How much TV?

[Franny1]

How much TV do you all allow your kids to watch? (Including iPads/real TV or whatever)?

I feel like we’ve slowly allowed too much to creep in and I’m trying to cut it down a bit. At the moment I let them watch about 45 mins a day in the school week and - fair bit more on the weekends. Recently we went on holiday and didn’t take iPads or anything and it went so well - I’m a big believer in good boredom and I just felt like there was more reading, more playing, more creativity etc. So I want to continue it but I don’t want to totally get rid of TV at all, so just wondering how other people who limit go about things? No tv in the week? Timers? What is really like is to have some days/evenings where TV just isn’t expected b it although I do know people who don’t allow TV in the week I feel like sometimes they’re knackered and weekday TV is still a useful tool. Just not everyday…

My kids are 7 and 10. Thanks!

I’m sure it will change with age. My child is 4 and I don’t worry about it too much. Sometimes he watches something and sometimes he doesn’t. I think the content matters a lot too. I wouldn’t want him doom scrolling kids YouTube on an iPad like I see many children his age doing, that’s the thing that I think is the biggest concern with kids. We don’t have a iPad for him. But if he wants to watch Andy’s dinosaur adventures sometimes, or The Smeds and the Smoos as he’s doing now before we go out for the day, that’s fine. I have very fond memories of kids tv from my childhood and I think it’s a formative part of childhood.

Because we stream everything by casting from our phones I got a binder with Polly pockets and I print a picture of programmes he likes and he can flick through and choose something. We’ve no normal tv channels and this is the best I could do to replicate the days of choosing a VHS 😅

Crucially, if he’s happy playing I never offer tv. And if he asks I always say “yes in ten minutes” and then often he goes off to play and forgets completely. Many days can go by with no tv on (until he’s in bed!)