Screen time - how much is too much?

i feel like maybe an episode in the morning max if you ‘need’ it. a couple of hours (especially in a row) is too much. implement independent play in small increments throughout the day to give yourself a break instead

The TV honestly stays on all the day for us 🤷‍♀️ I leave it quiet and put on low stimulating shows, they go back and forth from playing and watching TV. They play more than anything. I just can't not have it in the background or my anxiety would be sky high 😅

@caroline I do try and implement independent play, I always have done. Now it just results in me being referee as all they do is bicker and fight over the same toys, books, pens, crayons, dress up outfit etc.

ooh that sucks. i only have one so i didn’t even think about that. sorry, i wish i was more help

Honestly the first thing my kids do when they wake up is turn on the TV. We stay in bed a little for some cuddles, then we start our day. I am beginning home school, so sometimes we watch an educational video on YouTube, or alphablocks. Then they just play. I do about an hour a day in our lessons, their attention spans means short lessons take longer to complete. But during their lesson they get a break to get up and be silly. Other days we don't do anything and just watch TV, and then we play all day with no TV. It's what works for you

@Annika same here 😅

I agree to like space it out instead of over an hr at once.. but also like its understandable and I don't honestly think it's awful at all. We all need to do what works for us and each situation is unique.As long as they have focused in time without screens during the day as well with connection and conversation and play. Then why not. I'm a single mom of 2 and having so much of life and responsibility be up to me is so overwhelming. If one kid doesn't need me it's the other and the baby needing me is like 90%of always. I felt guilty for doing 2 hours a day of TV time and talked to my therapist about it and she told me to let that guilt go.. it's hard to some days but yea. It's perfectly okay. Sometimes it's the only way to get even a moments peace, get the dishes washed, take a shower, make dinner. We are only human and we need to take care of so much. I think its alright💜

@ren my issue is they get up early, so if we’re going out nothing is open for hours after they get up. Yesterday they were up, dressed and downstairs by 7am, we went to the park at 9.30 and stayed there until midday when we came home for lunch and little ones nap. We were then out in the garden from about 2pm until dinner at 5pm.After dinner they were playing with their cars. So in the grand scheme of the day they were outside a lot more than they were watching tv, I just struggle to keep them off screens entirely.