https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 10 May 2026 07:32:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2411068 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:56:07 +0000 ShootingStar 2411068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The more he gets tv, the more he whines for it. Every so often we'll end up doing some Daniel Tiger episodes for a few nights in a row. I'm pregnant and sometimes nauseous and exhausted and it's easy to just turn it on while DH throws together dinner. And for a while it's fine, but then it turns into every time we're in the living room he whines and begs for "more Daniel". </p> <p>But I haven't noticed more bad behavior in general or more tantrums. Just demands/crying/tantrums around wanting more if he's used to getting it. After a couple days he stops asking and then he's fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410919 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:12:03 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2410919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes definitely- so.much.whining. We cut down and I have a brand new kid- cooperative, creative, engaged. One LO seems more affected than the other so I see that not all are the same, but still. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410916 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:08:13 +0000 Alivoo01 2410916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't really give DS personal screen time unless he's not feeling well or I need some downtime from his hyper mood on the evenings I solo parent or he asks to go upstairs and watch a movie in the movie room. But he normally only watches about 30 minutes before he's ready to go back downstairs and play. I'm okay with his current screen time. I just have to make sure nothing is too violent going on, otherwise, he starts mimicking the behavior and yea.. no bueno! He's 2.5. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410914 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:05:29 +0000 Anagram 2410914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: your first paragraph exactly with my LO. There's something about screen time first thing that just ruins our day. I don't know why. My kid is also not one that can have it on "as background noise". She is a total zombie with the TV or Ipad in her possession. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410912 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:04:48 +0000 Bao 2410912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cmomma17: I think just setting times for when they can have screentime. We allow morning (show, so no more than 20 mins) rest time for LO1 while LO2 naps if not at school. And sometimes after dinner, but not always. So still maybe an hour or so a day but that's a lot less than just a few weeks ago. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410910 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:04:31 +0000 Anagram 2410910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, it affects her behavior big time. There's some odd effect that if she has screen time first thing in the morning, she is obsessed for the rest of the day and will have several tantrums for TV/Ipad after that. And after screen time, she's much less willing to play independently.</p> <p>Whereas if it's not turned on in the morning, she can go hours playing independently or with me building with blocks, coloring, playing in her castle with dolls, etc. And of course, in general I just prefer that she's actively doing something rather than passively consuming.</p> <p>Basically, she has way fewer tantrums without screen time. We can go several days with no screen time and no tantrums, and then we have a day or two with screen time and notice a dramatic uptick in tantrums as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410880 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 08:35:52 +0000 hilsy85 2410880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes sometimes--only in the mornings though. If he has screen time too early, as one of the first things he does, he is much more resistant to doing anything else--getting dressed having breakfast, getting out of the house, etc. If he has more than 1 show in a row, he also gets upset when it is over. </p> <p>@Rockies11: it's almost like it zombifies him--causes inertia, and makes him want to just lie on the couch and do nothing. It makes him seem tired, which makes him crankier. </p> <p>@Munchkin: I view it as any other treat--it's ok for them to get upset when you say no, because it's something they want. the tantrum is their emotional response, and that's ok. If you plan to do screen time on the weekends as a regular thing, it might be helpful to have it scheduled into your day so she knows when to expect it, versus not being sure when/if it's coming and therefore maybe the unpredictability is causing her to get more upset? Just an idea. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410869 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 08:18:20 +0000 looch 2410869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>To answer the question, no, I don't think screentime impacts his behavior, as in, he has trouble falling asleep, runs around more than normal, etc. Where I do notice a problem/situation is around ending a session. My son tries to negotiate so we had to implement timers on the device. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410863 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 08:14:45 +0000 cmomma17 2410863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bao: that would be a huge cut for us too! :) So I totally understand. It is one of my goals for 2016 to cut our family screentime drastically, but I'm having trouble getting started. Any tips? LO #2 is pretty much in control right now. He's a pretty good kid overall, but I'll be interest to see how he changes when we cut out the screentime. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410830 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 07:33:56 +0000 daniellemybelle 2410830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO absolutely behaves better if she doesn't have screen time before her nap. If she gets plenty of creative / active play she is not as grouchy and generally more compliant. Our worst days are lots of TV days.</p> <p>ETA: I am not against screen time! I especially love Daniel Tiger for teaching important lessons. And every kid is different. We just do our best to limit it to the couple hours between her nap and dinner time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410791 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 04:29:44 +0000 Munchkin 2410791@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. I notice the difference in behavior. Currently we let LO watch some in the morning while we are getting ready to get us all out of the house on time. And in the evening when we are cooking dinner. All in all 30 min - 1 hr. On the weekends she watches an hour in the morning. What I would like to lessen are the additional weekend hours. And my question to all of you ideas are some responses you say. We get a lot of tantrums (2.9 yrs old) - I want to teach her sometimes you can watch and sometimes you can't and when you can't you don't get upset. It's a treat. How do I get a 2 year old to know that?! LOL (Sorry to thread jack?). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410780 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 02:26:02 +0000 lemondrop 2410780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No behavior changes, but they could sit on the couch like zombies all day if I let them have the ipad as much as they wanted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410443 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 17:12:09 +0000 californiadreams 2410443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we limit it completely during the week because he is in preschool full time as we both work full time. But he gets a fair share on weekends. depends on what we are doing. so it is actually easy to see the effect it has on his behaviour (and it is not a good one!). and over the recent holidays/long weekends, he got more than usual with the extra days off, and then had 2 mornings in a row where he had a huge tantrum crying for the ipad. We decided we need to limit it again on weekends. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410354 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 15:53:24 +0000 pregnantbee 2410354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 3.5 yo is so much better behaved when TV is off the table. We pretty much went cold turkey, but allowed him to watch the Rose Bowl Parade. Then he kept asking if he could watch more of the parade/whining/etc. I also wish I could just plop him down in front of it and relax myself, but it just doesn't work well for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410349 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 15:50:44 +0000 kodybear 2410349@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>yep! i notice a difference! we're not against screentime either but i know if dd gets too much she'll be whiny/cranky throughout the day. not sure what it is but we do limit screentime because of that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410328 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 15:34:03 +0000 Rockies11 2410328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have never noticed any impact on her behaviour.</p> <p>ETA: I actually don't even understand what this means. What impact do you notice? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410258 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 14:41:41 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 2410258@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For our (almost) 4 yr old, we notice a HUGE change in her behavior dependent on how much screentime she gets. The less screentime she gets, the much better she is. I think some of it has to do with how she starts to reenact the stuff she sees on the shows... but she's more drawn to the annoying/whining/misbehaving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410094 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:31:02 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2410094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't notice too much. Other than when I turn it off if he's had it on for a while (like if I'm feeling nauseous and need a break) he has a meltdown. Usually he just has one show while I shower and one after nap and is fine when the tv is turned off then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410093 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:30:32 +0000 yin 2410093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't noticed much of a behavior change. I give the kids a little bit of screen time when they wake up and again while I'm cooking dinner in the evening. On some days we're so busy that we forget about screen time, and I haven't noticed any major changes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410086 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:28:06 +0000 Boogs 2410086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: Everyone needs a break!</p> <p>Definitely see a behavior shift. Like you, I've been trying to do more music and it's usually ok. But sometimes I just really need a break or to get things done and the TV goes on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410065 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:14:51 +0000 winniebee 2410065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah I have to limit during the week or else T (3.5) demands it and his behavior is definitely worse with it. I try for none in the mornings and then just a show or two in the afternoon when his brother is napping. He gets plenty on the weekends with dad (they almost always watch a movie one weekend day). I never turn on the tv specifically for R (13 months) but he definitely enjoys at least the first 5 mins of it and always wants the iPhone!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410045 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 11:50:46 +0000 catomd00 2410045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is 22 months and been watching a lot more TV than I would like since I'm pregnant (luckily she gets almost zero screen time while I'm at work) but it hasn't impacted her behavior, but she's pretty easy going at this stage. She threw a tiny tantrum last night for about 60 seconds when I said she couldn't watch before bed but that's the worst it's been. I hope to reduce screen time asap now that I'm feeling better but I know it will be inevitable when #2 arrives. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410041 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 11:47:36 +0000 Bao 2410041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: and I think that's ok to give yourself a break like that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410019 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 11:34:21 +0000 mediagirl 2410019@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LuLu Mom: we are battling those tantrums, too. We have started restricting it when she whines or has a meltdown over not getting to watch it. It's killer.</p> <p>I have to admit, there are some times I just want to let her watch TV so I can unwind for a few minutes after work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410016 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 11:31:46 +0000 LuLu Mom 2410016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm like you and we never really regulated it, but it is also one of our new year goals, less screentime/more family time. Sadly, she's still adjusting to not on-demand screentime, so we are battling the "BUT I WANT TO WATCH A SHOW" tantrums. I'm really hoping soon she will realize playing games/dance parties/reading/ect is more fun together than an episode of Jake or Sofia! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/screentime-and-behavior#post-2410005 Tue, 05 Jan 2016 11:26:11 +0000 Bao 2410005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you think screentime affects your LO's behavior? I don't mean in general is screentime good or bad, just curious how your little one acts if they have too much. One of our goals is to limit screentime for the girls. I'll admit I didn't control it at all and it was on a lot during the day. A good portion was just background noise, but I've since put on music instead. Now we allow one show (20 or so minutes) in the morning, then either phone or show at rest for older LO on the days she doesn't have school. And then something in the evening. We will still do family movie night now and then. This may still seem like a lot to some but this is a huge cut for us. </p> <p>I've noticed a dramatic behavior change in my 3 year old especially. I'm not against screentime at all (I'm a SAHM, I need it at times) but I'm glad we made a change! </p>