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TV & playtime
Hi, I have twins who are 16 months and I just wondered, truthfully, how much you let your little ones watch the TV, how much time you play with them, and how much time you expect them to play alone?
I'm worried I'm getting into a bit of a habit with TV - it's on about an hour in the morning after breakfast/before we go out so I can get myself and everything ready. Then after lunch for half an hour so I can do their nappies stood at the TV & then get anything ready to go out, then sometimes after tea. Always off by 6pm (bed's at 7pm).
As it's getting more wintery, and on the days we don't have groups it's on a bit more and I'm wondering how much is too much? I do talk to them about what's on when I'm in the room, and it's very strictly monitored Cbeebies stuff only...but I am worried I'm putting it on too much? noone every seems to admit using it so they can get their jobs done, but surely everyone does - but how much DO you use it?
My second thing is, I do sit and read with them, I play with their toys, we'll do bits of messy play, and we go to Twin Group, Playgroup, Rattle & Rhyme, Baby signing weekly. But I feel at home quite a bit at the moment that I just can't sit and play for long before I want to leave them to it so I can do jobs (or, also to be honest check hotmail, facebook, ebay etc). I want them to play on their own, and they have so much stuff, but they then seem to flit from activity to activity and I feel that i'm being bad, or they'll not learn to have an attention span cos I'm making them flit from activity to activity... but then I cannot play all the time and they need to be independant too.
Any views please? (You can tell me off it's OK - I really don't know what's normal, what others do, what is 'expected' of me now this is my full time job).
Thank you!
I'm worried I'm getting into a bit of a habit with TV - it's on about an hour in the morning after breakfast/before we go out so I can get myself and everything ready. Then after lunch for half an hour so I can do their nappies stood at the TV & then get anything ready to go out, then sometimes after tea. Always off by 6pm (bed's at 7pm).
As it's getting more wintery, and on the days we don't have groups it's on a bit more and I'm wondering how much is too much? I do talk to them about what's on when I'm in the room, and it's very strictly monitored Cbeebies stuff only...but I am worried I'm putting it on too much? noone every seems to admit using it so they can get their jobs done, but surely everyone does - but how much DO you use it?
My second thing is, I do sit and read with them, I play with their toys, we'll do bits of messy play, and we go to Twin Group, Playgroup, Rattle & Rhyme, Baby signing weekly. But I feel at home quite a bit at the moment that I just can't sit and play for long before I want to leave them to it so I can do jobs (or, also to be honest check hotmail, facebook, ebay etc). I want them to play on their own, and they have so much stuff, but they then seem to flit from activity to activity and I feel that i'm being bad, or they'll not learn to have an attention span cos I'm making them flit from activity to activity... but then I cannot play all the time and they need to be independant too.
Any views please? (You can tell me off it's OK - I really don't know what's normal, what others do, what is 'expected' of me now this is my full time job).
Thank you!
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Replies
I have a 20 month old and a 7 week baby. Even before baby came along I would let my DS sit and watch CBeebies for about 45 in the morning after breakfast so that I could have a shower, do some housework and get ready to go out. We are doing it especially now so that I can get the baby ready too. He loves it and sit intently with a bowl of raisens and a cup of milk. I don't feel guilty as i'm sure that, at least on CBeebies, the programmes are fairly educational and will be helping his language development etc.
Sometimes he watches some in the afternoon, if he is tired or the weather is rubbish, or I am tired from the baby!!
I try to do all the other things with him that you also do too so I am more than happy that he gets a good variety of things to do. Don't worry xx
The rest of the time he is happy to either play with toys or 'help' me clean , play outside . On my days off work I try ans make sure we do something together if its feeding ducks or drawing or park dependant in weather. I would say as your Lo's get a but older they will play much better together without you as they can amuse eacj other. Don't worry think its fine x x
I do encourage lots of playtime, organise messy play and he likes to help me cook and clean, but I do feel guilty how much he watches.
Then again he goes to nursery three times a week, and my hubby is a very outdoor-sey person and has him two days a week so they're always out and about, so it's really only weekends when he's with me that it happens!
Still feel guilty though, especially after reading all the other comments!
There are enough things to feel guilty about without worrying about how much tv they watch! Will I let her become an obese teenager sitting in front of the tv, hell no, does it matter at this age, no I dont think so
I do have every other Friday off (work compressed hours) but I usually make sure we get out and about, it's the only chance I get to catch up with the mummy friends who also have the day off!
On the rare occasions I have put it on, she doesn't seem that interested in it. She's not that great at playing on her own most of the time, she loves books but wants me to read them to her and her attention span for her toys seems quite short!
On some days when the weather is rubbish & I am tired/in pain with PGP I will put the tv on for an hr in the afternoon so I can put my feet up & we will cuddle up on the sofa!
We read his books together lots, he "helps" with the housework & we get his toys out & play with them, and we also do toddler gym & rhyme time on the days that I don't work & go to the library 2-3 times a month - I work 3 days & he goes to nursery who do tonnes of great stuff with him!