TV watching

So, I have a 16 month old who seems to be rather grumpy these past few days - either teething or coming down with something. It seems that the only thing that stops him from crying or whining all day (besides his soother which I refuse to give him bc the kids just fight over it and swap mouths) is the TV. Honest to God, he could sit there ALL morning and watch it. If anyone comes over and touches him, he cries. It's ridiculous. Anyways, what are your thoughts on watching TV? What about in this "special" circumstance? Honestly, I can't listen to him cry all day for no reason and I definitely can't/won't carry him around all day. Cuddles are ok, but the second I put him down, he cries.

Today has been a break in policy day for me and we spent a good part of the morning watching TV here. However every one of my parents requested that I let the kids watch tv today as 2 are teething and one hasn't been sleeping.

I use the TV when a) the kids are too riled up and need a reset or b) everyone is sick and needs to relax for a bit. I use it for about 30 minutes MAX.

Everyone has different views on TV. I would talk to the child's parents and see what they think or if they have any other suggestions.

I'm afraid if you keep this up the child will expect it/demand it when they are better. That is a very hard habit to break with really little ones.

When I opened I was very 'anti' television as in centre care the TV was thought of as the 'lazy educators' medium.

However I quickly realized that the difference between CENTRE care and being at HOME is that we had someone who worked in the office and did all the billing and recieving and written 'communication' with clients, we had a cook who did all the shopping and prepared all the meals and someone else who came in after hours and did all the deep cleaning and someone who came in a relieved us for a morning break and we got a guaranteed lunch hour OFF WORK to go have some me time and another relief staff who came in once a week and offered us 'programming time' and so forth and when we were sick we could call in and someone else took care of things for us and at a 'good centre' you even get paid to be home sick!

2 months of working from home and wearing ALL those hats and having to suck it up and work sick because I could not afford to close and well suddenly TV seemed more of a 'support' to the program ... and I do use it in moderation for the children over the age of 2 and without guilt .... cause otherwise I would likely burn out on those days when the baby does not nap cause he is teething and I get no 'break' or those weeks where it has rained 3 days in a row and we have not gotten outside a 'pajama day and a movie' can be a source of comfort for everyone!

I do agree though that you want to be careful with using it as a 'comfort' thing for a new child or a teething child and so forth because it can become habit forming and you do not want it on too much because like most things in life ~ too much of anything is not good!

working at a center sounds amazing!! lol he cried when he first got here, which is SO weird, he hasn't done that since his first month here and so I put him on the couch so he could have some time for himself and he watched tv. But I watched as he slowly started moving towards the end of the couch. But he one of those kids who gets sucked in to the TV, like he doesn't even hear when you say his name. I ended up taking him off the couch and turning off the tv after maybe 30-45 minutes. It gets to a point where he runs into things when he's walking cause he's watching the TV (I generally have it on all day bc the kids use it as background - not one kid (except this one lol) actually watches it. When his mom dropped him off, she said "look sweetie, the TV's on" I think the TV babysits him at home. Anyways, I'll play it by ear. I really dont like the TV bc I feel like they may be frying their brains a bit lol I don't even like my son to watch it at all, but I let him because I know it's more of a paranoia thing for me but I don't allow my son to watch more than 30 minutes a day because he's still only 12 months old.

Anyways, thats my rant lol I think I might just start turning the TV off and just leaving the volume on. But that does confuse my 2.5 year old. We'll see lol

TV is pretty limited in my day home as well. I will turn it on when the kids are cranky and just need to chill out for a few minutes. I will also put a movie in on rainy days when we cannot go out. I'm not anti-TV by any means I will definitely turn it on when I feel it will help make the day run smoothly but I also won't turn the TV on every single day for hours at a time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Littledragon

working at a center sounds amazing!! lol ....

---

Nope ... I would not return for all the tea in China ;)

Yes they have more 'resources' that we do but you NEED them and they are still not enough for what you have to deal with because you have NO CONTROL over your clientelle or coworkers .... I have had to work with kids who called me names that made me blush, who were SO AGGRESSIVE they threw tables in their tantrums and I have had to work with peers who 'lost' children because they cannot count or whose answer to every challenge was 'I do not get paid enough to do that' verses finding a solution and you have to do it with a SMILE because you are professional! Not to mention that you do not get to have a 'personal philosophy' for how to do things you have to adapt the 'centres' philosophy which often means doing whatever makes the client happy so you are in your program trying to balance a 1000 different 'parenting styles and philosophies' often which compete with each other cause they are so different ... I could go on and on about how much HARDER it is working with children in a regulated licensed centre but quiet time is almost over ;)

We may have to wear all the hats and take on my risk financially but we honestly have it WAY BETTER :wub:

How about the Galaxy Chanel 222? Kids music all day but with random pictures appearing LOL

It's not a "TV Show"........My tv turns black screen after 30min of not touching it so it will still play the music but the screen is dark. I don't mind that as much...

Last week I wasn't feeling well and neither was dcg, so we all had a movie day. We watched Thumbalina then Tinkerbell....lunch, naps and caught the wiggles...everyone was happy

Today was Baby Sign Time for about 45 minutes and then an episode of Dora for dcg and then Diego for my son. The 2 little ones (under 2) only got to watch the Baby Sign Time and then they were playing around while the older 2 tried to shake off thier grumps. After that it was an early lunch and early nap for everyone.

Does anyone else play educational DVD's for the kids? I find this lessens the guilt I feel about using the TV sometimes. We do baby signing time that teaches sign language and My Talking Toddler that is designed to expand talking childrens vocab. I don't really buy into the hype that kids can learn more from DVD's than they can from me, but I know they learn more from that than they do from the Backyardigans lol.

urgh, I hated working at centers too! That's why I opened my own daycare!

On TV - I have it on for an hour in the morning (as I have some who cry from separation anxiety, and this keeps them calm), and sometimes just when I'm making up lunch or just before nap. If it's raining, we get a movie day. But 3/4 of my dcks don't actually watch the show, they seem to enjoy the background noise...

Littledragon, you are at the end of your rope by the sound of your post so don't feel guilty about finding a solution to the problem temporarily with tv. I put it on once in a while first thing in the morning while I prepare breakfast or just before naptime while I get all the beds set up and sometimes at the end of the day because I have one little boy who is here all alone for the last 1/2 hour of his day. This doesn't happen every day by any means and the children know when I say, sit down and watch a cartoon for a little while that it's a treat at my house because I have a lot of work that I have to catch up on and things have gotten a bit out of my control.

When I have a new screamer starting I can't wait to get out of the house because they are usually so much better outside than inside. It must be very scary for the little ones when they are new and tv is probably something that he sees at home which comforts him. I know a few of the children in my care see a lot of tv at home so I don't feel guilty if they are watching it for 10-15 minutes at a time here, no biggie!

I personally dont think there is anything wrong with a "little" tv. however, the parents opinion should come into play a little. :) I wouldnt make it a habit though it can become a reliance for the child (very unhealthy) just put on an educational program until he is past this teething thing or until he gets through his moment of unhappiness then slowly wiene him off. TV is like a drug though be careful.....some kids can become dependant. like a sickness!!!!!! :)