Toddlers and TV

[joyofliving]

Hi everyone,
Just want to know how much TV do your children watch? Since I don't have a full time helper I used to put the TV on for my little one for 15- 20 mins if I had to do something urgently. But now at 16 months she demands for the TV to be switched on and screams if we don't turn it on. In one day she watches upto 1 hour of TV which I am afraid is a lot for a child her age. Especially worried since it seems to have become a habit for her. I try to distract her with books or toys or by going out but when she is done with all that she is again back to the TV. I know American Academy of Pediatrics says no TV till 2 years of age and only 1 hour of educational stuff after 2 years. Any suggestions would be great...

 

[fingerscrossed]

I have a 17mth old and I only allow 20-30min intervals of TV, usually once in the morning and once after lunch. It all sounds OK but at night after his dad comes home, the TV would be on during dinner and after dinner so the lil one 'sees' the TV but doesn't actually 'watch' it like he does when I play his DVDs. It's hard when you have to walk away and leave them alone in the living room. The TV seems to be the only distractor that keeps them away from any potential accident.

 

[carang]

you are going to think i'm terrible... our tv pretty much is on all day long. my kids don't watch it all the time, but it is on. that's how i like it myself. i like having the background noise.

the kids actually learn a lot from watching playhouse disney. my kids are very, very active, so i'm not worried that having the tv on means that they are couch potatoes. they are anything BUT.

i don't have a problem with the tv being on.

 

[Matty]

I've found if you make a big deal about limiting TV time, it suddenly becomes something that they want all the time. ( You always want what you can't have!)

My 2.5 year old has always been allowed to watch as much TV as he wants, and as a result hardly watches it at all.
A lot of the time he asks for it, but then continues play Lego or whatever, while it's on in the background.

My one year old doesn't pay it much attention unless there is music on, and will stop and listen, and then continue playing.

 

[LeahH]

Same as Cara and Matty, we don't make too big of a deal of it and our programmes are often on in the 'background'.

My 2 yr. old specifically asks for and loves CBeebies at various different times of the day (in between spending most of her time outside) and is massively into Pixar films which she has on every night with her evening bottle. Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc being the current favourites.

 

[carang]

my 2 year old LOVES Mickey's Clubhouse. my 4 year old LOVES Animal Mechanicals.

like others said, we never make a big deal out of it. UNLESS the kids are being naughty. that is one of the punishments, we turn off the tv. it works a charm!

 

[stacy]

We didn't let my son watch any TV until he turned 2 and then it was only 30 minutes every night after his bath and we only let him watch DVD's (such as Curious George, etc...), but once my daughter was born, we couldn't let her not watch TV while he was, so she started much sooner. Again, it is only for 30 minutes each evening only after dinner/bath. We definitely use it as a punishment if they are being naughty, and then they don't get to watch anything at all.
Both of them enjoy watching TV; however since they don't regularly watch, it isn't something that they ask for or want during the day, and if they have it on too long (such as a long plane ride) they actually ask to turn it off so they can do something else, like read a book or play.

 

[sherwes]

I am like Carang and LeahH. We pretty much have the tv on most of time in the background. Because of this my son doesn't actually watch it much at all (he is super active so won't sit still long enough) and never actually asks for it. I watch a lot of Animal Planet and Nat Geo although we do switch it over to CBeebies for In the Night Garden and Spot which he has shown some interest in. He does like You Tube though and often asks to watch footage of diggers working on building sites.
My view is that you should just take your cues from your child. If your child is becoming very dependant upon the TV for entertainment to the detriment of other activities then it's time to turn it off.

 

[0ze_Kid]

"I know American Academy of Pediatrics says no TV till 2 years of age and only 1 hour of educational stuff after 2 years."

I always feel that these people do not actually have kids themselves!

We too don't see an issue with TV and have it on a lot. Miss2 will watch it if it is on Miss4 is not that fussed with it. We have it on Playhouse or NickJr and that is about it (for kids TV). I think many of the shows today are actually educational both emotionally and socially so I try not to read about studies and the like that say otherwise..

 

[carang]

i would have an entirely different take on it if my kids were watching power rangers or GI Joe or something like that. like i said before, so much of hte stuff is educational, i'm surprised at what my son has learned from the tv.