What is a good amount of screen time for kids?

I’d like to hear what other Mama’s think about tv time for their kids. My son is almost 17 months old now and over the holidays we had other mom’s visit us with their kids and almost every time they mentioned how they don’t let their kids watch tv at all or they limit it severely. This made me feel like I had to turn the tv off, no big deal because the kids were playing anyway so no one was really watching it.
The thing is it really got me thinking about if I have the tv on too much. Basically we get up and get a diaper change and some milk and coffee and then I sit with him in our bean bag chairs and turn on cartoons. The tv will stay on until meal times because he gets so distracted he won’t eat but after meal time I turn it back on.
He doesn’t watch it ALL day though, he will occasionally hear a commercial or a song play and watch for a few minutes and then go get toys to play with. It’s mostly just noise but it feels weird when its quiet so I like it on even when we are not watching it.
Is there a reason I should turn it off? As long as he isn’t spending his whole day staring at it then it isn’t a bad thing right?
I would really like to hear opinions on this from other mom’s. Should I be limiting tv time and why do you think that? Thanks in advance :blush:

4 Likes

My son is 2 and we don’t limit his tv time. Obviously I make sure he doesn’t just sit and watch tv all day, but it’s usually on in the background for him when he’s playing toys. I wouldn’t stress too much about it
~Brianna

12 Likes

My kids watch tv :woman_shrugging: lol

4 Likes

I feel better already about my kids tv habit. But I’m hoping a mama that does limit tv time can tell me why because (at my sons current age) it seems so unnecessary. But women with like newborns were telling they dont let their kids watch tv, why??

1 Like

I am all for TV here!

2 Likes

My son is 18 months and if your Son is anything like mine lol he doesn’t sit still long enough to watch tv. Even with cartoons. He might glance at the tv briefly and then run off to play with toys. I would not limit or be concerned with the tv if that is the case. If you find as your child gets older they take too much interest in T.V. and not enough interest in play then that is time for concern and tv limitations.

1 Like

I don’t have tv in my sons room but he watches it in the morning before school and turns it on after school but usually ends up playin and it’s just background noise. He’s 6.

The kind of moms that came to your house with her kids are the kind of moms I stay away from. I do what works for me & my crew. It stays on MOST of the day here BIT we don’t sit in front of it and watch it all day. My oldest is 7 and youngest will be 2 in March and they both have iPads as well but aren’t used to them all day either. It works for my crazy hectic life as a single mom.

4 Likes

I used to leave the tv on for noise and my daughter picked up on more words than she would have heard all day and he speech improved drastically while being an only child which I think prepared her for preschool.

3 Likes

Who cares what other moms do :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

4 Likes

My daughter gets about an hour to 2 hours tops of her favorite cartoons in the morning then after that is playtime for the rest of the day! Everyone has their own preferences with what they let their child/ren do.

1 Like

My daughter has her favorite movies and we are tv people but she gets so distracted with her toys she doesn’t just sit and stare at the TV the entire time maybe 5 mins Max.

2 Likes

Don’t let those moms make you feel guilty for how you parent. We have never limited tv time and my son is 9 and doing just fine.

2 Likes

My kids watch tv. Its mostly background noise though

1 Like

My daughter is 2 and will not watch TV. I wish she would, at least for a half hour or something 🤦🏼‍♀😂

2 Likes

My daughter is 2 and we have the tv on if we are up…like you said it sounds weird being so quiet (plus we have a dog that will bark if a leaf blows across the road…need to muffle outside noises). My parents watch her while we work so from 7-4 five days a week she doesn’t watch tv but on our days off and at night she does. It’s always kid friendly shows/movies…we leave PBS on or BabyTV so it is somewhat educational for her. In our days off I have started to turn the tv to music channels (not videos…channels that have a screensaver of the song playing and that’s it) after her nap in the afternoon so that she doesn’t always depend on it. She is a very independent child and can find ways to amuse herself but if I have to do things around the house and can’t be in the same room as her I will definitely leave it on to keep her from getting into things she shouldn’t be. You do what you want to do…they are your children/child.

1 Like

I do let my 4 year old watch (probably too much) TV but my 13 month isn’t interested except for the occasional glance. That being said we shut it off of my 4 year old isn’t watching. Maybe try putting some music on instead if it seems too quiet? Otherwise do what works for you and your fam!

1 Like

I leave the tv on all day. I can’t stand quiet. Like it makes me anxious :joy::joy: my daughter don’t pay attention to it anyways. She’s more iterested in her toys lol

3 Likes

I don’t think it’s a bad thing, my fiances grandpa told me before I had my son that alot of people are going to try to give us advice but only WE know what’s best for him and I’ve lived by that ever since.

3 Likes

My kids watch TV and have tablets so definitely no judgment here but here’ an article on why too much screen time can be detrimental. With research studies there’s always 2 sides though. I think it’s up to each parent to research and do what they think is best for their child. Also hopefully those mom’s weren’t intentionally making you feel bad. It seems like your kiddo gets plenty of other stimulation :blush:

my tv is on all day & night :woman_shrugging:

3 Likes

My son has always watched tv. He’s 2 and honestly, im so gladhe has gotten into the show Blaze and the Monster Machines. Its helped him out so much because of how interactive it is! My opinion, if it is worrying you, put on the more educational cartoons. But i don’t see an issue with tv at all

2 Likes

I do 1 hour in the morning an 1 hour In the evening of her favorite shows we stay so busy she rarely pays it any attention but I do keep It on for noise I don see anything wrong with it

1 Like

My kids have a TV in there room that is on close to 18 hrs a day

They watch it when they want

It’s educational cartoons so I don’t mind they don’t end up watching half.the time cause they r playing

1 Like

Our tv is on about half of the time we are in the living room. Of that time, hubby often watches it in the evenings after work, I might watch (or play games) an hour in the afternoon when the 2 year old naps, the 10 year old might play an hour or so of XBOX after school while I’m cooking dinner and the 6 year old sometimes asks to watch something after dinner. For background noise we listen to the radio. Whenever I am in the kitchen the tv is off (or at least the volume is when the boy plays XBOX, he uses headphones) and the radio is on.

The 2 year old (almost 3) will ask for Paw Patrol maybe twice a week. And that’s usually if I am putting him to sleep before he is tired enough. He will watch maybe half an episode twice a week.

1 Like

You have to do you! I do not give my children alot of screen time. I feel it hide their creativity and if they don’t have it they are bored. I am not going to judge you for you allowing you kid to watch TV. To each their own. I use it as a babysitter sometimes too. If not, I never get a chance to pee.

2 Likes

My daughter is 10 months m she only watches educational shows

3 Likes

My tv stays on all time while my granddaughter playing. And the tv in her room is on when she in there playing. Its mainly on for background noise

1 Like

Your house your rules! Please don’t let other people influence how you parent! Do what is comfortable for your family!:heart:

2 Likes

As a grandmother I don’t think it’s how much as it is what kids are watching, kids watching learning shows about ,letters, numbers, exercise, cooking, learn that even when you think they aren’t. Kids who watch grown up shows with, fighting, sex, and killing will learn about that .

1 Like

My daughter is 19 months old and she loves movies. She will sit and watch an entire movie. I certainly don’t think it’s a bad thing. She is super smart and I think it’s good for her to understand its ok to just relax and watch TV once in awhile. She’ll watch a movie a day and then we play all day. If ur kid has no imagination, doesn’t play with toys and is glued to the TV then it could be an issue. Other than that, it’s ur kid and u know what’s best for them.

1 Like

Love it. Use it every day.

1 Like

Both my kids STILL dont watch much tv and they are now 8 and 11. They do love movies, always have. We let them watch a movie before bed sometimes, or we watch a family movie together. I never allowed the tv to be on all the time though. I wanted them to play and have fun. I wanted to be there with them and not zone out infront of a television screen. If i wanted to hear something…i would put on a child friendly but mama loving play list. I didnt entertain my kids either. I wanted them to be independant and to be able to entertain themselves (and yes even when there was only one child). I didnt spend the day playing with my kid…i had and still have stuff to do. My kids watch maybe 3 hrs of tv a week…and its usually a hockey game with daddy. Lol. Personally, in my opinion, i dont like when kids have too much screen time. That goes for tv, tablets, cell phones etc. All of it. Hate on me all you want, but i dont like it. There have been studies done showing that children shouldnt have too much time infront of screens because it messes with the development of their brains. I dont judge those who do it because, well…who the hell am i to judge another person!!! …but it doeant happen in my home. Dh and I both agree that we would rather them go play or read or do something creative then watch tv.

1 Like

We don’t limit any tv time for my 3 year old and haven’t since she’s been born. Most shows she watches have an educational aspect. I did a masters thesis on effects of screen time on intellectual development of a child and there was no significance shown

1 Like

My son will play outside and i have the tv on all the time… i run his shows most of the day… he loves tv but he loves playing aswell… i dont give time limits… he can sit there and watch tv or play its up to him atleast he is not bored… who cares what other mums do thats there business… they can parent there’s and il parent mine

2 Likes

I put music on and TV off for a while…There are so many educational fun children’s programs that I think it’s great they can watch and learn.

2 Likes

We watch BabyFirstTv ALL day, lol. I feel no shame what so ever.

1 Like

I have educational programs on in the background from the time my kids wake up to the time that they go to sleep. My two year old knows how to count by himself to ten, colours, body parts, and the ABCs. Obviously I taught him those things first, but the repetition in the programs really help. No regrets. :woman_shrugging:t3:

1 Like

Every family is different. You know what’s best forget what other mum’s do zx

My tv is on all the time but she doesn’t pay much attention to it. Sometimes I wish she would lol. My daughter is 2.

1 Like

I’m the same way if the TV’s off it’s just too quiet

1 Like

I dont think theres a problem with it being there as background noise

I have TVs in both my boys rooms and my living room and they are essentially always on just for background noise other then at bed time when they lay and watch a movie they like. They usually don’t even pay attention to the tv but it makes it more comfortable in my house. My 5 year old though gets into certain shows more then my 2 year old does and is more picky on what is on although he really only listens and doesn’t actually watch it.

Playing the devil’s advocate here for a minute. Tv is essentially extra stimuli for babies and little kids that they don’t need. The light that radiates from phones, TVs, and computers are actually really bad for your eyes. But that’s for everyone, not just kids. Most pediatricians and psychologists recommend not having your child in front of a tv until they are 3. That’s just what I’ve learned from past psych classes. However, no judgement. I have our tv on periodically through the day because I need something going. My son has one show he loves for the music. As soon as the music stops, he ignores the tv again. I don’t find it very realistic to keep him away from the tv since my husband loves sports. I think it’s just using your best judgement. Some moms just don’t like tv. Too much screen time can be bad, but at the same time, we’re using more and more technology everywhere.

1 Like

You do you. You’re mom. I get so sick of these “perfect” pinterest moms and their ridiculous life standards swooping in to make you feel like utter caca cause your kid can sing the theme song to bubble guppies and you don’t cut their completely organic, gluten-free, rice flour bread sandwiches into puzzle pieces first.

Your kid will be fine. Lots of parents don’t limit TV time. Mine didn’t and I was honor roll through elementary school and I graduated highschool at 16 with an academic scholarship. My parents weren’t even strict about WHAT I was watching. I was probably one of the few kids in my 3rd grade class that could quote The Crow word for word, but I’ve never seen The Little Mermaid or Cinderella.

I’m not as lax with the content my daughter watches, but I give her a good amount of freedom with her choices still. She’s also 8, though, and much more into video games. But she’s reading middle school chapter books without issue and I encourage her to do more tactile and crafty stuff as well.

But until her grades start slipping or her friendships start suffering or chores are left undone… she’s good and she has relative freedom over the living room tv.

3 Likes

Our tv is on all day long, granted it’s educational videos only off of YouTube and he rarely watches it. But it’s on if he wants to watch and it’s background noise. The videos we watch on YouTube have the ABCs, counting and sometimes just nursery rhymes.

Media and Children This is what the experts say. I think we as parents will always pick our battles and tailor our choices to our lifestyle and I don’t think that’s always a bad thing.

I have teens and they watched TV as toddlers, not much before age 1 (mostly videotapes, Baby Einstein and Barney to start with). With our youngest, I vowed to keep her away from TV as long as possible just because I was trying to do things more naturally this time, but she’s very clingy to me (despite my attempts to encourage her independence) and TV was the only thing that would give me peace for a few minutes to throw some laundry in the washer or grab some water and a sandwich, etc so I used it starting around 6 or 7 months when she could sit in the exersaucer. She’s 13 months now and it’s a Godsend for me to leave her with my teens and get a shower or work on supper.

I try to limit it to only when I need it, like starting a situation without it and adding it when she’s not happy just playing. I’m not a fan of just playing it nonstop for no particular audience because I don’t think it’s really “good” for them to watch TV at all, just a necessary evil, and I try to balance it with one on one time and play after I’ve used it. That’s my take :blush: I have a small home daycare and I play Pandora on the Roku during the day for sound when I want it and the kids watch about 20 minutes of Sesame Street while I prep lunch.

By the way, the experts say that it doesn’t matter that its educational TV or a kids show, it’s still electronics time which can lead to several issues. I think all things in moderation is a good rule for life in general.

I didnt limit tv time it was just backround noise while my boys play

You kids your choice!! If my tv’s off its way to quite!

Don’t matter if t.v. on or not my kids watch it if they like the show but other than that they play with their toys and summer time we be gone all day long. Only time i trun t.v. off when we go out.

1 Like

If your worried about it and like the background noise just play music instead

I have Bluetooth speakers upstairs and downstairs for music that connects to my phone or tablet(s) and we (my kids and I including the baby) rarely watch TV unless it’s a family event or movie. It’s also not on for background noise. As background noise it annoys me and I prefer music. I normally sit and play and talk to my baby/other children throughout the day, too. My house is rarely every quiet. To each their own, though. :woman_shrugging:t2: Others let their kids watch tv… not my kids, not my problem, lol.

I keep mine on for background noise too. The only time my son watches is when something catches his attention for a few minutes, or when he’s tired.

My kids have always had the tv on in the background. They play more than actually watch it. As long as they are still active and using their imagination, who cares!!