2+ kids and screen time

[rugbywife]

How do you let one kid watch while limiting the other? I have 'decided to be okay' with some screen time for DD in order to maintain my sanity. She is just shy of 18m. But DS is only 4.5m and he seems drawn to the screen in a way she never was at his age.

Thoughts?

[Deleted]

J used to watch during the girls' nap time. Most of his screen time was also during the time we were putting the girls to bed and he would watch the ipad.

Now I have just been letting the girls watch too since it's only about twice a week.

[imojoebunny]

Kindle fire and netflix. My kids each have their own profile, so it pops up the things they like.

[ilikedonuts]

I don't. I've learned im at the top of the 'MMM screen time is no big deal' list though.

DD2's swing was not facing the tv and I did always put her facing away on her playmat, but once she could move enough, she'd end up facing the TV and i wasn't going to readjust her a million times a day.

[mrshandy]

Ipad mini, DS usually watches videos on there

[rugbywife]

Oct 1, 2015 6:43:31 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I don't. I've learned im at the top of the 'MMM screen time is no big deal' list though.

DD2's swing was not facing the tv and I did always put her facing away on her playmat, but once she could move enough, she'd end up facing the TV and i wasn't going to readjust her a million times a day.

I like the cut of your jib.

[rugbywife]

I can't use the iPad. She always touches the home button and wants help getting back. Too much work.

[thebreakfastclub]

I don't have 2 kids, but I know I would be pretty loose with TV, because I am with just having one kid. I need breaks.

DS touches the kindle too and messes it up a lot.

[bananapancakes]

Oct 1, 2015 6:51:28 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

I can't use the iPad. She always touches the home button and wants help getting back. Too much work.

Ugh, yes. This is the bane of my existence. This is our only option though as we don't have a TV. I wish there was some way to freeze the screen so he couldn't screw it up a million times though.

[geek96]

I don't know but my just turned 2 year old begs for the TV from the second he wakes up until he goes to bed. I am getting so sick of the tantrums when I tell him that he can't watch it that I usually give in after an hour.

Screen time and my guilt is taking over though but I just am not able to do everything.

[rugbywife]

Oct 1, 2015 6:54:58 GMT -5 bananapancakes said:

Oct 1, 2015 6:51:28 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

I can't use the iPad. She always touches the home button and wants help getting back. Too much work.

Ugh, yes. This is the bane of my existence. This is our only option though as we don't have a TV. I wish there was some way to freeze the screen so he couldn't screw it up a million times though.

Drives me nuts. No tv??? Good for you guys!

[karinothing]

Oct 1, 2015 6:54:58 GMT -5 bananapancakes said:

Oct 1, 2015 6:51:28 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

I can't use the iPad. She always touches the home button and wants help getting back. Too much work.

Ugh, yes. This is the bane of my existence. This is our only option though as we don't have a TV. I wish there was some way to freeze the screen so he couldn't screw it up a million times though.

You can get kid covers that block it.

Anyway. DS only gets screen time between 7-8 whIle baby sleeps

[daisy24342]

Oct 1, 2015 6:51:28 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

I can't use the iPad. She always touches the home button and wants help getting back. Too much work.

Have you tried guided access setting on iPad? We used that with DS when he was younger and now he mostly stays on the video now that he is older.

my youngest is older (11months)but even when she was younger and I letDS watch tv, I just accepted it as my means to survival.  And it still is.  

[bananapancakes]

Oct 1, 2015 6:59:54 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

Oct 1, 2015 6:54:58 GMT -5 bananapancakes said:

Ugh, yes. This is the bane of my existence. This is our only option though as we don't have a TV. I wish there was some way to freeze the screen so he couldn't screw it up a million times though.

Drives me nuts. No tv??? Good for you guys!

We haven't had a TV since university and I don't really miss it most of the time. Every once and awhile I do though. Right now L only really watches stuff when I'm in the shower and when I'm cooking dinner and I feel like if we had a TV, it would just be too easy to put it on more often. I only have the one so it's not really necessary. All bets would be off with 2U2 though! He is asking for it more and more which is super annoying. He now associates my iPad with "pups" and "choo choos" which I kind of regret. I just want to GBCN/FB/online shop while he plays independently, is that too much to ask?

[zeewifeandmama]

Oct 1, 2015 6:43:31 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I don't. I've learned im at the top of the 'MMM screen time is no big deal' list though.

DD2's swing was not facing the tv and I did always put her facing away on her playmat, but once she could move enough, she'd end up facing the TV and i wasn't going to readjust her a million times a day.

Same here

[Brie]

Oct 1, 2015 6:51:28 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

I can't use the iPad. She always touches the home button and wants help getting back. Too much work.

Turn on Guided Access.

[Deleted]

DS is 3.5 and DD is 6 months. I put her in the RnP facing away from the screen, or I sit on the couch with her facing me. Usually if DS is watching TV it's because I'm busy either nursing DD (so she's obviously facing me, not the TV) or I'm cooking or cleaning (I have DD in the RnP with me).

DS watches way too much TV. I'm trying to be better about it, but it's hard.

[jeaniebueller]

Oct 1, 2015 6:43:31 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I don't. I've learned im at the top of the 'MMM screen time is no big deal' list though.

DD2's swing was not facing the tv and I did always put her facing away on her playmat, but once she could move enough, she'd end up facing the TV and i wasn't going to readjust her a million times a day.

Ditto. I just faced the baby away from the TV as long as possible and didn't sweat it either way.

[whitepicketfence]

Yeah, any limiting of screen time went away after DD3 was born. I don't let the older girls have their 3DS or the iPad on school days but that's mostly because then they don't want to do homework (DD1), go to bed on time, etc. Otherwise, screen time isn't my hill to die on.

DD3 obviously doesn't use any electronic devices yet but I don't let myself worry if she ends up watching TV with her sisters. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse LOL

[meltoine]

Guided access on the iPad - triple click the home button to set it up, then they can press the home button until the cows come home and nothing will happen. It's magic.

Also, DS1 watches most of his tv between 7 and 8pm, since DS2 goes to bed at 7 and DS1 not until 8.

[Deleted]

Oct 1, 2015 6:43:31 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I don't. I've learned im at the top of the 'MMM screen time is no big deal' list though.

DD2's swing was not facing the tv and I did always put her facing away on her playmat, but once she could move enough, she'd end up facing the TV and i wasn't going to readjust her a million times a day.

This. I turned DS away when DD was watching/purposely set up the LR so the swing etc. was away from it, tried to let her watch the tablet more, do it at nap time, sent her down to the playroom and kept him upstairs. 

I honestly didn't try that hard. I was alone with a nb and a 2.5 year old in winter. I had bigger wars to fight for awhile. 

And it goes in streaks. Neither of my kids have seen more than 20 minutes of TV a day since like June, save for 3 days when they had strep. It's game in on in the winter again though.  

And there was that phase when DD was a baby the only thing she found soothing was the weather radar.........

[undecidedowl]

Usually DS1 is watching TV because I am busy doing something with DS2 or I'm in a different room and I bring DS2 with me so it's not an issue. Otherwise, I just accept that the life of a second baby is different than the life of a first baby. And I was second born so obviously we survive!

[mlt]

We really only let DS1 watch when DS2 is asleep. 

[lilles]

Mom of three here. The youngest is 14 months and he gets no screen time and will not until he is at least two. Yes, I am one of those...

The other two are five and seven and watch the same shows (mostly younger shows). They love Paw Patrol and the oldest show they watch is My Little Pony.

I just go to another room with the baby while they watch. If they watch during the week is is only half an hour but usually they don't because of homework and after school activities plus playing outside.

[DarcyLongfellow]

I just didn't worry about it. DD1 spent the vast majority of DD2's first 3 months of life sitting in my lap or beside me watching TV while I nursed or held DD2.

[whitemerlot]

My older one always watched while the younger one napped.

[badtzmaru22]

Ehh, I just try not to care. DH leaves for work right as we are getting up, so if I get a shower before the kids wake up, great, but if I don't, DS (14mo) gets plopped in the PNP in our room, and DD (3.5) watches tv on our bed. Sometimes DS lays back down, and there are books and toys in the PNP, but I just need to shower and get myself ready, and the tv babysitter at least makes sure the kids haven't torn the house apart while I'm in the shower.

If we are downstairs and playing, sometimes DD will watch a show, but DS is really not interested in sitting still for very long, so he's always into something else anyway.

[thebreakfastclub]

I felt pretty good about myself because DS only watched 45 minutes last night.

It balanced out the 4 hours from the day before. He was home for a dentist appointment, we got 3" of rain that day, and he wouldn't nap.

[GotWine]

Oct 1, 2015 6:43:31 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I don't. I've learned im at the top of the 'MMM screen time is no big deal' list though.

DD2's swing was not facing the tv and I did always put her facing away on her playmat, but once she could move enough, she'd end up facing the TV and i wasn't going to readjust her a million times a day.

This is where I stand as well. I use screen time for my convenience. I turn the TV on so I can shower, make breakfasts and throw in laundry and stuff in the morning. I put ds in the swing while I'm doing these things. Sometimes he's sleeping and not paying attention to what dd is watching, other times he is. His swing is facing away from the TV, but he really tries to turn his head so he can see it.

I just don't even care about screen time like I did when dd was this age.

[badtzmaru22]

Oct 1, 2015 7:45:55 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

. It's game in on in the winter again though.  

And there was that phase when DD was a baby the only thing she found soothing was the weather radar.........

I hope I didn't jack up this quote too much, but I wanted to agree with the winter part, and also baseball announcers have been very soothing to both of my children.