How much tv does your 3-5 year old watch?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
We used to be a almost no screen time family, not really on purpose we were just always on the go or happy doing other activities when home. After several periods of quarantine due to close contacts at preschool, the tv really crept up and my almost 4 year old now expects it every day. It’s extra apparent to me during this long weekend. He just finished watching frozen (started last night, so maybe 45 minutes of it today) and then asked to watch another movie. His dad and I almost put one on before we stopped ourselves. We’re gonna go to the park now instead but he’ll probably watch more later before we go to family thanksgiving.
Anyway I’m just feeling guilty about his screen time and I’m curious how much is actually normal. |
Anonymous
|
We have a 4 yr old and it can vary fit precisely the reason you mention— Covid and quarantines have put us in childcare binds numerous times and that causes screen time to creep up.
But we counteract by doing long periods of no screens at all. We really try to save it for “special” occasions, meaning when she’s sick, when one of us us out of town and the person solo parenting needs a break, when we are going through an extended period without childcare. So there have been random days where she has watched 2+ hours of TV (which I know makes people freak out— she’s 4! That’s too much!) but she’s never gotten used to daily TV. So we can go 2 or more weeks with no screen time at all. We also really limit what she’s allowed to watch, plus she’s picky, and that helps. She has four shows on the okay list, plus can watch any Winnie the Pooh movie. |
Anonymous
|
My 10 and 11 year olds watched plenty of PBS and Disney, and we threw a little Nick Jr. in there, too. Every day. ::horrors::
They are top students at their immersion schools, and play baseball and basketball. There isn’t a need to obsess over this as an educated parent. There really isn’t. There isn’t any risk in letting your kid watch a 1/2 hour or hour of educational TV a day. Or more, on a random occasion. You are reading to her, right? And taking her to the playground? And she has toys and games to play with? Yes? |
Anonymous
| We’ve gotten into the habit of doing 15-30 min/day for 3 yr old DD. But sometimes more, like if she’s sick pretty much no restrictions and today we’ve had the parade on for an hour and will keep it on. I don’t think it’s a big deal, but if you want to keep the time down I’ve found shorter episodes really help, like 7 min episodes of Bluey or 10-15 min episodes of Trash Truck. |
Anonymous
| Still none. He’s 3.5. I know we will introduce TV at some point but haven’t yet. Plus we have a 14 month old we don’t want to watch yet. |
Anonymous
|
Up to an hour a day, 6 days a week.
6 days a week in our house, we play two videos that our 4, 6, and 8 year old can watch if they want. Each day, a different child gets to pick the specific videos, but the timing and categories are the same: one episode of a PBS kids show while we make dinner (20-25 minutes) and one YouTube video after dinner and a shower (15-30 minutes). Our 4 year old sometimes doesn't like his sisters' picks, so on those days he wanders off and doesn't watch. Likewise, they sometimes don't like his choices and don't watch them. |
Anonymous
|
My kids don’t watch a lot, now that they’re back in school. Almost none during the week. On the weekends, widely varies. On rainy, cold days? Then they can watch a whole movie.
But during the worst of COVID they were watching much, much more. Sometimes 4 hours a day. I think it’s not something to stress about especially if you’re doing everything else “right”. |
Anonymous
+1 As long as you’re not using tv in place of all other social interaction and enrichment, don’t worry about it. A couple hours of pbs or Disney+ wont hurt them. Your kids will be fine, truly. |
Anonymous
Same. At that age they only got to watch on a flight. |
Anonymous
+1. A one and a three year old. It’s easy not to turn it on when they’re little. |
Anonymous
|
Anonymous
Why the eye roll? It is easy since they have no clue it exists! They don’t ask for it or miss it. I know it’ll be harder if not not impossible to regulate when they have friends talking about games or shows but for now it is easy. |
Anonymous
They probably have a nanny for 10hrs/day, of course the kids don’t watch tv. |
Anonymous
Or not and they just never turned on the TV. Little kids will find something else to do and they don’t know what they’re missing. |
Anonymous
Some parents/posters are very sensitive to this and felt they had absolutely no other alternative but to introduce TV. Best on DCUM to never mention that your kids have never watched TV or you’ll get accused of being privileged. |