T.V. watching

Just curious about people's tv watching habits with their kids. I wonder how my family's habits compare with others, or if they're about the same as other peoples' habits. Right now, my kids watch about a half hour to 45 min a day of a baby einstein or comparable-type program or occaisionally part of a blue's clues to help me have a sanity break to eat lunch or sit for a few mins. without entertaining.

 

I use TV in the morning so I can have a cup of coffee and do a few morning chores. Then it is not on again until dinner time when I need to get dinner pulled together. But I would say it's on for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening!

We watch a little more on rainy/bad weather days. Mostly Little Bear and Thomas. And they like Teletubbies. And Sesame street. And I do think they learn from some of these shows. They count with Sesame street all the time!

 

We got into the bad habit of letting them watch Little Bear before naptime and bedtime. It started because they would never let us change their diapers or get them into pajamas without a huge fight. So our bedtime routine includes bathtime, reading books with Mommy and Daddy, brushing teeth, and Little Bear. Now they relate Little Bear to sleepytime so I would hate to give it up. That right there is an hour. Then they watch their signing video in the morning, probably only 20-30 minutes of watching while I change their diapers and get breakfast ready. I know 1 1/2 hour sounds like alot, but I'm not sure how to cut it out. Plus I have those 10 minute Thomas shows recorded so that I can get them to lay down to change a diaper or get them dressed but I only turn those on probably once or twice a week.

Wow it sounds bad when I say my kids watch an hour plus of tv each day. I never thought we would watch any. :unsure:

 

Both my parents and my in-laws keep the TV on at all times. They each have a huge collection of baby DVDs and watch those plus other programs all day long. I tried to get them to tone it down to no avail. So they get very little TV at home and TONS when with the grandparents. I answered the poll above based on their home viewing habits.

 

More days than others it's over an hour, probably 1.5-2 hrs, which is more than I would like it be. It does tend to be less now that it's summer and we can go outside. DH and my mom tend to turn the TV on more than I do. I do admit to turning it on when they are fussy in an attempt to calm them down, sometimes it does. I try to keep it to shows/DVD's with some redeeming value, like Signing Time, Sesame Street, or Blues Clues. They also love the Curious George movie, which is cute, but I've really had enough George for a while. I do strive to keep the TV viewing to less than 1 hr.
I am though not including the time that the TV is on for my/DH's viewing. They honestly don't even pay attention when we are watching something, usually it's the news or last night's Conan.

 

[SIZE=12pt]My guys haven't watched anything on TV, and I held off showing them anything until they were 2.

Since they turned 2, they have seen several DVD's; Thomas, Bob the Builder, Elmo's World and Blues Clues.

And now they ask for (and I will directly quote what Ryan says) "Thomas Train video on TV now ok, yeah." And while he is asking they are both assuming their TV watching positions on the sofa....they always sit side by side, with Colin on the inside and Ryan on the outside.


So now they see about half an hour a day, usually during dinner prep time. [/SIZE]

 

Mine are at daycare (and don't watch TV there), and we never got into the habit at home. When they were home sick a couple of weeks ago, DH showed them some Sesame Street DVD, which they seemed to like. He said they were "mesmerized." But if we just have the TV on in the background (occasionally on weekend afternoons -- usually Food Network), they don't pay any attention to it.

Anyway, I chose "not allowed/not an option," which isn't really true -- I would allow a little bit if I were home alone with them more. But I do believe it isn't good for them. I don't worry so much about the content (I do think a lot of the programs are actually pretty good), as about the effect on their synapses of the bright flickering screen.

 

I'll have the tv on during the day, just in the background, some show that I'm kind of watching while doing chores. But they never watch it & just go about playing.

For them, I've been letting them watch something in the morning while I'm making breakfast, or occasionally while I'm making dinner. I think it's ok, as long as you limit it & the content is good & it's not being used as a "babysiter".

 

I think the most important thing with TV is to choose what your kids should be watching. My girls weren't interested in TV much until they started watching Dora at around 2 and a bit, but they sure liked the Baby Einstein videos. I had no guilt letting them watch those. I don't let my girls watch any commercial television. We watch Treehouse (Canadian) and DVD's mostly. As toddlers though, I do remember them learning a whole lot from watching Diego. One time they corrected me when I asked about a parrot on the show. "It's not a parrot, it's a Scarlet McCaw mommy". Oops, my mistake.

For TV, I don't feel guilty at all when I know that they are watching it in moderation and I am choosing shows that are age appropriate and educational. I dread the day when they start wanting to watch shows that don't fit into the educational category and actually have commercial breaks. To me that is the real downside of television!!

 

My one DS loves the t.v. We don't watch, but he loves Seasame Street and Baby Einstein. And if DH is watching any kind of sprts on T.V., A.J. will sit and watch as well, especially basketball. I think tv is actually okay for kids as long as they aren't wacthing junk shows (Spongebob is my least fav) and tv time isn't keeping them from playing outside or playing games/reading books.

 

There are times I WISH my boys would watch TV They will stop and look at it in passing but they will not sit still and watch it for any period of time. I would love some dinner prep time :wub:

 

Sounds like most of us are in the same boat. So our kids will probably turn out just fine! Our 28-month boys seem to get bored of TV a lot faster than DH and I do. (Darn...) We're a Spanish-speaking household, and the choices for small kids are actually pretty limited to begin with. So definitley less than 30 min a day and almost never "regular" TV channels - just a few DVDs.

But what about computer use/video games? When did you start, what do you use and how much time at what ages?
TIA

 

I'd say about 30-60 minutes a day depending on if I need to get something done.

During the week, I put on backyardigans for them in the morning so I can get ready for work and we will also put it on if we need to get some cleaning done and they won't stay out of the kitchen.

It's also a good tool when DH and I want a break to...well...you know

 

QUOTE(DCMom @ Jun 20 2007, 07:46 PM) [snapback]300501[/snapback]
Sounds like most of us are in the same boat. So our kids will probably turn out just fine! Our 28-month boys seem to get bored of TV a lot faster than DH and I do. (Darn...) We're a Spanish-speaking household, and the choices for small kids are actually pretty limited to begin with. So definitley less than 30 min a day and almost never "regular" TV channels - just a few DVDs.

But what about computer use/video games? When did you start, what do you use and how much time at what ages?
TIA



I'm not a fan of Video games at all. Mostly because my brothers were addicted to it and one of them was completing Super Mario by the age of 4. <_<

I'm sure they'll come a time when they will ask to play and I'll limit their time, but I'm definatley not going to introduce them to it. DH has an X-box and we have a 'no playing around the boys' rule :mellow:

 

I voted 30-60 mins/day but a lot of days they don't watch at all. They watched about 30 mins of Barney's Mother Goose Ryhme Time video-a fave-on Monday and no TV/DVD's on Tuesday or today.

 

Less than 1 hour a day here. Usually 0-30 minutes. I tivo Dora, Sesame and Thomas and they get to watch one while I make dinner or if I need to nurse the baby and they are making me nuts!

 

We watch so little TV. Most of the time is is off.