toddler TV watching
Just wondering what people think about kids watching TV. . .
Daniel watches an hour plus in the morning, maybe a half an hour around lunch and then maybe another hour plus in the late afternoon evening. The shows he's currently into are The DoodleBops (ack), sometimes the Wiggles, sometimes JoJo's Circus, Blues Clues, sometimes Sesame Street or a Sesame Street DVD, a Baby Einstein DVD, sometimes Between the Lions. So, that's what his daily TV watching amounts to.
Is that a lot? How much do your kids watch? I have a good friend who doesn't let her daughter watch TV at all. She's not preachy about it and hardly mentions it, but I'm always comparing Daniel to her daughter and attributing his "spazziness", for lack of a better word, to his TV watching. I'm always feeling guilty about turning the TV on.
Yet, I need these breaks throughout the day.
I think I need more friends who let their kids watch TV.
posted by suze @ 4:08 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Bless you, Amber. :)
I sometimes think I let my son watch too much tv (he's nearly 3). But I agree - I need my sanity time, and that half hour or whatever is sooooo tempting!
He probably watches about an hour and a half in the morning (Blues Clues, Clifford, Sabrina - the regular tv schedule) and maybe an hour mid afternoon (more "big kid" type tv for the after school crowd). He LOVES the Simpsons and occasionally watches Dr Phil or Oprah if I'm watching them!
I reckon he averages 2 - 3 hours a day. More than ideal, I think, but hey, short of hiring a babysitter, how else am I supposed to get time to blog? ;-)
I know my Daniel is awfully young, but he does watch half an hour about every few days. He adores Teletubbies, and the Fisher Price baby videos. I'm sure he'll watch a bit more when he hits the terrible twos and I'm addicted to Valium ;-)
While he is getting better at self-entertaining with toys, there are some days he wants to be carried all the time, and I just can't do it, you know? I need to drink a cup of coffee without worrying about whether it will spill on his head, I need to spray nasty chemicals in my toilets and scrub them, and most importantly, I need at least a few minutes in my 24 hours without anyone touching me.
I say if it's a choice between a little educational tube or mommy going bats, then TV it should be. Unfortunately, I know from past experience that an unhappy mother can be a dangerous thing.
It's probably not ideal, granted, but then we're a much more mobile society now, and don't have the extended family support net that we once did.
Colin probably watches about two and a half hours of live tele a day. It's usually The Wiggles, Sesame Street, and Between the Lions. We also end up watching a Wiggles video at some point too.
I'd cut down his tele time but he doesn't sit on his but for it. If it's the Wiggles he is up dancing and singing and running around like a nutcase.
Besides, I have to go pee alone at least once each day.
We have the tv on every morning for about two hours (depending on what's going on). We go from Nickelodeon to Disney, and watch some mixture of LazyTown, Rolie Polie Olie, JoJo, Stanley, Backyardigans, Dora and Blue Clues. However, it's mostly on for noise, b/c TJ doesn't really watch any of them for more than a couple of minutes at a time (usually when a song is on). However, don't you DARE interrupt when he's watching Dora...that child is hooked on her! I don't think I'm letting him watch too much, but like I said, he doesn't really watch it. I just know I can leave the room and him not care if it's on.
TV is the parents sanity tool, never be ashamed to use it.
You have to remember that you still have your own life to lead and a few moments caught indulging in this event a day isn't a bad thing at all.
Lastly, don't think about how much time your kids are watching TV, concentrate on what you'll do with them when they aren't watching TV and you'll have the best rounded little people in the block.
*note to self* cancel hair appt. lol
Some great comments and things to think about the next time I'm feeling guilty for having the TV on.
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