How Much TV?

[fluffhead]

My 2 and 4 YO kids get a half hour, twice a day, usually. Less if we're busy with stuff, more if the babysitter is home with them both and needs a break.

I recall watching hours upon hours of tv in the summers, as a kid. During the year, I'd frequently do my homework while watching Happy Days or Charlie's Angels or whatever was on.
(hey, but I also played with the mercury when we broke a thermometer, ate several bowls of AlphaBits when I'd get home from school, and wandered the streets at all hours with no supervision....can you tell I'm the youngest?)

[MissCrabette]

No parenting advice here but your childhood reminds me of mine. Playing with mercury? Check. Eating chips of lead paint? Check. Having my mom or grandma chase me around the block at some ridiculous hour? Check. Watching TV shows that were inappropriate for my age? Check. I don't think it turned out TOO bad, did I?

[Sheherezade]

Me, too. I was a latchkey kid. I used to come home and watch cheesy soap operas while eating Little Debbies. I think I was 9 at the time. I used to actually break the thermometers for the mercury.

Of course, my kids watch way too much. I think they get about an hour a day regularly....but sometimes they watch none. We also have videogames and computer time because they are older kids. I try to make sure they get an hour or so of additional exercise, do their homework, do their chores....and then I just let them be. It helps that the schools require that the oldest reads 30 minutes every day. That counts as homework and chews up more screen time.

[DCJenn]

We try to use it as a special occasion event- There have been many days with none. However, this past weekend it was all Thomas all the time because we were both too sick to do a whole lot of play time.

That made for some interesting temper tantrums earlier in the week.

So we don't seem like total No-TV wackos- we limit at home because he gets it at school.

Jenn

[DrWahoo]

Wow you guys are great about TV. My kids watch at least 2 hours of tv

[Phoebe]

I am curious about this, too. This is my biggest concern for my kids right now. The TV got out-of-control over the summer. I have reigned it back in this week with school starting. However, my kids are TV junkies. This morning my daughter woke up at 5:30 like it was Christmas morning because she to to watch TV. Last week, she got up one morning at 4 am for the same reason.

I had a talk with her and said she needed to stay in her room until her clock said 7am and I sent her back to bed at 6:15 this morning. She didn't go. I think I am going to ban all TV in the mornings because she is being ridiculous and also sneaking shows I forbid to be watched. I am desperate for sleep these days so I don't get up until after 7am.

At times though, I do use the TV as an electronic babysitter because my kids are so active and I need to get things done.

Jennifer

[mommax3]

I totally used the tv to keep me sane, especially with my oldest, who was extremely active. Since we lived in San Antonio when he was a little guy, there were months at a time when going outside really wasn't an option. When I saw that watching it was an obsession, I would limit it, but I would also use it as a bribe. I feel absolutely no guilt about it, and he seems to have sustained no ill effects. Now (at age 11) he is so busy between school, piano, and soccer, that he is lucky to have a chance to even THINK about tv on most days......although he makes up for it when things slow down. His younger two brothers have been less interested in tv, but have still watched their share.

I am much more picky about time spent playing video games, because my kids are very irritable after playing if they have played too long. 45 minutes at a time is my absolute top limit, and it has been that way from the beginning, even if the game is "educational".

I am also pretty picky about *what* they watch......much more so than about *how much* they watch. Shows with characters who talk to authority figures in a way that I would not allow here at home are not likely to be on the viewing schedule. Monkey see, monkey do is too true, at least around here!

Sally