TV: How much do you allow?

[mlc1982]

In a typical day, how much is your tv on for the kids??

I know some parents are against tv but I let my parents know up front that the tv will be on in my house. Not all the time, but it will be at some points throughout the day.

Although the kids aren't watching the tv the whole time it is on, I would say it averages out to about 1-2 hours per day. I don't think it will be on as much when it's warmer out and we can get outside to play instead.

[Emilys4Guppies]

We watch TV on Friday afternoons and first thing Monday morning (early arrival so I need time to finish my own kid's lunches, ect).
We listen to a lot of Disney music, classical, and other kid-appropriate music. I love my Snack Time CD by the Barenaked Ladies! I'm a sucker for Disney music and find myself singing along more than the kids. LOL!
We also have a good chunk of our day spent with one child or another at the piano. No TV or music while someone is practicing.

[horsegirl]

The children are allowed to watch selected videos or cartoons if they arrive earlier than everyone else. They are also allowed to watch it in the later day, 4:00PM, so they can all calm down and be ready to leave when parents arrive.
At lunch time we listen to stories on cassettes--Cinderella, Peter Pan, etc. We also listen to classical music at snack time and will color pictures related to the music.
In the good weather we spend a lot of time outside, so we don't have much time for television.

[playfelt]

I use TV on days when there is a large gap between the first arrival and the second just to help him pass the time and also on the two days my last one leaves 45 minutes after everyone else. As far as tv during the day I use it while I am finishing up lunch. I give them a warning to clean up and it goes much faster with no complaint when the reward is TV. The sooner they are done the more they get to watch. It goes off when they are called to the table for lunch.

[gcj]

it's quite limited here, for my own selfish reasons My son is 5 and only starts school next year (he missed the date by 10 days...in Quebec) so he doesn't nap with the others and I still need my downtime, so he gets a big chunk at naptime. I wouldn't want him watching it in the morning and then again at naptime. Also, after daycare they my get a bit while I prepare dinner. I also figure that the other kids are getting it at home, too, so I choose to save it for non-daycare hours.
Also, the more they watch, the more they want it. ....my gang, at least. And when it happened a lot at the same time each day, it became expected. Now, they don't think of it as something to do, so on the odd occasion that I say "let's watch TV", they're shocked and excited!

[4Sparkles]

Here the daycare kids do not have access to tv only the once in a while movie on a portable dvd player. They dont miss it because they know they will get to watch when they are at home and that is ok. The older ones ask why the tv isnot there any more and my answer works ....because now we get to talk , play and do more fun stuff with (i then call each daycare child's name) It is not a part of our routine so it isnt expected nor missed.

[Emilys4Guppies]

I do agree that since I started severely limiting the TV the children no longer expect or miss it. That's very true! I found, when my firstborn was a toddler, that if he was wound up or his mood turning more chaotic that it was calming to just turn off the TV and enjoy the quiet. Since then we really enjoy not using it, and like the music we choose.

Great idea about books on tape at lunch! I really like that and will borrow the idea!

[giraffe]

I do not allow tv during the day. I find that the children do not need tv. We use music if we want some background noise.

[lilac]

We do have TV time each day. I sometimes put it on for a short time while I get lunch ready. For the kids who dont nap, we choose a movie to watch however, very rarely do they ever sit and watch for more then 10 mins. The only time they actually stay on the couch and watch is if its a new one they havent seen before, or if they are tired or not feeling well. At 5pm, if any of the kids are still here, TV goes on while I start my family's dinner. The new little girl I have just started, will watch ANYTHING that is on the TV, today she sat with my hubby and watched the hockey/basketball highlights from lastnight... she's 3... LOL!

[Judy Trickett]

I don't allow very much TV at all. It's not because I am anti-TV. In fact, I think there is a lot of value in TV for little kids.

BUT.....I want my dckids to know how to PLAY TOYS and be otherwise able to SELF engage and not be constantly stimulated by external entertainment in order to be happy.

In my early days I let the kids watch more TV than I do now. I also felt I had to entertain them all the time and those kids did NOT know how to just play on their own. Unless they were entertained they were constantly whiny or unsettled.

Once I learned that you need to teach kids how to SELF entertain by not giving them any "freebie' entertainment value then they can free-play for hours should you need them to. And the other great thing about that approach is that when you also need them to focus on YOU they are more than ready to because you are 'special' entertainment.