How much TV does your toddler watch?

[MrsC]

To help while heavily pregnant with number 2 I let our toddler watch TV in the mornings while I get ready as it keeps him calm, sometimes just after lunch for 15 mins before nap time, then about 30 mins before bed...... I'm worrying that this is too much and will more than likely increase when baby arrives!

Wondering what other families do re TV, do you have set times/time limits per day etc, it's not like he's a TV addict he'll only sit still for fireman Sam ( seriously I know every episode nearly word perfect!) but don't want to rely on it too much!

Many thanks x

[Saffron]

How long is a piece of string?

[Saffron]

But seriously... if there was a prize for knowing all the CeeBeeBies songs, I could win it!

We could definitely watch less television, but saying that, my toddler has learned a lot of interesting things from television.

It's not just about how much television your children watch, it's about making sure that it's age appropriate.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20104870-10391704.html

[snowboarder]

My nearly 3 yr old LOVES tv. Cbeebies is our friend and I don't worry about it too much as mostly we're out and about or he's at pre school - he definitely uses it to wind down when we are home, and like you MrsC I used it a lot in late pregnancy/early new baby as help. I like to think it's not all bad - he's very good at his shapes thanks to Mister Maker (jumps round the house...'I am a SQUARE'...) and days of the week...

Slightly more worrying is that he is starting to get bored of some of the cbeebies favourites (told me that waybuloo was for babies) and he loves any type of cartoon - he has raided all my husbands dvd's and is currently obsessed with Dangermouse...Hmm...

I'm probably really lax though....

[Beagle]

my 18 month old does "yogo" with the Piplings and nods along with Upsy Daisy. Is this a bad thing? She can recognise numbers all courtesy of Ceebeebies. It's not like she's watching Eastenders.

I find after about 20/30 minutes she goes off and plays with her toys. We do plenty of outside play too. I won't feel bad about it as without ceebeebies there would be no clean floors or dinner.

[njc97]

Umm, about 1/2 an hour every evening before bed (currently obsessed with octonauts), a film at weekends if we're not out. Probably too much but....

[Saffron]

Beagle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I won't feel bad about it as without

> ceebeebies there would be no clean floors or

> dinner.

Amen.

[cuppa tea]

I LOVE tv. The kids LOVE tv. I've never had any limits on it, but funnily enough they don't watch that much. There is only so much telly anyone can watch, even a kid. It's just one of the many interesting things in their day. I think a sure fire way to get kids really obsessed with telly is to restrict it. It's the same as being on a diet and all you can think of is food. My eldest regularly turns off the telly when he's had enough. He's even had a tantrum because he wanted the telly off for 'peace and quiet' and his brother wanted to watch Pingu!! I wouldn't worry about it. They pretty soon decide what they like/don't like/find too scary etc. There is so much to learn from tv at any age. I don't really understand the whole anti-television/computer/technology thing though....

Edited to add that I think watching it with them and chatting about the programmes is much much more beneficial.

[susyp]

I seriously would not cope without the distraction of TV, and I do think it makes me a better mother! Sometimes I just need time out.

We watch about half an hour in the morning (while I have that first cup of tea!), and about half an hour in the evening before bed, but sometimes more a bit earlier if she comes home from school tired and grumpy. And quite often she watches a Disney film on a Friday evening or over the weekend - she is obsessed with princesses and this informs all of her play. She actually reads more because of the films as she constantly wants to read the books linked to them, which don;t have to be disney but she just loves the stories. She has been ill tons this winter too and has sometimes watched 2 films a day, which isn't good but what can you do when they're ill.

Recently however, we've added cbeebies games on their website to the mix- and I am absolutely amazed how much better she is with the laptop mouse than I am - can draw amazing pictures and totally has the knack of it - I see it as early training for a career in graphic design as she is super arty - just another arty activity for her to take on board. I can leave her doing it for about 15 mins a couple of times a week.

She goes to school every afternoon so I am less guilty and obsessed than I used to be about tv as I feel that she is getting lots of stimulation. Sometimes I just think she needs wind down time. She doesn't need it in the mornings but it takes me so long to wake up that it's a necessity for me!

I didn't watch so much but then the programmes weren't so good - I was never allowed to watch Grange Hill before secondary school in case it made me scared to go!

Wish we had Dangermouse - now that was a brilliant Cartoon.

Susypx

[Belle]

Too much prob in our case - I do notice my 3yo son;s behaviour gets worse in proportion to how much telly he's watched in a day! but I agree re quality being a bigger issue than quantity - my son has discovered the likes of Ben 10, spongebob, scoobie doo (not under my watch) and I find them a bit full on/not exactly winding down, plus they encourage fears (in the case of scooby doo) and quite full on/aggressive games (Ben 10). Absolutely fine with all those progs if he was a bit older but have started to seriously limit them and steer him towards younger stuff for now. Really like e.g. Max &Ruby, Peppa Pig, Timothy Goes to School, Mike the KNight & Octonauts for things that are gentle and not likely to leave scary images.

re films, he was toy story obsessed for a few months last year, now watches them now and then for a treat or on a bad day (e.g. if one of us is ill). I've just ordered Cars though as he knows the characters from magazines etc and thought that might be quite a gd one. Magazines is a whole other issue..

[chantelle]

my son watched only the odd half hour or two until he was 3 (and I was pregnant with number two) - since then he's been a bit more obsessed, Octonauts is his favourite and he's seen every episode several times, on tv and online. He has also watched his new Peter Pan DVD three times this week I think. We have lots of tv-free days though, and he will turn it off himself after awhile, so I don't really worry much.