TV Time

[Blackcat31]

Honestly......how much time do your kids spend watching television and when do they watch it? Is it on all day as background noise or only during specific times? What do they watch? Movies? Nick Jr.? PBS?

I'm asking because I got a weird idea over the New Year's break and decided to do away with my TV at daycare. (For those who aren't aware, I have a separate child care home I do NOT live in) I put the TV in the garage and have decided to do NO TV this whole month (I'd like it to be a year, but we'll see...) I want the kids to learn to be more creative, imaginative and cooperative. I've only had music playing and for nap we do books on CD so we will see how it goes.....

[SilverSabre25]

Well...my own personal child, or my daycare kids? Daycare kids it's probably less than an hour a week, and mostly in the winter because we don't go outside (too cold, they're too young, and I detest the cold). They watch things that have been DVR'd, or preferably a Signing Time DVD.

My own personal child watches a lot more mostly streaming Thomas the Tank Engine from Netflix...gah.

[e.j.]

I don't generally turn the tv on during day care hours. Once in a very great while, though, I might put a movie on at nap time if all of the younger kids are sleeping and an older one is still awake and getting restless.

[DanceMom]

I put it on when I am making breakfast - kids come at all different times so as I am continually making breakfast as one is done and one arrives - the one that is done needs to go wait quietly and watch PBS until everyone is done and we are ready to start our day ( Usually 20-30 minutes ) I also at times have to put it on while I am making lunch - depends on the day and how rowdy they are. Usually that is 10-20 minutes - sometimes they are playing nicely and I dont have to use the TV.

They watch videos called Kid Songs - All their favorite songs with different kids singing - or they watch a Signing Times DVD.

[Live and Learn]

I go back and forth....
last couple of years ....no tv.
This winter....Sesame Street every day!
I love Sesame Street.

[AmandasFCC]

My daycare kids only watch Sesame Street from about 11:30ish-12ish, while I'm cooking lunch. I've tried a million other ways to get them to settle or play nicely while I cook and this has been the one and only thing that works for me. Other than that 1/2hr or so, they don't watch ANY TV here.

[Cat Herder]

I let them watch a little disney during pick-up and drop-off times since over half are infants (the rest 2 and under) that take SOOOO much time to dress/package for winter pick-ups.....

My daily plan really changes with each group I have.... I tend to get a new group every 4 years or so...once this group gets a little older they will be coloring at the table during those times (wet floor from mopping).

[mickey2]

Tv

No TV here except for maybe 1 hour in the afternoon for the children who do not nap long. That is it! The rest of the day I have nice calm children's music playing in the background while we have free play or do crafts, play with play-doh, color, cut, glue etc. There are so many fun wonderful things to do in a day that we don't waste it with TV.

[ninosqueridos]

No TV for dck's. It really forces me to plan engaging activities for them which I enjoy doing. On really RARE days when I end up with only one dck, then they will also catch Sesame Street and Mickey with my kids.

My own kids watch Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse most days in a separate room not accessible to the dck's.

[melskids]

no TV here either

[cillybean83]

my daycare kids watch Dora at 8am, that's all they're interested in (12 months and 15 months)

[AfterSchoolMom]

Mine are all SA's. They watch for about 20-30 minutes in the afternoon, but it's not allowed until everyone had completed all of their homework. I also try to discourage TV if it's a nice afternoon. Right now they're watching more TV because it's too cold out and it gets dark very early.

[countrymom]

well, the tv is in the daycare room, but its a room that my own children use too (right now they are playing the wii) so its not like I can get rid of it (otherwise I would have to share my tv with my own children) but during daycare time its on all day, every once in a while I'll see the kids watch a show but maybe for about 15 min. in total its roughly maybe 2 hours for a whole week. but I use it more for background noise more than anything else. I tried music and the kids were even louder when it was on.

[Luna]

My dck's watch TV while I'm making lunch, usually Arthur or Caillou if I'm running late. If parents are late picking up, they'll probably find their kids watching TV. I watch TV during naptime, and sometimes the dkg who naps in the living room will wake up early and watch with me.
If it's too rotten to go outside, we will watch a dvd from the Wee Sing series. They aren't sit-n-watch shows, they are get up & dance & jump & sing & march shows.
I'm gonna say it. I like TV.

[kidkair]

My tv is located outside the daycare. I have not ever used the tv and plan to not ever use it. I don't even let them see the computer. I play classical music in the background most of the day and listen to a Japanese language learning thing when the kids are falling asleep. Used to listen to Jazz as the fell asleep but I want to learn Japanese so I started playing the audio as they are falling asleep and they still go out like lights. I read for 15 to 30 minutes before laying them down. I strongly believe in tv free children so if I ever have a kid the tv would sit unused anytime the kid was awake until at least age 3.