For those who did NOT allow any screen time before two-years-old...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you introduce screen time and what did you start with? Also how did you limit it and how much time a day did you allow at two?

Our nanny thinks we should let DS watch on our laptops only so we bring them to work with us and he can't possibly ask to watch something when the devise is gone. Our pediatrician suggested we let him play educational games on the library computer only. I am happily looking forward to showing him "Winnie The Pooh" and other childhood favorites.

Also, did your child's interest in reading decrease when you introduced screens?

I agree with your pediatrician, not your nanny. Read between the lines, OP. Ped is saying your DS should only be on screens when at the library, which s/he is guessing is about once or twice a week at the most. Two is still too young for ANY screen time, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you introduce screen time and what did you start with? Also how did you limit it and how much time a day did you allow at two?

Our nanny thinks we should let DS watch on our laptops only so we bring them to work with us and he can't possibly ask to watch something when the devise is gone. Our pediatrician suggested we let him play educational games on the library computer only. I am happily looking forward to showing him "Winnie The Pooh" and other childhood favorites.

Also, did your child's interest in reading decrease when you introduced screens?

I agree with your pediatrician, not your nanny. Read between the lines, OP. Ped is saying your DS should only be on screens when at the library, which s/he is guessing is about once or twice a week at the most. Two is still too young for ANY screen time, IMO.

OP here and actually, no. The library is two blocks from our apartment - DC goes pretty much every day and pediatrician knows it.

[Anonymous]

We've done half hour of cartoons in heritage languages since DS was two. It was important to me that he was exposed to the same things I watched growing up that stood the test of time, that become real cultural landmarks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh pp here. My kid does not watch high quality shows. he loves watching you tube videos of people unwrapping toys. Kids are weird.

My friend's 3yo loves videos of kids opening presents ! It seems so weird (but all kids are weird ). Is this something you sought out, or just discover on a whim?

[Anonymous]

There's no right or wrong. We didn't and don't allow our 3 year old to watch TV, but we do show him 15 minutes of YouTube videos with us before bed.

We look up things that he's interested in, like videos of real construction trucks working, train videos, and (most recently and oddly) how sprinkles are made. He's literally obsessed with a video about how they make sprinkles in factories and has asked for it specifically every night for the past three weeks. LOL

I definitely avoid showing him videos or games on my smartphone because he knows it's with me all the time and will want to see it all the time.

I sometimes show him things on my computer (like a video card from a family member or something), but it's rare. We have a Roku attached to our TV and watch YouTube through that with him. He's only ever seen a "real movie" when we went to the hair cutter once, and he wasn't really interested in it.

Honestly, I don't think my DS would sit for very long to watch a full film, nor do I think it's a great idea for him to at this point. I think a little bit here and there is fine, as long as it's not overdone. I also think it's best not to use it as a babysitting tool whenever possible -- I always try to watch and interact with my DS when we watch things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you introduce screen time and what did you start with? Also how did you limit it and how much time a day did you allow at two?

Our nanny thinks we should let DS watch on our laptops only so we bring them to work with us and he can't possibly ask to watch something when the devise is gone. Our pediatrician suggested we let him play educational games on the library computer only. I am happily looking forward to showing him "Winnie The Pooh" and other childhood favorites.

Also, did your child's interest in reading decrease when you introduced screens?

I agree with your pediatrician, not your nanny. Read between the lines, OP. Ped is saying your DS should only be on screens when at the library, which s/he is guessing is about once or twice a week at the most. Two is still too young for ANY screen time, IMO.

OP here and actually, no. The library is two blocks from our apartment - DC goes pretty much every day and pediatrician knows it.

NP here. I'm actually opposed to the idea of using the computers at the library because I think it's a place where kids should be playing with toys if provided and reading books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you introduce screen time and what did you start with? Also how did you limit it and how much time a day did you allow at two?

Our nanny thinks we should let DS watch on our laptops only so we bring them to work with us and he can't possibly ask to watch something when the devise is gone. Our pediatrician suggested we let him play educational games on the library computer only. I am happily looking forward to showing him "Winnie The Pooh" and other childhood favorites.

Also, did your child's interest in reading decrease when you introduced screens?

I agree with your pediatrician, not your nanny. Read between the lines, OP. Ped is saying your DS should only be on screens when at the library, which s/he is guessing is about once or twice a week at the most. Two is still too young for ANY screen time, IMO.

OP here and actually, no. The library is two blocks from our apartment - DC goes pretty much every day and pediatrician knows it.

NP here. I'm actually opposed to the idea of using the computers at the library because I think it's a place where kids should be playing with toys if provided and reading books.

What is the difference between library toys and library computers? Computers will be the "library" our kids will use as they get older and they are learning something with the educational games.

[Anonymous]

Only Daddy's laptop could play videos (so we told DD) and he took that lap top to work. 20 minutes a day when one of us was making dinner is the only time she was able to watch and she always watched with DH or me.

[Anonymous]

It really seems to depend on the kid-- I know I first started letting DD1 watch short videos around the age of 2 (on my laptop because we don't actually have a TV, but I'm a SAHM, so the laptop is always here), and she definitely was glued to the screen and had tantrums about wanting more. But DD2 has been able to see her sister playing games and watching brief videos since before the age of 2, and she doesn't have interest-- she will go get a book and ask me to read it to her instead. She has even asked to watch, let alone thrown a tantrum over it (she is now 2.5).

I do think your nanny's advice is great-- I would actually be loath to create a library trip/computer game association in my toddler's mind, esp. if we were going as regularly as you do! That definitely seems to be setting up a computer vs. books type thing. The library is exciting because there are tons of BOOKS there! And if you decide to use your laptop when you're at home for games, just make sure to set a timer to go off after 20 mins. or something and have the next activity set up for your kid to help him w/ the transition. (At that young age, I sometimes used it for a near-to-meltdown-hungry child when I just needed to quickly get dinner prepared, and the timer was set to go off when the food was on the table.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really seems to depend on the kid-- I know I first started letting DD1 watch short videos around the age of 2 (on my laptop because we don't actually have a TV, but I'm a SAHM, so the laptop is always here), and she definitely was glued to the screen and had tantrums about wanting more. But DD2 has been able to see her sister playing games and watching brief videos since before the age of 2, and she doesn't have interest-- she will go get a book and ask me to read it to her instead. She has *NEVER* even asked to watch, let alone thrown a tantrum over it (she is now 2.5).

I do think your nanny's advice is great-- I would actually be loath to create a library trip/computer game association in my toddler's mind, esp. if we were going as regularly as you do! That definitely seems to be setting up a computer vs. books type thing. The library is exciting because there are tons of BOOKS there! And if you decide to use your laptop when you're at home for games, just make sure to set a timer to go off after 20 mins. or something and have the next activity set up for your kid to help him w/ the transition. (At that young age, I sometimes used it for a near-to-meltdown-hungry child when I just needed to quickly get dinner prepared, and the timer was set to go off when the food was on the table.)

[Anonymous]

We did a single program on the weekends (so about half an hour on Saturday and Sunday).

When they were around 3, we switched to a movie one night a week.

We let them watch all the TV they want when they're sick.

We didn't use our laptops because "laptops are for work." So if you're sick and watching How to Train Your Dragon, fine, but stay away from Mommy's computer, please, because "computers are for work."

And as far as kids wanting screen time at other times, well, my kids want all sorts of things we're not going to let them have, and it's practice in their learning how to take No for an answer. "Sorry, honey, but no dragons today. It's not your movie night."

[Anonymous]

our twins didn't watch anything til age 2. I'd say the 'where' doesn't matter as much, but advice along the lines of actually both of your advisers (nanny & ped) - which is set & pick limits & stick to them. We started with 'shows' = 10-15 minute stretches & talk about how 'we watch 10 mins of shows and then go play', and do it no more than that, a few times a week. at 5, my kids are still at no more than around 20 minutes most days, with an hour on the weekends (often spread out over 2 1/2 hour stretches).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you letting your nanny give you guidelines on this? This area really is insane.

We allow our nanny to speak and have opinions. We like to treat her as an intelligent human with decades more experience than we have with children.

So it really is true that someone else is raising your child. THAT's what's sad.

Oh stop, Idiot. You are embarrassing yourself. PP takes her nanny's opinion into consideration. As all good managers of people do. Now go back to your hole.

Don't respond to her again, PP. She is the fat troll from the nanny forum. I recognize her style of writing.

I've never been on the nanny forum, but how naive are you to think only ONE person has this opinion? Bless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you letting your nanny give you guidelines on this? This area really is insane.

We allow our nanny to speak and have opinions. We like to treat her as an intelligent human with decades more experience than we have with children.

So it really is true that someone else is raising your child. THAT's what's sad.

Oh stop, Idiot. You are embarrassing yourself. PP takes her nanny's opinion into consideration. As all good managers of people do. Now go back to your hole.

Don't respond to her again, PP. She is the fat troll from the nanny forum. I recognize her style of writing.

I've never been on the nanny forum, but how naive are you to think only ONE person has this opinion? Bless.

I am a regular on the nanny forum and we all know this troll - and this is she. If you call her "fat" she seems to go away.

I seriously doubt that anyone with a triple-digit IQ thinks the nanny is raising the child because the parent takes her opinion under advisement.

[Anonymous]

Jeff can verify that I've never posted on the nanny forum. There ya go.