Let's be real about TV

[kaycee]

It seems like when there are polls about this people say they watch a 20 minute show a couple times a week. I then feel guilty. Then I read about movies kids are obsessed with and feel like people are watching more than they let on. Ease my guilt about screen time. No judging allowed in here.

How much time does your kid watch tv a day?

How much time is it on in the background at home?

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is awake?

[satsuma]

DS doesn't get screen time on weekdays. He'd probably be allowed a show if one us SAH with him. On weekends he can watch several shows or a movie. Exceptions are major games. Like he got to watch the Sounders play offs.

We don't have the TV on as background.

We watch shows for an hour or 2 after he's asleep.

ETA - that DH and I are home around the same time so one of us can play with him while the other makes dinner. If that were not the case, DS could watch tv during dinner prep. Sometimes I get him to "help", but I don't always have the patience for that. 

[itsme]

How much time does your kid watch tv a day? 
I don't keep track nor do I care to.

How much time is it on in the background at home?
All the time.

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is asleep?
And while awake.

[Deleted]

Dd often watches cartoons while she drinks milk in the morning and a little YouTube kids (singalong) a few times a week if we need to get things done. So I would say about 30 minutes a day average. We try not to have tv on in the background. If it's on, it's usually cnn or sport center and she doesn't pay attention. I watch tv for a few hours every night after she is asleep but never while she is in the same room.

I had unlimited screen time and basically learned English by watching tv. I turned out alright. The only reason why I limit is because I have some nephews and nieces that get unlimited screen time and they have no social skills or imagination. This is probably due to lack of other activities and interactions anyways. It's really sad.

[cajunmom]

How much time does your kid watch tv a day? ~an hour. Maybe a bit more some days. They do have screen time with the computer and iPads in addition to tv.

How much time is it on in the background at home? A lot. More if H is at home but I frequently have Food Network on even if I'm not watching, or ESPN.

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is asleep? Yes.

[rugbywife]

I have a 20 month old and a 7 month old. The 20 month old probably gets an hour and a half to 2 hours a day, the 7 month old usually gets none, sometimes 30 minutes but doesn't usually pay attention.

I will watch my shows sometimes when they are around. Sometimes HGTV just plays in the background, sometimes more 'serious' shows. But that is rare now.

[magpie]

How much time does your kid watch tv a day?
none daily. I'd say she watched a 20 minute show once every week or two. She does watch more (like an unlimited amount) when we're traveling (I feel that happiness and comfort on long car rides/flights trumps everything!). I also give her more when H is out of town (probably 20-30 minutes a day because it's the easiest way to shower/get ready if I'm flying solo).

How much time is it on in the background at home?
Almost never when she's awake (but we don't really put the TV on as background ever any way). We tried to sort of half watch one of the Republican debates while she was still up once and she kept repeating "What Trump say? What Trump doing?" for days and we decided that it wasn't worth it, lol.

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is asleep?
We totally eat dinner in front of the TV after she's in bed most nights. I love TV!

[winecheery]

We def did the no TV under 2 thing. But now she's seen some winnie the pooh, Charlie Brown holiday stuff, short little videos/clips here and there, and similar.

Honestly though, we are not TV people. We don't have cable, and so DH and I just stream anything we watch, (like we watch GofT, Sherlock, and The Newsroom) and DD's stuff comes from DVDs or youtube clips, honestly.

To answer your questions:

-It's not a daily thing. She watches a short movie or something maybe twice a week at this point

-Never on in the background. Unless DH is watching the Steelers play, then I guess that's sorta background, and DD will sit with him for a few minutes

-I like to veg out to House Hunters International when DD naps sometimes, or like I said, H and I have a few shows we watch, and they happen after DD is in bed

[kaycee]

Oops! I meant while awake.

DD probably watches an hour a day. Sometimes more if the baby is fussy or didn't sleep the night before or less if we are out.

We don't have cable except one antenna channel, so it isn't on in the background.

Sometimes we watch the news or a sports game while she is awake.

[Deleted]

If DH is around, he pretty much always has the TV on as background noise.

If DH is not around, I rarely do when DS is awake.

Shows are never played specifically for DS to watch.

[rex]

this time of year is so draining for me I just kind of gave up on limiting screen time. I do not like how much she watches, and she's definitely a different child when she watches more than one show. after Christmas I plan on making screen time the occasional thing it was before November. right now it's 1-2 hours per day, it used to be that much per week. she basically watches Daniel tiger seasons over and over again. 

I will say I favor the iPad to tv. it makes me feel better because it seems like she's actually doing something lol

the tv is never on for background noise. I do not really watch tv personally. I turn it on to specifically watch something and then turn it off. I just think it's boring. if I watch something it's after she is in bed for the nigh, either watching 1-2 shows with my h or if he's working I might watch one episode of something. 

[brooklyn]

Lol, he watches at least an hour a day of his shows, and watches Jeopardy/modern family/goldbergs/etc with us. Pretty sure I've given up on limiting screen time.

[turtlegirl]

How much time does your kid watch tv a day?
It really varies. Probably about 30 mins a day on average. On the 2 days they are with my mom, probably at least 1-2 hours.

How much time is it on in the background at home?
Only during sports. We don't really have it on in the background otherwise.

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is awake?
Nope. Just sports. I wouldn't be able to concentrate or enjoy a show with the kids awake.

[thebreakfastclub]

Every morning, DS gets 30 min of cartoons, so he can stay put while H and I get ready.

Now that it's winter, he gets TV from 5:30-6:30/7 on weekdays. Then I put something else on, like hgtv.

He doesn't watch movies, because I don't like movies. Just cartoons.

On weekends, it's more.

[jr009j]

DD1 watched a 24 minute show 4-5 days a week. Once in awhile, she watches 1.5 or 2 shows.

No tv on in the background (only tv in the house is on a different level).

No adult shows while the kids are awake.

DD2 only watched shows while we cut her nails. So maybe 5 minutes once a week?

[hermione]

How much time does your kid watch tv a day? This totally depends on the day. Sometimes we watch tv all day - especially during inclement weather or if one of us is sick. Sometimes we don't watch any. I'd say our usual is 3 30 minute shows over the course of the day.

How much time is it on in the background at home? Not that often. I usually turn the radio on instead.

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is awake? My husband definitely watches sports with her and has even taught her how to say, "Go Bears!" She thinks all sports teams are bears.

[rikki]

Well my kid can quote entire episodes of Calliou.

[Queen Mamadala]

How much time does your kid watch tv a day? My older kids are in school. They get home at 3:30, start homework around 4:00, read for 30-60 minutes, do chores that need to be done, and then free time. Probably a few hours of screen time, which includes table, phone, computer. My 6 year old still plays with toys. The only shows my 1 year old pays attention to is Clangers and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I actually like Clangers.

How much time is it on in the background at home? A good portion of the day. TV (Sprout if it's a kid show) or a show I'm watching. I need background noise. Either TV or music.

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is awake? Absolutely. But the big kids are usually doing their own thing if it's not something they're into.

[rugbywife]

And now I feel like the worst parent ever. I will blame it on two kids close together. You know, all the neglecting of the older one.

[thebreakfastclub]

My child can identify Donald Trump because of TV, lol. I told him he wasn't acting nice. Now whenever he sees him on TV, DS asks me if Donald is acting nice yet. Nope!

[anaps28]

DS1 watches 30 min in the morning before preschool. He watches maybe another hour or so depending on the day of the week and after school activities.
He watched a TON of TV when I was pregnant Bc I was SO sick the first 4 months. He is not a glued to the TV type kid. He usually watches a show but then goes off to play.

DS2 is 14 months and he only stops to watch what DS2 is watching when music comes on. He doesn't really care about the TV.

On Sunday afternoon/evening football is on downstairs all day. When DS2 naps DS1 is allowed the iPad to play games or watch a movie. We don't have adult TV on when the kids are around.

H and I watch a ton of shows whenever we can squeeze them in together at night.

[mandapanda18]

Dec 15, 2015 18:05:45 GMT -5 kaycee said:

It seems like when there are polls about this people say they watch a 20 minute show a couple times a week. I then feel guilty. Then I read about movies kids are obsessed with and feel like people are watching more than they let on. Ease my guilt about screen time. No judging allowed in here.

How much time does your kid watch tv a day? he only gets one 30 minute show of his each evening. On the weekends, he will get an entire movie, but he rarely sits through it. if he is sick all of the guidelines go out the window!

How much time is it on in the background at home? probably about 50% of our awake/home time.

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is awake? Yes, but nothing in appropriate. Mostly HGTV/Food Network if I am watching, or Top Gear/Racing if it is H

[cinco]

My youngest and middle watch a show or two a day. They also play games on our phones or the computer. The oldest maybe 1-2 a week b/c she'd rather read. We don't have cable so we don't have it as background or adult shows on when they are awake.

[brandienee]

1.) Uh... IDK. See question two

2.) ALL the time. I need the background noise which means a lot of daytime crappy television. I should turn it to PBS, at least that's educational.

3.) See question two. (a lot)


Right now, I don't really care about it. I am sure that I will start to get more and more nervous as he starts paying attention to what's going on on the TV right now, he is working on his rolling over and keeping his head up.

Sometimes I feel super guilty and just put pandora on.

I grew up with TV, I wonder if this is why I love it. I kind of like commercials.

[justjen]

They don't watch during the week. L (3yo) watches provably 4-5 hours over the course of a weekend. This includes a few shows each morning and maybe a movie at night

The only time we have adult shows in when they're awake is football

No background noise

[bananapancakes]

We don't own a TV so it's just Netflix on the iPad for us.

If I'm home by myself and need to shower before nap time he gets the iPad to watch Paw Patrol. Usually 2 episodes (~40 ish minutes). He also sometimes get an episode while I'm trying to cook dinner. I've also been known to put it on in the wee morning hours if he is up super early and I'm just not ready to parent. I'd say 60-90 minutes a day on average.

Never on in the background and I don't watch any shows while he is awake.

[karinothing]

We did no TV till 3.

Now he watches an hour or so a day. Maybe 1.5. In the morning while we get ready and the DH and him watch a show before bed.

We do not watch adult shows whike he is awake.

We do not use tv for background noise

[bananapancakes]

Oh, and these last few days since he's been sick (and now I am too) it's been more. Like 2-3 hours a day probably.

[ssmjlm]

We rarely do tv during the week. Sometimes she gets a show before dinner or the tablet. We don't watch after dinner bc she gets cranky about turning it off.

It's never on in the background. We don't have cable right now which really helps. DH and I are pretty conscious of screen time.

No we rarely watch tv during the week ourselves. We watch after she's in bed or nap time. At the beach sometimes she'll catch an episode of something on hgtv if we had that on during nap, but I don't consider those "adult shows."

[tulips]

They are 29 months and 14 months

How much time does your kid watch tv a day?
30-45 minutes

How much time is it on in the background at home? Outside of their 30-45 minutes, I only keep a music channel on M-F. They see non-kid specific stuff on the weekends as noted in the next question.

Do you have adult shows on while your kid is awake? News programs and sports on the weekends.

We wait to watch our other shows until they are in bed.