When do they sit and watch TV?

Not that I want boob-tube babies or anything but sometimes I would like them to sit still and just watch like 1/2 hour of TV! I have it on all day long, in the morning I put on cartoons or whatever and they pay no attention to it so I change it to something I like.

I am hoping (praying!) that by 18 months they can accomplish this bc it would be nice to have them watch TV while I feed the new baby.

Whats your experience?

 

I have the tv on most of the day... Mostly music but they still don't ever sit and watch it. I know they stop and listen to certain songs but that's a 3 minute pause more then anything else :laughing: When I do have it on their shows its on Sprout (now known as Nick Jr) and they LOVE Moose A. Moose and will pause for him but he's just on during the breaks so still only like 3 minutes max.

 

Around two years of age is when my two started sitting and watching a full 30 minute show. Until then it was just watching a minute here and there. :good:

 

Right now, mine are probably good for 15 minutes and then they are done. Unless it's Yo Gabba Gabba,Olivia, or Elmo then they can go 20-25 minutes.

 

we pretty much never have the tv on here so when we do turn it on they're usually glued to it until we turn it off again (or they get hungry) & it's been that way since they were about 13 months old. i think it's the novelty. :unknw:

 

They might actually pay more attention if you didn't have it on all day. It's probably just background noise to them.

My DDs paid almost no attention (other than just glancing at the TV when it was on, which is rarely except during football season) until they were almost 2. Then they developed an attachment to a particular Sesame Street DVD and would watch that one, and only that one, as often as we let them. At a few months after age 2, they started widening their range, though they are still very picky and like to watch them same few things over and over.

They can now go around an hour if it's something they're really into (Amy more than Sarah -- Sarah tends to wander away), but we only let them watch that much on weekends.

 

We don't usually have the tv on where they can see it in the playroom (although I like the toddler tunes digital music channel, they just can't see the screen!). However, they were just sick for a month and SUPER DUPER clingy. Annoyingly so. The only way I could deal with them sometimes was to cuddle on the couch with Sesame street. Even then, they'd last like 15 minutes before getting super wiggly. I'd of course put them down, which led to more crying, but you get the idea.

I'll turn it on once a day or so, while I make a meal, but they just run around the living room (totally contained/baby-proofed) only stopping to watch for a minute here and there.

 

For us it was around 20 months. As babies they had zero interest in the Baby Einstein dvd's. They would look it it for a minute or two, but that was it.

I started with Sesame Street and then bought Elmo dvds. Now at almost 2, they will watch Curious Gerorge and Sid the Science Kid.

 

I am still waiting.... (fingers tapping) :laughing:

 

I posted something similar
Mine don't sit and watch still, but today I put on a x-mass sing along veggie tales and they both liked it and where "dancing" to it
and actually watched maybe 5-10 minutes.
I usually have the animal plantet on and show them the pets tv and learning They watch that sometimes..for a few minutes,
but they mostly just pay attention when a car commercial comes on with a song...

I wish they would watch some tv, specially before dinner when they are tired and crancky!

 

Mine will stop in their tracks to watch Tigger & Pooh. You'd think it was the most incredible show on earth. They will laugh, cooh, etc as if they understand what is going on. I've tried some other shows that have a touch more educational element to it and they are like "yeah whatever" and just resume playing amongst each other and w/ their toys.

 

Hmmm you might have a point about it being "background noise" to them. I might try that Thanks!

 

Mine always stop whatever they are doing if HI-5 is on. They have alot of music and they love it.

 

Ditto.

I wish they would sit still for even 10 minutes. Sigh.

 

I wish I had that problem. I have to take my guys out every day just to get them away from the tv. They ask for certain movies and shows any time we are at home. They would watch Wiggles, Blues Clues and Dora all day if I let them. They started being really intersted in tv when they were 11 months and got really sick for a few weeks. I understand wanting to have that time to get things done but if I were you I would be happy they weren't intersted.

 

Sorry I hope that didn't come across as rude. I'm just so frustrated with their attachment to TV. It's such an effort for me to try and engage them in any other things for longer than 30 min. But my suggestion for getting them to watch is to have the TV off the majority of the day and then put on a program that is of inerest to younger children, like, Yo Gabba Gabba, In the night Garden and Wiggles etc.

 

Ours are just now sitting for about 10-15 minutes. They love Animal Planet!
They'll sit and watch our oldest play the Wall-e video game for about 20 minutes!!

 

When my DH is home at weekends, the TV is on all day. During the week they have their cartoons in the morning and thats it. They will sit and watch something for 10 mins if Im lucky but they´re ususally tearing around the house and busy playing. I leave the TV on in the morning as their favourite cartoons or songs come on and they come to watch when they hear them come on. Mine loved Baby Einstein when they were younger too and would watch for a good 20 mins but playing in-between.

 

Thanks Blended6 that didn't come off rude at all...like I said I don't want them attached to it by any means I am just hoping they could sit and watch a short movie while I feed the new baby in June

They got new "saucer" shaped chairs for Christmas so today I pulled them out and put on a DVD of John Deere tractors and trucks (DH is a farmer so the LOVE trucks)....sure enough they sat their clapping and pointing for 10mins That may be all I need

 

Mine definitely don't make it through 30 minutes but LOVE Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Sesame Street. They'll actually watch those three. Otherwise they like WonderPets and other Sprout shows but mostly just listen and dance to the music. I'm wondering how I'll occupy these little monkeys when the new one comes as well. They'll be 16 months at that point so we'll see how it goes.

 

Mine use to love any Baby Einstein dvds. They probably would still watch them if I put them on. Right now, they love Sesame Street or anything Elmo. I've tried Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but they don't seem into cartoons just yet. They will watch Big, Big World too. They usually will watch for a little while and get up and walk around and play, which is fine by me. As long as I can get some stuff done.