Toddler moms, are you just allowing screens?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a new 2, and we never allowed screens before this save video calls with out of state grandparents and aunts. Now, he does circle time at daycare for 30 minutes a day with his classmates, and yoga once a week for an hour on Zoom. With me wfh, he also watches Word Party on Netflix whenever I have an important meeting or project I need him to be quiet for, which averages about an hour or so each day.

This is awful.

The general situation might be awful, but the screentime is not a a big deal.

[Anonymous]

No. I'm hoping but not allowing screens he'll have an advantage in getting into harvard over all kids whose parents aren't holding the line and allowing screens. Their brains will be scrambled mush while his will still be pristine. He was average at best before but I really think this will change his trajectory vs the competition.

(i kid...we're definitely doing a lot of screes).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I'm hoping but not allowing screens he'll have an advantage in getting into harvard over all kids whose parents aren't holding the line and allowing screens. Their brains will be scrambled mush while his will still be pristine. He was average at best before but I really think this will change his trajectory vs the competition.

(i kid...we're definitely doing a lot of screes).

My sibling was raised by the tv. Went to Harvard and became an early employee of Netflix.

[Anonymous]

Yeah - my kids are 22 months and 4. They get 1 hour of shows per day, a lot of other screen activities (zoom circle time, facetimes etc). It's fine for the 4 year old but feels like a lot for the little one who isn't even 2. I feel shitty about it but I am not really in any position to do anything differently right now.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Only for FaceTiming relatives which is how it's always been.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I'm hoping but not allowing screens he'll have an advantage in getting into harvard over all kids whose parents aren't holding the line and allowing screens. Their brains will be scrambled mush while his will still be pristine. He was average at best before but I really think this will change his trajectory vs the competition.

(i kid...we're definitely doing a lot of screes).

My sibling was raised by the tv. Went to Harvard and became an early employee of Netflix.

The vast majority of "us" got a ton of screen time as kids, so unless Harvard pretty much only ever admitted screen-free kids, a lot of Harvard grads were heavy screen-users as kids. Thus...?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I'm hoping but not allowing screens he'll have an advantage in getting into harvard over all kids whose parents aren't holding the line and allowing screens. Their brains will be scrambled mush while his will still be pristine. He was average at best before but I really think this will change his trajectory vs the competition.

(i kid...we're definitely doing a lot of screes).

My sibling was raised by the tv. Went to Harvard and became an early employee of Netflix.

The vast majority of "us" got a ton of screen time as kids, so unless Harvard pretty much only ever admitted screen-free kids, a lot of Harvard grads were heavy screen-users as kids. Thus...?

Most 80s kids were raised on oreos, sesame street and neglect

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I'm hoping but not allowing screens he'll have an advantage in getting into harvard over all kids whose parents aren't holding the line and allowing screens. Their brains will be scrambled mush while his will still be pristine. He was average at best before but I really think this will change his trajectory vs the competition.

(i kid...we're definitely doing a lot of screes).

My sibling was raised by the tv. Went to Harvard and became an early employee of Netflix.

The vast majority of "us" got a ton of screen time as kids, so unless Harvard pretty much only ever admitted screen-free kids, a lot of Harvard grads were heavy screen-users as kids. Thus...?

+1. I went to any Ivy for undergrad and grad school, and I used to watch tv for 8 hours a day on weekends while my exhausted immigrant parents caught up on sleep and all the errands they couldn't finish during the week. I don't know why people around here demonize screens so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I'm hoping but not allowing screens he'll have an advantage in getting into harvard over all kids whose parents aren't holding the line and allowing screens. Their brains will be scrambled mush while his will still be pristine. He was average at best before but I really think this will change his trajectory vs the competition.

(i kid...we're definitely doing a lot of screes).

My sibling was raised by the tv. Went to Harvard and became an early employee of Netflix.

The vast majority of "us" got a ton of screen time as kids, so unless Harvard pretty much only ever admitted screen-free kids, a lot of Harvard grads were heavy screen-users as kids. Thus...?

+1. I went to any Ivy for undergrad and grad school, and I used to watch tv for 8 hours a day on weekends while my exhausted immigrant parents caught up on sleep and all the errands they couldn't finish during the week. I don't know why people around here demonize screens so much.

*an*

[Anonymous]

My 4 year old gets about 3 hours a day. Maybe even 3.5 hours. That's not including the 45 minutes of Zoom meeting with her class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a new 2, and we never allowed screens before this save video calls with out of state grandparents and aunts. Now, he does circle time at daycare for 30 minutes a day with his classmates, and yoga once a week for an hour on Zoom. With me wfh, he also watches Word Party on Netflix whenever I have an important meeting or project I need him to be quiet for, which averages about an hour or so each day.

This is awful.

Your 2 year old does yoga for an hour on zoom?

[Anonymous]

Yes. Tons. Some educational, some not. Games on this phone, Nintendo Switch, X Box, Youtube (whatever random crap Ryan's Toys unboxing videos, video of people playing Mario Cart, Combo Panda - whoever the F that is).

Instead of saying "you can watch for an hour", I am now setting a timer for mandatory playing-by-yourself-with toys time.

I have two college kids at home and I thought that would be helpful, but they do things like play x box with him.

Other than COVID, his screentime is the most anxiety inducing issue of my day. I have a hard and busy job and DH is essential and still WOH.

He already has a language related developmental delay, so I agonize that I am making it worse.

But I will say this...he can spell and is starting to read - and that is bc of an app. He is practicing words in our second language on an app. He is going through a huge language leap as well and his language has dramatically improved during quarantine! What can I say.

[Anonymous]

I grew so in the ‘60’s and watched television every day, as much as I wanted. I turned out fine. I never restricted my kids and they grew up, graduated college and are very successful. You moms are nuts to be so obsessed with screens. I still love television today.

[Anonymous]

up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup. As much as she freaking wants. If she wants to watch Cocomelon for hour-long stretches, we go for it. I actually find that by letting it run ad nauseum she gets bored and wanders away to do her own thing surprisingly quickly anyway so it's not hours of slack-jawed staring, although she notices right away if it gets turned off, ha. So, I've been mentally singing this insane song about "dinosaur rulers" jump, jiving, and wailing for the past week and a half. So it goes.

DH and I cracked up at this because literally +1