around 3 days. Him being about to play on his own sometimes so I can get things done would be amazing!

I didn't let ds have any screen time until he was 2, as I had read it is particularly bad for their brain development under that age.

But am not flexing my moral superiority here as I have definitely let screens 'babysit' him for hours more than I probably should have, since then.

I noticed when he was 6 or 7 that if I allowed him too much screen time 'just because', the tantrums when I said no were so much worse. There was no way to ameliorate them, I just had to endure them without caving in.

I found that promising screen time as a bribe for good behaviour worked well.

I think a very strict regimen of a certain amount of time per day is probably the best way to go. Even very young children can understand that something is rationed. But it works best only if you stick to the time limits religiously.

Ds is now a teenager and I have bought a metal box with a lock and key so that I can lock up his devices if needed as a punishment.

We got into a bad habit in lockdown of using TV way too much. DC about 1yo and 3yo.

Switched to a system where we have a routine for when we have TV and how much. 20 mins if dressed in time after breakfast but before leaving house. 20 mins after lunch.10 mins before dinner. Kids get to choose one thing to watch and then it's off. Tablet/computer games only on the weekend for an hour or so.

I find it easier to have a hard rule to stick to, that way there's nothing in it for them to nag and beg. You need to ride out the tantrums. Easier said than done, I know! But with a routine instead of saying no, you're saying not til after lunch etc.

With GP - might be a pay off for childcare. If it's literally all day, maybe neither of them are getting much out of it and nursery would be preferable, if you can afford it?

You could also console yourself that this is just an age where he might want to push against your rules. I.e. if he wasn't tantrumming about this, he might be tantrumming about putting his trousers on, having another biscuit etc.

Thank you everyone! Your ideas are great & im gonna try them out. He does seem to understand more than I sometimes realise so it’s worth giving these a try just incase.

That’s so true 😂

Try and do no nursery rhymes and no weird cgi/cartoons

Real people/calm documentaries or put a DVD of something "older" on i.e. original postman pat/fireman sam/little bear/elmos world/golden nursery rhymes/here comes a digger/me too/balamory/come outside
Once a dvd or episode of dvd is done it's done, which is helpful

Once weather is better it's nice to be in the garden playing more, perhaps some new crafty bits, chalks, water table etc, tuff tray and kinetic sand. "washing" and burying diggers in weetabix/cocoa powder mixed w water to make mud

Kids tv atm is shite and has no charm imo

Real people/calm documentaries or put a DVD of something "older" on i.e. original postman pat/fireman sam/little bear/elmos world/golden nursery rhymes/here comes a digger/me too/balamory/come outside

Sounds like our house!

My son loves original Postman Pat, Old Bear, and the "Here comes a ..." series.

We also like Pingu, The World of Peter Rabbit & Friends (90s cartoon series), Percy the Parkkeeper, and The Moomins.

@Keroppi 'Kids tv atm is shite and has no charm imo'

It's way better than when I was a kid in 90s. Eg bluey - amazing show.

Some TV shows are made for a global audience and that makes them bland, eg old danger mouse and inspector gadget are definitely better than new ones. The new Thomas the tank is an affront to national dignity

It's understandable to feel overwhelmed, and taking a break from screen time is a positive step. To manage the transition, try creating a consistent daily routine with engaging activities, such as storytime, outdoor play, or simple crafts. Gradually reducing screen time and offering alternative fun activities can help ease the process. Be patient and consistent, and remember that it's okay to seek support from family or friends during this challenging period.

Grandparents play by their own rules in my experience and you have to weigh the cost of free childcare against that.

If there are two sets of two grandparents who are reasonably fit, I can't understand why having one 'hard day' a week of toddler entertaining sans TV would be so difficult? They just need to take tot out to a baby group / soft play / mooch around town in the morning, back home for a nap, lunch, bit of TV then out again for another adventure.

No need for TV all day!

Good luck though, it's v easy for little ones to get screen fixated. I'd have a frank talk with the GPs.