TV for toddler?

Question

how much teledo you think a toddler almost three should watch on a daily basis? I try to limit it to 1 hour a day but my boyfriend lets him watch as much as he wants so is always asking for the tele on, have resorted to telling him its broken when boyf is not home.....is too much tele harmful?

Answer 1

No more than 1 to 2 hrs of educational, non violent TV .

Too much TV is harmful, it stops a child from being active, they are exposed to commercials that they don't understand as well as content that they don't understand.

"If your child watches 3 to 4 hours of noneducational TV per day, he will have seen about 8,000 murders on TV by the time he finishes grade school. Children who see violence on television may not understand that real violence hurts and kills people. Even if the "good guys" use violence, children may learn that it is okay to use force to handle aggression and settle disagreements. It is best not to let your child watch violent programs and cartoons." -AAP

Answer 2

You know you will get everything from no tv for toddlers to let them watch whenever. I think that tv doesnt hurt toddlers much because they really dont just sit there they play with toys and walk around etc. The biggest thing about tv is not whether they are watching but what they are watching. If you have it on a channel with good programming it wont hurt to leave it on but if you get limited good programs then turning it off would be good. Make sure they get outdoors a lot and run and play then the tv wont be such a big problem.

Answer 3

My daughter is 17 months previous and he or she would not watch television known, yet while she does watch it that is not any greater beneficial than an hour an afternoon. She loves Curious George that is on interior the morning and is a nil.5 hour long so I enable her watch that a pair circumstances a week. Then each now and then if she's crabby interior the night and that i'm attempting to get dinner waiting i will enable her watch Dora or something like that. i don't think of that's the top of the international if a toddler watches television as quickly as in awhile, yet I hate while mothers and fathers plop their toddlers in front of the television all day long!

Answer 4

I don't think too much is harmful. As long as it's educational. My son learned how to count to 13 and learned his colors from Sesame Street, count to 6 in Spanish from Dora and a lot of other things before he was even 3 years old. When he's tired of the tv, he gets up and plays. Just having your child watch tv all day isn't good either. You need to take him outside to play, and also play with him inside. Remember that kids that young will learn things quickly, so be careful what your child is watching on tv.

Answer 5

It's all about balance. If the tv is an electronic babysitter then limit it, but if you sit and watch together and then go and discuss what you've watched and link it in do your day it's great. Some of the programmes are awful, but pick and chose and they add real value to your child's life.

My daughter is now 4 and we still do 'bears' you smell great today, and sing songs we learnt watching the tv when we drive in the car.

It's shared knowledge and it was wonderful to see her making connections between what she saw and the world around her. The only thing we don't do is watch TV before school.

Answer 6

Its ok for him to watch more than an hour, but it sounds like he's watching too much when you're not home. Toddlers who watch too much TV can end up overweight, and it can lead to bad habits as they grow up. At that age they're forming habits that will last the rest of their life... talk to your bf and get him to do other activities with your son. Take him to the park, have him help with chores around the house, play hide and seek, let him play with blocks or color. Some TV is fine, but too much has been proven to lead to problems.

Answer 7

TV is not in itself bad for children (as long as it is age appropriate) it's just that if they watch too much, they lose the ability to entertain themselves and need constant stimulation of a colourful and fast kind - I think you have the right idea with an hour a day, maybe you could encourage your boyfriend to start reading books to him, or playing with lego, cars or something requiring some imagination? There's no doubt that there are times when it's very useful to just park them in front of the telly, but there's so much more about life he could be learning.

Answer 8

I think too much television can be harmful to kids and their development. As others have mentioned, they loose the ability to be creative and amuse themselves. Another thing is that they will mimic what they see on tv and from the number of Americanised (yes with an "S") programmes that are on these days, they will develop American spelling / speech habits.

A much more productive habit for them to learn from is being read to, that way, they are forced to use their imagination to see what is happening in the story. Also, playing out and interacting with other children has to be much better for their social skills in later life.

I hate going to houses where the tv is constantly on as I find it very anti-social. Turn it off and get out!

Answer 9

I let my 2 year old watch Barney, Bob the Builder, Big Bear in the House, Little Einsteins - shows like that. Barney (believe it or not) has taught her so much; from counting to different animals, about love and sharing. As long as she's not spending all her time in front of the television and as long as the show is appropriate for her age, then i think it is fine.

Answer 10

I think it's ok for them to watch more tv - depending on what they are watching. If they are watching educational shows and learning I don't see a problem AT ALL! My kids (ages 3 & 4) love Dora the Explorer, Diego, Backyardigans, Lazy Town, Blues Clues.