Wanted to use the new board! 
We do a lot of activities and play dates. DD doesn't watch TV during the week and we let her watch 1 or 2 shows on the weekends.
Do you have any tips/tricks for avoiding screen time?
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@Andrea: Wow, that's impressive screentime discipline!!
I've noticed that sensory experiences tend to trump screentime... the more senses, the better! We made a volcano last week and "exploded" it 10 times or so this weekend, and that drew Olive away from Bee's phone (which she had found and started playing Toca Boca on).
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Activities, activities, activities, out of the house if possible.
I just singed my son up for a soccer clinic and I need to be on my husband to put his devices away when we are home.
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if we're going on TV overload when I am babysitting we do arts and crafts. they looooove water color paints!
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Perfect timing for this! I am home all day with Lo and it's easy to keep the tv off then, but when Dh is home he constantly has the tv on and she will crane her neck to stare at it. I am not going to be militant about absolutely zero screen time but right now it's definitely more than I am comfortable with.
I think I need to send him some articles explaining why its bad.
Eta C is almost 4 months, so she can't seek out our phones yet!
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We hide all devices so the kids don't see them. Consequently, they get misplaced a lot, since I tend to do a lot of stuffing behind a couch pillow, put up on a high ledge, etc. During the weekday, we don't turn the TV on until the kids go to sleep. They do much better when they forget that it's even there. When they're sick though, all bets are off
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We just leave the house! The TV stays off on weekdays and even though he asks EVERY day "is it the weekend?" he knows that if he went to school that day, he can't watch TV. On the weekends if we want to get away from the TV we just leave the house. If LMW is having a rough napping day, Wagon Sr. takes him solo, even if it's just to the deck or the front stoop to collect sticks and rocks, or walking the dogs around the block.
The kids are both really into books lately, too, so every now and then he will accept storytime as an alternative if we want to turn the TV off.
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I try to turn on the TV only when I'm desperate. Ie I need to make dinner or lunch for us. Otherwise I try to redirect. I would either take us both upstairs to her play area or redirect to her play area downstairs. Usually with a book or cooking in her kitchen.
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We are in a horrible habit of having the tv on all the time, even just for background noise! We need to start listening to the radio more, rather than having the tv on. DS (11 months) loves the intro to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse but has no interest in actually watching the show, so that's pretty much all the screen time he gets. He doesn't play on my phone (yet).
I'll be subscribing to this!
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@petunia354: Yes, that's my issue-- it just stays on (if DH is home), even when we aren't really watching anything. I don't think a little bit here and there will be a huge problem, but it's the mindless, potentially hours, that I mind.
Yesterday I made him narrate and explain the football game to her (at less than 4 months old) if he wanted to have it on. At least she was getting the verbal stimulation of a parent talking to her while being bombarded with the screen images. BIL thought we were both nuts as DH explained the rules of football to our infant.
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@Foodnerd81: Lol! That's actually a good compromise! She needs to see the mouth movements so as silly as it may have seemed, that was really smart of you.
I love love love love TV and am mourning the fact that I'm going to have to cut way back. Gone are the days of binge watching like 8 episodes of a new show in a day,
At least this way I'll have plenty of free time to lose this extra baby weight!
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@petunia354: Hmm... she was looking at the TV, not his face, now that I think about it. Still better than only watching the TV I guess.
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@Andrea: btw I'm super impressed your TV stays off with 2 during the week. Some nights I can't make dinner without LO hanging on to my legs!
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@locavore_mama: oh the baby hangs onto my leg almost every night! TV wouldn't help though. She is too young still!
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@Foodnerd81: @petunia354: I am HUGELY addicted to TV but am happy to report that even though I had to cut way back when the babies grew up a little, I don't mind!! It's really not that bad, and hey, once they go to bed it's all about you
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I swore I wouldn't let my kiddo watch tv until they were in preschool but that went out the window once I got pregnant and became a SAHM. I'm hoping to get inspired by all you strict screentime moms.
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Call the dog in for entertainment! Honestly, I never even think to turn it on because we decided when he was younger not to. If it's on and he walks in, he zombies out and it is so unsettling! We do attempt to use videos on our phone when we clip his nails now that he is walking and stronger/harder to restrain. I don't think it's that big of a deal, I guess, and maybe it's easier for me because he's always been pretty independent. I just think if I get in the habit now of using it as a distraction, it'll be a slippery slope and I do think it inhibits creativity in older kids (among other negative things that are more research based, and less anecdotal/my own thoughts).
I will say I've also seen self-serving benefits in limited-TV; I have 3 kids in my life about the same age and the ones who don't watch much also don't ask for the newest toy, to go to McDonalds etc. because they don't see any commercials.
ETA: it makes it easier as well because our entire house is baby proofed - so if I need to walk somewhere else (we're in a ranch) I can do so, and he can follow me or not.
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We don't really try to avoid screen time. With the way technology is in our lives now, I don't think its something to avoid.
With that said, we do try to limit it and offer lots of other suggestions for things she can do. She knows where her paints her for crafts, she can put on her own shoes to go outside, she has a stool in the kitchen to help cook, etc. She chooses to do a lot of these activities instead of screen time very often. However, she also chooses to play a game on my phone occasionally and we let her.
Again, she's at daycare 10 hours a day with no screen time (tv or interactive screen time) so if she does want something here and there or even more often on the weekend its not that bad.
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We have the TV in the basement.
At least this way I'll have plenty of free time to lose this extra baby weight!
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