I almost always have the TV on HGTV or something for background noise. Ds almost never looks at it and half the time he is in the hall/kitchen and can't see it. But I'm wondering if I should starting keeping it off during the day?
Thoughts?
ETA he is almost 1
nectarine / 2636 posts
We don't have cable so usually I play Pandora with a mix of kids and my music (so I don't get sick of Apples and Bananas!). My kid loves TV though so she'd be watching it all day... my in laws have the TV all the time at their house. Sigh.
persimmon / 1364 posts
I never have the tv on during the day. I just hate random background noise. The tv is on only when DH and I watch something specific in the evenings.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
Always, I'll go crazy. Sometimes it's on just the music channel but that thing is running most of the day.
squash / 13764 posts
Nope never. I only turn the TV on when it is specifically for the tv time he is allotted during the day. I don't like constant background noise, and i don't think it's good for LO--or for me, I would be constantly distracted.
cantaloupe / 6059 posts
Usually only when I'm nursing DD as a way to ensure that big brother stays under supervision in the living room.
honeydew / 7916 posts
No, I SAH for a while before LO was born (and WAH before that) and always had a rule that the TV would never be on during the day because I had to have clear boundaries in my life. But for pleasant background noise I'll turn on Pandora.
grapefruit / 4584 posts
I like to have a morning news show on (i.e. Good Morning America or Kelly & Michael), but have noticed that DD1 (2.5) is super aware of it...to the point of wanting to sit on the sofa and watch "the news"....since I've noticed this I'm limiting myself to about an hour of morning TV then saving anything else I'd like to watch for nap time. It's a bummer because on days I'm not getting out, it makes me feel like I've got grown up company to have some background noise!
DD#2 is 10 months and doesn't notice what's on unless I'm letting DD#1 watch Dora or Sesame Street or YouTube kids songs...then she pays attention and shouts at the TV like her big sister.
blogger / grapefruit / 4836 posts
Not for background noise...I like to stick to music or podcasts. Although I'm not sure if it matters one way or the other, they are less distracting to lo. If I have tv on he begs to watch his own shows and it drives me nuts.
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
Gosh I WOH but I can only imagine if I did stay home I would have the TV most the time (I did on maternity leave) it seems so quiet in the house without some background noise and music gets old. Maybe it would be different if LO was bigger/older? But even on weekends we usually have the TV even if we aren't watching it. (usually ESPN due to DH)
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
No - I put it on for him to watch his shows when they are allowed. I watch my own shows during nap / rest time. He will watch anything on TV so I really can't have it on. He's almost 3.
kiwi / 728 posts
I would love to keep it in, pre baby we always had it on for background noise! However, my child loves the tv and if I have it on she just sits and watches it. So, we had to end that. So, now we just turn on pandora or I will turn the music station on on the tv.
papaya / 10343 posts
I used to before LO was mobile. She would just lay on her mat or blanket and chew on toys and never seemed to notice the tv. And I was just... sitting there. All the time. So yea I binge watched netflix like woah haha. Ever since she started crawling though I don't bother turning it on most of the time because she's into everything and I'm always following her around so I wouldn't really get to watch anyways. And her main "play area" isn't close enough to really have the TV on and watch. Sometimes though I'll turn it on an watch a show if she is particularly interested in something and not moving around too much... but she doesn't really seem to notice yet.
FWIW I don't really think TV is going to ruin your kid 
clementine / 927 posts
No. DH is pretty keen on the whole screen time issue. Though I'm more relaxed about it, I try to respect the few parenting issues he's passionate about.
pomelo / 5607 posts
Same as @spaniellove, not having it on is important to me, but I'll probably always have music on. LO isn't here yet, but that's what I did as a nanny so I know it's fine for me. I could see having it on when she's very little if I'm nursing all the time. But I'm not a tv person, so I'm more likely to be reading as soon as I get good enough at it to have a free hand.
pomegranate / 3314 posts
During the winter, yes. It's something I only started doing recently and LO is nearly 3. Being pregnant and dealing with the brutal cold this year has meant it's all about survival around here. Can't wait for warm weather and outdoor time again!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I know there's some research out there that reads that any screen time is detrimental to development, but my 2 cents and personal experience has been that the TV or screen is not the issue, it's the ENDING of screen time that doesn't go over so well. Once my son gets started, he doesn't want to hear about turning it off to do something else, tantrum ensues. So we really try to offer other activities so we don't have to deal with that transition.
nectarine / 2641 posts
Nope. Starting around 4 months, I turned it off. We don't even have a TV upstairs right now (where we spend 98% of our time when LO is awake). We will put one back upstairs when LO2 is born, and I imagine LO1 will end up watching more than he does now (he's now 2). I don't mind using TV purposefully, but I try not to just have it on.
grapefruit / 4291 posts
Nope, although I always have the radio on in LO's room. To be fair though we're usually out in the mornings and then LO naps in the afternoon plus there's nothing worth watching anyway...
grapefruit / 4085 posts
I let her watch Sesame Street in the morning then it's off for the rest of the day.
pear / 1610 posts
We only watch it when DS can watch a show. If I let it on all day DS would want to watch all day! I'll play music for the kids to have background noise.
honeydew / 7586 posts
I am really relaxed about screen time. It's not on all day, but it's on in intervals throughout the day. I work from home and sometimes I need TV to be a babysitter. I'm sure I will get flamed for that, but whatever.
We usually have activities in the morning but if we don't we will sometimes stay in bed and watch a cartoon in the mornings before we get up to have breakfast. I always turn on the TV while I shower and get ready for the day and we usually watch a cartoon after nap because he's a grump and needs some time to wake up. We also almost always watch a part of a movie or Sesame Street before bed when he's drinking his milk. He never acts out when it is time to turn off the televison. I just redirect to the next activity.
grapefruit / 4903 posts
Only during nap time or cartoons at designated screen time. I miss it!
pomegranate / 3716 posts
I'm home with LO about 3 days a week, and I'm guilty of leaving the tv on ALL DAY. I would go crazy if I didn't have something to glance at and entertain me periodically. But LO definitely looks at the tv and I see him straining his head to catch a glimpse, so I know that I need to start turning it off SOON. Argh.
honeydew / 7230 posts
I try not to have it on for background noise because they will look at it and I find if I have it on I look at it too. I'm trying to be more present with my kids and not glued to some screen. That said, if I DVRed something and want to watch it during the day, I do. I just try not to have it going all day.
pomelo / 5469 posts
We have it on for only 10-15 minutes per day when LO is actually watching a show. I hate background noise so after LO gets bored I switch it off.
pomelo / 5720 posts
I'm at home three days per week and we only have it on it DS is watching a show at an allotted time. He, like others have mentioned, will watch anything that is on tv. I also find that the transition from watching to turning it off is really tough for DS, so I try to limit how often it happens.
grapefruit / 4213 posts
LO gets to watch Curious George or Daniel Tiger before her nap and she snuggles with her Dad on the couch with the TV on right before bed. A few hours a day I have it on one of the music channels while we have lunch or play time. Otherwise the TV isn't on.
hostess / cantaloupe / 6486 posts
It was up until 11 ish months? She started really watching it and I like Disney cartoons so the temptation to let her watch too much was strong lol. I rarely watch my shows while she's awake because she is constantly talking to me/asking for a book and I miss everything. We watch about 1.5 hours in the am and then if DH isn't home yet she can watch cartoons around 4 but if he is home sports are usually on and she doesn't watch that much. It's on a lot compared to some families but I feel like we have a good balance. If I need background noise we listen to music
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
I work from home a lot. DS gets 1 episode of MMC at 630 some days. And he also watches Curious George on the laptop or ipad a couple times during the week, like right now!
hostess / cantaloupe / 6486 posts
@Ra: TV is my babysitter when I cooking dinner. My kid will just hang off my leg otherwise. no shame.
pomegranate / 3643 posts
No - ish. Not as background noise. We don't have a TV on the main level, just the basement.
But LO will watch shows on the iPad while I am nursing. And if I can get both kids to sleep at the same time I am going to watch call the midwife reruns.
pomegranate / 3411 posts
no, i hate TV as background noise. even when i am home alone, it is usually silent when i am working or cleaning
cantaloupe / 6164 posts
Yep, all day! Background noise, mostly, but there are times that she or I watch it. She watches a couple shows in the morning while I make breakfast and she eats, then it goes onto my channels. Once it's off of cartoons she's not interested in it at all.
bananas / 9357 posts
I didn't sahm when my son was a baby but I had the TV on all the time during mat leave. I started staying at home when he was 14 months and I was in my first trimester with my daughter and we watched a lot of HGTV together. I feel like he didn't really start watching TV until about 18 months and then I started limiting it more. He's over 2 now and I have 2 LOs to care for now, so he gets to watch TV through out the day. Usually in the morning while I get us all ready to go out for an activity. And usually while I'm putting lil sis down for a nap or while she naps so I can get stuff done around the house.
@Ra: love you for keeping it real.
honeydew / 7295 posts
Not unless I put on a DVD for my son. We don't have cable just Netflix or we rent DVDs
pear / 1787 posts
No, I'm pretty against screen time. I play music when my son's awake and listen to podcasts while I clean/do chores when he's napping. My husband and I usually watch an episode of something before bed.
pomegranate / 3872 posts
Yep. We're tv people so when we're home it's generally on. Otherwise I have spotify. We're out most of the day and we can't hear/see it in the dining room. LO watches maybe 2 shows of her own a day and we watch dvred kelly and michael together. LO's definitely not planted in front of it all day and she has actually learned a lot from the few shows she watches so it's not an issue for me.
bananas / 9899 posts
Well, our TV in our living room is connected to a computer, so I sometimes use it to surf Facebook or do graphic design work. I rarely have it on with a TV show during the day.
In our new home there will be no TV on the main floor. (Only one in the basement and possibly our bedroom).
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