Screen time balance

[Aspotofgardening]

Does anyone else just not really give a stuff if their children watch a fair amount of telly? Does anyone else think you can watch quite a bit and still have a good balance?

We don’t have television, as in tv channels, but we have a tv which we cast streaming services to. My 3.5 year old has a collection of DVDs and when he wants to watch something he chooses from those.

Today we were outdoors for 6 hours straight which is typical for us. All morning he doesn’t watch any telly, then he’s out on his bike, at the park, at the beach, and finally playing in the woods at our house. He is non-stop active and outdoorsy so when we got home at 4 he ate dinner and then watched telly until 6ish, then bath, stories and bed. He watched nearly 2 hours of telly and I just don’t get the fuss about that. We were wiped out after being out for so long and he has done nothing all day but be active, explore nature, and use his imagination.

Do people really think this is a problem? I used to watch a similar amount of telly as a child whilst also being out non stop playing in our neighbourhood or cycling to the park with friends. There are enough hours in the day surely that a bit of tv of an evening isn’t a problem. I saw another thread on Mumsnet where posters were appalled at any child watching an hour and a half of telly in one day. But that’s just the length of a feature film. I remember renting kids movies from global video as a kid and watching them but also being out all the time too. There’s room for both surely?

Yeah it's not that kind of screen which bothers me, you're right at that age it's balance and 2hrs is just a film plus an episode.

It's when screen time starts to mean apps, then games, you tube...that's the stuff I worry about. (4yo, 10yo and 12yo here)

Agree with @Squarestones

And I agree I watched similar amounts on weekends as a kid. I guess the difference with my childhood is there was a natural limit as kids TV was only a few hours a day, or a video etc. but now it's so much choice all the time - which makes it easier for kids to get hooked, but I still think it's about balance.

@Squarestonesdefinitely agree with this and we won’t be buying an iPad for a very long time. The posters I mentioned were definitely responding to children watching telly for an hour and a half though. Like CBeebies sort of stuff. I don’t get the big fuss over it if there’s a balance of other things going on in the child’s life. We’ve got nursery, family time, swimming, cycling, play dates, and so much time outdoors that I think it’s nice to unwind and watch some telly.

So did I. But the tv went off at 6pm and that was it. Adults only after that as far as my parents were concerned!

I think you are spot on. I don't agree with any screans before 2. As long as you are giving opportunity to be outside and active, creative etc. I don't think there is anything wrong with watching a film or a few episodes at the end of the day. It sounds like you've got a good balance. Only thing to add, make sure it's not straight before bed (as it can mess around with sleep). And even better if you watch together, talk about what he's watched

I disagree with tablets, apps and the swiping from one video to the next, mind numbing games etc. I think this causes so many morr problems. Best just to avoid completely.

come back when it is youtube, gaming, apps, staring at an ipad without looking up for hours...

Watching something straight before bed definitely wouldn’t work for us. We have a cuddle and read 2 or 3 books before bed every night. Definitely agree about telly being different from swiping away on a tablet.

My kids are a lot older but TV we don’t limit that much as long as they have done something else that day. We don’t allow YouTube phone iPad despite others their own ages having access as it’s a different type of stimulation. Kids have been watching TV since it was invented, my understanding of “screen time” is the modern version which is proven to be damaging.