How much tv do your kids get?

skylight

Our can be on all the time but I have a wide range of kids/ages to contend with. So while the older one(6, 8 and 16) are reading or doing something the younger ones are watching Mickey Mouse (3 and 1). Later, the younger ones are off playing cars or something and the older ones are watching Basil Brush.

Some days the TV is barely on and some days its on a lot. The only times I insist that it is off, is during breakfast (unless its school holidays) and tea-time (again, school holidays can mean tea on the floor in front of the TV as a treat).

Do what fits in with you, your kids and is age-approriate.


Rather than the TV, I feel guilty with forcibly putting toddler (1) in his cot for a forced-nap so I can let the others get on with colouring/cutting etc without interferance from him! Once they are back/start school then I can let him loose!

janey_uk

My 2 y/o would probably watch it all day if I'd let her!

We we limit to 30 mins a day (if we're home, so not every day). I avoid using it to do housework as I know I will always have housework to do and therefore she'd always end up in front of the tv - I prefer to leave her play with her toys or sit her in her highchair with a big blob of playdoh etc.

BenL

Our girl is 4 and she gets maybe 1 hour a week max. No time during the weekdays for tv, then she might get MM Clubhouse or Handy Manny for 1 hour on a Saturday if we are at home, generally though we would be out somewhere together though.

heretolearn_2

At that age my son used to watch about half an hour in the mornings, and half an hour in the afternoons. That was all there was for tiddlers back then - no 24 hour kiddies tv so there wasn't the temptation/pressure to add more. Didn't do him any harm and a lot of the time I was watching it with him and we'd do the singing/activities/whatever together.

I'm not sure I'd be too happy just using it as a babysitter for too long though. I know it's tempting and an easy way to keep them occupied while you are busy, but in the past no-one had TV and they managed all right. What I think is most damaging is if the TV is just on as wallpaper in the background, you see kids half-playing, half-watching TV, when they'd be better off and just as happy just playing.