How much tv do your kids get?

Cookie_monster_7

And how old are they?

I have always used the tv when my dd (now 2.5yrs) was needing some quiet time. Or if I needed to do something like make an important call so I needed to guarantee no interruptions but since I had my 2nd I feel like I really let her watch too much so I can feed the baby without her coming over and trying to poke her in the eye! Or I put it on if the baby is sleeping so I can rush round and get as much housework done as possible in that time.

She probably gets about 3 hours a day, broken up into chunks. She's become a bit of a tyrant of late demanding "PEPPA" or "BEN and HOLLY" or "MONSTERS INC MUMMY!" and I just do it to get a bit of peace.

When my first was born I cut down on a social life, now I have another it seems that I need to cut down on any me time at all in order not to feel like a bad mummy!

I feel bad about it and intend to make changes but I was wondering how much tv your kids get...please be honest!!;)

Becles

My 3 year old hardly watches any. She's never really shown that much interest.

She likes Show Me Show Me, and I normally stick that on iPlayer when I'm ironing as she can't help me with that.

She helps with all the other housework though. She's got a toy hoover and follows me around or I give her a spare cloth and she wipes things for me. We've got a stool that she stands on against the kitchen bench and she helps with cooking. Sometimes that is a bad thing. I had to chop up another pepper yesterday as she ate most of the first one before it got into the pan :rotfl:

pukkamum

During the holidays the kids (9&4) watch approx an hour in the morn, and maybe an hour at lunch, no more than that though unless we are watching a film.

School time prob an hour after school, but my eldest is an avid reader and i make them play upstairs or outside as much as possible.

andrealm

It varies, some days they watch a lot, other days hardly any. It was on a lot when I had my second child and the first was only two.

I put it on to get things done or get a bit of peace sometimes. I don't have an issue with it, as they like to do other things too, like playing with their toys, looking at books, painting etc.

Plans_all_plans

Our little one is 3.5 and I have kept her away from the TV as much as possible. She has never watched CBeebies or kids TV, but on occasion has watched snippets of Disney films on the Ipod.

ETA: It must be harder when you have 2 under 5s though so I can understand why you'd use it in those circumstances!

bylromarha

OP - if YOU feel it's too much, then it probably is. But DON't FEEL BAD ABOUT IT!!!!!! It isn't going to kill them or turn them into raving psychos. You're doing an excellent job I'm sure. It's flippin hard having 2 under 3s at home. My 2.5 yr old had a 7 month old sister, so have lived the life you're in!

I won't tell you how much TV mine watch in a week or watched when they were that age as I don't think it'll help you

We look upon TV as a treat in this house, so if it's on, everyone in the house sits down to watch it.

If you want to cut down on the demands, then distraction, role play, make a den, read a story and all those other things that are far more fun than TV watching will help yours forget about the box.

As for your own personal social life, do you have a OH that can babysit so you can go out in the evening? Or a friend with kids of a similar age who can look after yours one afternoon, then you look after theirs a different afternoon? Any local toddler groups where you can meet new people?

You NEED me time - it makes you a good mummy to take the me time as you're looking after your own needs, meaning you're staying happy and healthy to best meet your kids needs.

All the best.

building_with_lego

I was a bit smug until last Christmas as my then 2yo had never watched any, unlike his sister. Then I made the mistake of introducing him to Thomas, to back up the stories we were reading together and it's been downhill from there really! These holidays they've had an average of 2-3 hours I guess, though during term time it's more like half an hour. Sometimes stays off until they're in bed, which makes me feel as though I've achieved something.

I grew up in a home without TV and certainly feel that I "got up to" more as a kid than my two do, though there are other factors. If only I could persuade OH I'd be rid of ours in a shot, though I'd miss Holby...

Morgan_Ree

Why do you feel bad about it?

DS who's 4 watches cartoons in the morning before nursery (soon to be school! :eek:) maybe an hours worth? Then he watches Simpsons at 6 so on a school day it'll be an hour and a half.
At weekends if we're not doing anything I don't mind how long he watches cartoons for. He loves Horrid Henry, Scooby Doo etc. I wouldn't stop him watching what he loves because some random nobody who's probably not even got kids say's watching too much TV will suck the life out of him :cool:

mrsvicx

Morgan_Ree wrote: »

Why do you feel bad about it?

DS who's 4 watches cartoons in the morning before nursery (soon to be school! :eek:) maybe an hours worth? Then he watches Simpsons at 6 so on a school day it'll be an hour and a half.
At weekends if we're not doing anything I don't mind how long he watches cartoons for. He loves Horrid Henry, Scooby Doo etc. I wouldn't stop him watching what he loves because some random nobody who's probably not even got kids say's watching too much TV will suck the life out of him :cool:

I agree, the TV in our house is on most of the day, but mainly as background noise. I never wanted my DS to need a quiet house when he was small, so I just had it on all of the time. He generally doesnt take much notice of it, but just recently has started watching Toy Story and loves it!! He also loves Fireman Sam and Peppa Pig. I think that cartoons cause no harm, so if he wants to watch TV all day, I would let him. Generally though, it will be on and he will do something else at the same time...

bonty44

I try really hard not to have TV on in background after DS2 potentially had hearing difficulties when he was very little.

Anyway, DS1 and DS2 now have to earn 'screen time', which is either TV or XBox or Computer time. They are 8 and 5 respectively. They can earn it together or independently. Some of the things they have to do to earn 20 mins screen time ...
ride bike / go on trampoline / read book / read magazine / play on maths or english website / lay table and put dirty things in dishwasher / do a jigsaw puzzle / practise musical instrument.

They have to do 2 of these activities to earn 20 mins of screen time ... and it seems to be working!

Also I have insisted that if they want to watch a film such as Alice in Wonderland, then we all read the book together first! Makes for great viewing as we keep shouting out 'that didn't happen in the book!!!!'

Obviously screen time rules go out of the window when there is an important footie match on, but I expect them to spend some quality time with me first. For example, DS2 is helping me bake a cake this morning and will tidy his toys with me tomorrow, as he wants to watch the match on Friday.

Cor, can you tell I'm off work on Mat Leave and missing my work routine??!!!

daveyjp

Our 4 year old can just about get through 20 minutes of children's TV. The TV is usually on when we are in, but she has no interest in it.