Comments on: How TV Affects Your Toddler or Preschooler’s Sleep

By: Emily DeJeu

Emily DeJeu — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:00:39 +0000

In reply to Kendra. @ Kendra -- I work from home too, and I've fallen into just what you describe; I've been using TV as a stop-gap when my workload has gotten particularly heavy. I'm hoping to correct that this summer; it's high time my younger two kids spent less time in front of the TV and more time outside! :)

By: Kendra

Kendra — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:02:25 +0000

I agree, Emily. I struggled with guilt for several months. We were getting ready to move and I was trying to work extra hours (from home) and so I told myself it was only temporary, but I felt awful about it. Looking back, now that it’s a routine that has stuck around and I feel I’ve successfully got a handle on setting limits with it (I was afraid I’d slip down the slope!) I realize that the error is when it is used in excess or *shudder* in kids rooms, or when parents use it to “put the child to sleep.”

By: Emily DeJeu

Emily DeJeu — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:02:50 +0000

@ Kendra — so glad you found the post helpful! I didn’t do any TV with my oldest son until he was about over 12 months old (similar to you), and when I finally did let him watch a little bit of Sesame Street, I remember feeling guilty!

Different story, now that I have 3 kids; I still work to limit TV, but I’ll say that my younger 2 kids were exposed to TV at a much earlier age. But since we watch PBS kids pretty exclusively, I feel (mostly) okay about that. 😉

Thanks for passing this post along to friends you think might benefit from it! This is a pertinent topic, I think, especially considering how many moms and dads actually put TVs in their little ones’ rooms.

Thanks, too, for commenting, Kendra! 🙂

By: Kendra

Kendra — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:26:35 +0000

I felt the same as Nicole – I was going to avoid all TV if at all possible! Now that my son is almost 2, he has a little TV time on our “at home” days, which usually adds up to only about 3 hours a week (I log it just like I log sleep). I’m also careful about what type of shows he watches – avoiding things with fast scene changes or too much stimulation. Usually Barney or Mr. Rogers. And like another poster said, he usually only watches for a few minutes, then goes and plays, then returns, etc. It’s just a time when I can work and it adds some variety in his day. But, mind you, I was completely against it for the first year of his life. And he has certainly learned a lot from the shows (not that I’m justifying not teaching him those things myself, but that I can see he has benefitted).

I did learn from this post, though! I currently let him watch at 10am and then we have a snack and he usually takes his nap at about 11 or 11:30. So I’ll work on either moving the TV time earlier or push it til after his nap. Great info! Sharing with my friends!

By: Emily DeJeu

Emily DeJeu — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:24:30 +0000

@ kleo — what an inspiring story! So glad to hear that turning off the TV has produced such good things for your daughter. I’ve had similar experiences; I’ve found that when my kids watch too much TV, they’re just awful (cranky, fidgety, lazy, etc.) But when I turn it off and force them to find something else to do, they’re like different kids!

Thanks for sharing these details, kleo, and for inspiring the rest of us to turn off the TV a little more often! 😉

@ Fiona — wow! No TV — you go, mama! Good for you! We’ve done “TV fasts” in my house, where we won’t watch TV for a few days, or for a week. And, like you, I love the results it produces in my kids. 🙂

Thanks for telling us about your experience, Fiona!

By: Emily DeJeu

Emily DeJeu — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:20:20 +0000

@ Lindsay — thanks for sharing these details! Sounds like you’ve got a nice balance going here, which is a good thing! 🙂 And yes — I too enjoy my kids when they’re rested. They’re sooo much happier and nicer to be around!

Thanks for commenting, Lindsay!

@ Alayna — agreed, about how much easier it is to be able to reason with your little one! Now that my two boys are older (6 and 4), my husband and I have been able to use TV to our advantage. Watching a movie is a special treat, and “no TV” has become THE most dreaded consequence at our house!

Thanks for commenting, Alayna 🙂

By: Fiona

Fiona — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:26 +0000

Since we moved house and country a couple of years ago we have pretty much dropped tv from kids routines. Accidentally at first as in our rented house there was no tv. Now in our permanent home my kids (6&4) only see tv once a week on a sat or sun night for an hour (or two max if they are watching movie).
Because of this I think they are much better with their imagination and love music and books even more. So we love no tv and find we don’t need it. I now hate them going to their cousins whose mums rely on tv a lot! I never thought it possible – but kids don’t need tv. Glad to read your study – for a change I’m doing something right as a mum!! Yippee

By: kleo

kleo — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:05:56 +0000

This blog has come at a good time for us. Just last week we decided to cut down on TV for my 14 month old. She never really just sat in front of it and watched it for long periods of time – 5 minutes maybe, but then she would get up and play with her toys, but it’s always on in the background.

Since I have turned the TV off and put music on instead, she has become so much more focused. She will actually concentrate on one toy for longer than she used to and is happy to sit on my lap and have me read to her (Previously she would just want to crawl away or throw the book away or flip through the pages too quickly).

Since then she has also said her first word – Mumum (much to my joy and delight – I nearly cried) and is now working on saying Dadad. She’s close, but not quite there.

So we actually have a different baby. We haven’t had sleep issues since she was much younger (and some help from a personalised sleep plan from Nicole changed our worlds! – Thanks Nicole!) so TV hasn’t been a problem at bed time or nap times, but this article has given me an extra reason to be strong with my no TV (even if it means me being a little bored during the day).

By: Alayna

Alayna — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:25:35 +0000

I have been so sick with my second pregnancy that I am sorry to say that my toddler is watching way too much tv. The way we limit it before nap/bedtime is telling him he can watch something (his favorite is bubble guppies) after his nap. He hurries to his bed when we say that. It’s so nice when they get old enough to reason with!

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:52:16 +0000

My toddler typically watches 7-12 hours of TV a week. She sometimes will go a couple days without watching it, but some days I need her to watch a movie while I take care of something she can’t be involved in. When I need to take inventory or clean the studio, those couple hours of distraction can make all the difference. It’s definitely not a daily habit. Some nights dad let’s her play on the iPad before bed and she chooses to watch PBS kids most of the time. I’m not fully comfortable with that, but we’re not parenting together, so I have no control over what he does with her. When she’s with me we read books and cuddle and sing for about an hour before bedtime. I like her behavior much better when she’s had enough sleep.