I feel differently about TV and tablets. I think TV is fine - the kids have to watch with each other (so they are learning to negotiate what to watch, or they will naturally drift away if it's not a show they're into), it's less addictive, you can see/hear what kinds of things they are watching, etc. Youtube and stuff like that is 95% banned (occasionally my 10 yo will set up in the kitchen with a learn to crochet type video on my laptop). Tablets we reserve for long trips, or if they have friends/cousins over and want to play Minecraft together, we will let them do that, since they don't know how to go on each other's worlds otherwise. |
From the Cleveland Clinic: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/surprising-dangers-of-trampolines-for-kids |
I totally could have written this! If my brain wasn't full of the plot of every episode of Saved by the Bell I probably would not be on DCUM during my coffee break and instead off curing cancer. No, in all seriousness, we always had the TV on growing up and I notice when I visit my parents who are still the same way how distracting it is. It's hard for me to think straight! I've noticed in keeping weekdays mostly screen free how many more conversations I've had with my kids. Instead of rushing through dinner to turn on a show, we sit and chat for a while or do a board game. It's really nice. Then I veg out later! |
Big difference between tablets and TV - totally agree. I honestly hate tablets for early elementary. My seven-year-old has a bunch of friends who basically have unfettered access to theirs and they talk about some weird stuff they find on Youtube, Netflix, in the games, and even Disney+. It is not benign: it creates this urge to be entertained by a screen constantly and they want to sit there and watch each other play video games on a playdate. |
If they are talking (mentally engaging) about what's on TV/screen, it's no worse than other indoor unathletic playtime.
If they aren't getting exercise every day, they should do some kind of workout videos. |
I wonder about the mental health consequences of over-protecting kids. |
No worse than board games that can teach social skills and strategy or art projects that develop hand strength and coordination or reading that can develop vocabulary, etc etc....? |
Not getting a trampoline is not over protecting. It is very common for kids to have serious accidents, I personally know one teen who fractured her spine and has metal and pins in her back as a result and another kid who was just standing by a trampoline when the jumper landed on him and broke his collarbone. Also, if your insurance finds out you have one many will cancel you. |
I’m a single parent and my DS in now 19. I’m a teacher and I used to clean houses on weekends to make extra money. My son would watch TV for hours while I cleaned (later he started helping me). Now he’s in a top college often mentioned on DCUM. I watched TV for hours every day as a kid as did my friends. We are all successful people.
My one caveat comes from being a teacher and hearing from parents that their kid is allowed to be unsupervised on a tablet/phone. This is not okay. One of my kindergarteners started attacking other students at recess. He had been watching mixed martial arts videos online and his mom said she had no idea. She put on a kid’s video but didn’t supervise him so she eventually found he switched to these violent videos. |
Yes - there is a kid in my DD's class with a ton of issues with violence, fighting, and inappropriate language (we are talking telling the teacher to F off) and he reports that he is constantly on Youtube. They are military with a lot of kids and I think the mom has a lot on her plate so I can see how it happens but the behavior is bad and the connection is obvious. |
Totally fine!! |
OP I don't think it's a horrible habit, but you have to decide what you want your kids to do.
I can solo parent my similarly aged kids while cooking dinner and they are reading, crafting, hanging out in the yard, or doing other non-screen things. They don't have access to a tablet except occasionally over the summer (in a public space of the house) for math review. We've been low screen during the week since they were little and this is what they are used to. It took work at first but now it's easy. On the weekends they get movie night - just them because we parents are usually busy despite our intention to watch as a family - and Wii time together so we are definitely not no screens at all. Your kids will likely grow up just as creative and intelligent and happy as mine. I just enjoy seeing what mine come up with to fill their time and they seem happy with it, so that's what we do. But you do you. |
I definitely watched two hours of tv a day as a kid. As a parent, my kids barely get two hours a week of screen time and I keep them too busy for it and say ho more than half the time they ask. |
This. There is a big gap between "horrible" and "not ideal." You and your DH have to decide how you want to parent your kids. The internet can't answer that for you. |
They are extreme outliers. I have 2 elementary school kids and I can’t think of anyone we know who doesn’t allow tv. As long as they still have activities, spend time outside playing, see friends, get enough family time sans screens (like we do family dinner w no screens), get their homework done/spend time reading every day, eat healthy, and get enough sleep, and as long as they’re not watching age inappropriate stuff, screens aren’t a big deal. It’s a balance. |