2 hours a day sounds like a lot. Where did you get that stat? My kids don't watch TV (we don't have it, and they've never been into shows). Oldest is 7 and has lots of friends in a similar situation. No video games or apps either. Occasional movie nights, but right now due to the youngest it's a short film, like 30 min.

Removing virtual school from the equation-- since this is a pre-COVID statistic-- my 8-year-old essentially has no screen time and never has. As far as I'm concerned, she has plenty (even outside of school), but what I think of as screen time is not what most people think of as screen time to be monitored or tallied. It's random things like helping me shop online for 30 minutes once or twice a month, or Skyping relatives, or watching a cousin's dance recital online, or visiting Dave & Busters (pre-COVID) or going out to a couple of movies a year. So it's not like she doesn't use screens? But I think most parents who have screen limits wouldn't count those items against their kid's hour a day budget or whatever.

What my kid doesn't have is: her own device (outside school now), access to our devices, TV, streaming, DVDs, the internet, video gaming systems, etc. It works fine for us.

NP who knows how to use Google:

https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/15/health/screen-time-averages-parenting/index.html

"Report: Kids up to age 8 spend spend an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes every day on screen media"

This is from 2017, so everyone please smooth your pandemic hackles.

I don't understand how people are skeptical of this stat. It includes older kids along with babies, and it's an average. When I was growing up, we barely had a computer, no gaming system, no internet, no cable. But the TV was on almost all day. I got 2 hours a day on weekdays and I was only home and awake about 2 hours a day on weekdays. That's not a defense, BTW-- I just don't see how it's shocking.

My kids (3rd and 4th grade) got one hour of tv per week when they turned 8, pre-Covid. Plus Facetiming grandparents every Sunday.

Now ... forget about it.

Our 18 month old is in the 2%. My 4 yo probably is not. He has 20 min of zoom preschool daily, then a 30-60 min dance or theater class 2x a week on zoom, then gets 1-2 hours of quiet time with a tablet. Most of the quiet time is audible but he does have a few apps. We let both kids watch a show 2x a week and the older gets one movie on the weekend. Like the others, I’m ok with it. Would I prefer they get zero screens? Sure. But here we are. I have friends who let their 3 yo watch two movies a day. It’s all relative

I care about people, so of course my kid is doing school online. And I care about my kid, so she attends every class. And talks to friends. Without contributing to a global pandemic. So yeah, my kid has screen time. What are you doing wrong such that your kid doesn’t?

Anonymous wrote:I never really know bow to take these studies a d what counts. My parents had TV on for 5 hours a day (at least) in the 70s—Today show, noon news, nightly news, prime time. Does that count? What about the 3 hours my husband watches football on Sunday and Monday?

. Exactly

I have 3 kids. We were part of the 2% pre Covid. My 2 elementary kids definitely spend 2+ hours online per day. My 3yo does not.

Two-year-old and newborn here - def in the 2%. 27 month old only identifies the TV as a rectangle - he’s never seen it turned on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course they do (unless you are in a household where one parent is not working) - what world are those who think otherwise living in?

Or a household with a nanny. DH is deployed and I work full time from home (currently). We have an 8 year old and two year old and are solidly in the 2%. Toddler has never seen a screen and older DS gets one show and 30 minutes on his tablet when I’m putting toddler to bed.

I am assuming this doesn’t include remote school.

Why would you assume this? Of course it includes school, and screens at school, etc . . .

Where is your toddler when their sibling is doing school? Where are they when you are on DCUM? How have they never been to a store that had screens?

No, it doesn’t include remote school. It couldn’t.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course they do (unless you are in a household where one parent is not working) - what world are those who think otherwise living in?

Or a household with a nanny. DH is deployed and I work full time from home (currently). We have an 8 year old and two year old and are solidly in the 2%. Toddler has never seen a screen and older DS gets one show and 30 minutes on his tablet when I’m putting toddler to bed.

I am assuming this doesn’t include remote school.

I'm really concerned about the fact that you don't let your little one facetime or see videos of their father. You might want to rethink your policy.

Thank you for your concern. DH isn’t in a place where he’s able to FaceTime. When he is, we will.

By screens I assume the study means TV shows and tablet games geared to the child.

I never really know bow to take these studies a d what counts. My parents had TV on for 5 hours a day (at least) in the 70s—Today show, noon news, nightly news, prime time. Does that count? What about the 3 hours my husband watches football on Sunday and Monday?

We were in the 2% (easily) before virtual school. My kids sometimes get over two hours but no way so they average anywhere close to that over the course of a week. They often had no screen time at all Monday through Thursday. They are 8 and 10 and it has always been that way. I am shocked it is that higher because most of my friends did not let their babies/toddlers have any screen time before 2 or 3 and the ones they did certainly limited it to much less than 2 hours per day.

where's the citation?

My 7 and 5 year old are on screen about 4-5 hours a day Mon-Fri and 1 or 2 Sat-Sun. It used to be zero in week days and 1-2 hours Sat-Sun... I hope it will go back to what it was before Covid. My 2 year old watches the occasional video in the car, but that’s it so he is definitely part of the 2%.