How much TV should kids be allowed to watch each day?

[crosses]

This has nothing to do with saving money, but what is your opinion on the number of hours of TV a child (10 years old) should be able to watch each day?

[Fern]

Only you can answer that.

Are they getting their homework and any house chores done? Are they spending a decent amount of time being physically activve, socializing with friends? Are you getting your quality time in with him?

All these things are more beneficial than sitting in front of the boob tube. In fact, I can't think of anything good about watching TV except that it's an instant babysitter.

[CRFSaver]

I work with a guy who doesnt own a tv. Wanna bet how much his kids will watch?

[mom-from-missouri]

Mine watch 0 during the school week--unless it has something to do with homework. daughter #1 is following the hurricane, so we have watched about 30 min of the weather each night. On weekends, they can buy an hour of TV, if they have enough chips to buy it with. (my kids earn chips-poker chips-one color for each kid, for good behavior, getting homework done, reading books...and then they can trade their chips back to me for special things-like watching tv, having ice cream,,, for bad behavior, they have to return chips back to me-so if they fight or hit, and have an empty chip bank at the end of the week, there is NO tv for that child). They can also trade chips for pennies. With this method, I am encouraging favoritable behavior, they learn they have to pay for bad behavior, and they are learning the value of things-what is more important for them to spend their chips on??)

[Lori63]

My kids get no playstation, computer (except for schoolwork) M-Th. during school. As for TV, after school and homework and soccer and dinner and showers, etc. there is very little time for TV. We all usually watch SpongeBob for 1/2 hr. before bed-quality family time (LOL).

You just have to make sure there is a balance between TV and "life". Everyone's situation is different.

[akaivyleaf]

I don't have children so I can only speak from my childhood. I had unlimited access to TV and I didn't turn out bad. I even watched tv and had the radio on while completing homework, made A's and B's and I have advanced degrees. Not bragging about it, though because as a result of constantly having the TV on, I cannot turn it off now. I don't watch it though, its a noise maker. Its my constant companion. It goes on when I walk in the house and off when I leave the house. I don't turn it off to sleep and if it goes off, I wake and sit straight up in bed. Also TV back then versus TV now is a different animal. Very little of it is fit for a child to watch in my opinion.

[cicy33]

I was the other side, extremely limited on tv as a child and it has made me a tv junkie now. I got average grades, dropped out of high school to get married (not preg) so obviously didn't really help me much! My sister on the other hand is a missionary! go figure. I do get stuff done while watching tv but I do love to watch tv. I really feel that anything to the extreme either way can be detrimental in the long run. I also resented highly my parents who could watch as much tv as THEY wanted but not me. I never felt that was fair. They seemed to watch it all the time when they were home but we were rarely permitted much tv. Usually sunday night when Disney was on we were allowed to watch. (anybody remember that?!) I can remember as a child on saturdays my parents were usually gone cuz my dad was in insurance and had to travel to chicago, one of us was the lookout and the rest watched cartoons. We always rotated so everyone got to watch tv. so believe me kids find ways to watch tv.

[PrincessPerky]

I had limited TV for a time as a kid and the opposite for a time, DH had unlimited all the time. We are both TV addicts, meaning if it is on we are watching it no matter how bad it is. Fortunatly we are adults and can turn it off, but it takes supreame willpower (think alcoholic and a shot) Both limiting and free use can turn out an addict.

Anyway we limit it in ourselves and we limit it in our kids. I like the first response to the question, homework done? chores finished, kid not cranky all the time?

One good thing about the TV, I do find that it is easier to show DD a lion on TV (video) than to go to the zoo all the time, but I would prefer to be able to afford the gas to the zoo .

That and once or twice a month I do need a babysitter, and TV is cheapest one out there. (I am in the house)

[robex]

My 3 kids 11, 9, 5, are allowed an hour of 'screen' time each day--includes t.v., computer, or game boy. We don't have nintendo or anything like it, but if we did that would be thrown in there as well. Our computer is in the family room w/ the t.v., so they all watch or play at the same time. They are absolutely NOT allowed any screen time before school, are usually busy with friends after school, some nights have activities, and have homework to complete before watching, so often on weekdays they don't use the t.v. at all. All 3 kids are huge readers, and will pick up a book before turning on the television!

On the weekends, that's a different story. We tend to be way more lenient--lets dh and I sleep in a bit--often watch a video together on Saturday evening, and we don't count that into the hour.

We all love SpongeBob, too, Lori!

[Bruce Wayne]

I guess it depends also on what they watch. There's so much trash out there that it simply turns their mind too mush. If the weather's nice where you are then I'm sure there are much better things for them to be doing than watching the box

[cicy33]

Exactly I don't let mine watch tv all the time. If it is pretty out and I am cleaning I offer the choice of helping clean and it is not fun time either. or they can go outside and play. Amazingly they prefer to go and play. I just refuse to be busting my butt cleaning my house and they are sitting on the couch and vegging. Especially when they help mess it up. I prefer to clean it myself cuz being kids they are not very helpful. and it generally takes more time. Otherwise if the homework is done and rooms are clean I have no problems with tv. Their tv is monitored to be sure they are not watching crap. and generally they prefer to play outside.

[CRFSaver]

What is going on here? I thought TV and Videos were supposed to be the baby sitters of our kids. If they arent watching TV they have to, GASP!, get exercise or even worse, GASP GASP!, pay attention to our kids. Doesnt seem very American to me...

Ok that is about as sarcastic as I can get online. :P Now adays I watch some tv buy not a ton. It is more of a, noise makers. But the geek in me makes me watch educational shows. LOL I tend to watch...

Hockey - Yes the NHL is back again this year.
Overhaulin and Rides (TLC)
Good Eats (Food TV)
Any of the Megamachines or History things on Discovery and History Channel.
Design on a Dime (HGTV) I love this show.

Some of my bad shows.
Family Guy and Futurama (Cartoon network)
Dave Chappelle Show (Comedy Central)

[cicy33]

I have never felt the tv was a babysitter. I don't see how it could be in my house. The kids keep jumping up in the middle to tell me something, to play with something, to smack each other, whatever, oh and the favorite: He said I am ugly, weird, a girl (if its a boy), it is amazing the things they can argue about. I am considering firing it if it is the babysitter cuz it sucks! okay, that was my attempt at sarcasm. Seriously, though, I can't get them to watch enough at one time to consider it helpful. They might watch 10 minutes but then they are up and running again. Personally I would just like to have a 10th of their energy level!!

[shengmei]

That depends. My future kids will have unlimited TV access as long as they watch the History channel.

I am considering that, when I have children, I will put a password on all the channels I don't want them to watch.

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by shengmei

I am considering that, when I have children, I will put a password on all the channels I don't want them to watch.

That is a good way to teach kids how to hack into passwords. I have found that children of password families are VERY good at hacking, or at least one member of the family is, the rest of the kids just copy what the pro figured out.

[cicy33]

I have learned to be very careful of what channel it is left on when they go to sleep. On the weekends we allow them to watch tv until they fall asleep. If I am still awake then I will turn it off if not then it just stays on all night. One time I turned on a disney show on showtime and left it on and was so tired that I went to bed. Well, I woke early that morning (like 5) for some reason and went to turn off the tv and there was stuff on there that I definitely didnt' approve of! So now if they watch tv that late it is only on the cartoon network. or disney channel. even nickelodeon is not appropriate watching late at night for small children.

[Bluezy]

CJ, who will be a very grown up 20 months next Tuesday, watches his Disney Channel programs before school, then enjoys Barney, Teletubbies and Big Comfy Couch after school.
His total TV time is 2.5 hours a day. However, please note that CJ is not allowed to watch anything else...especially anything at night that is of adult nature, or graphic and violent news programs.

So far he's doing fine and learns from his programs.

[CRFSaver]

As an FYI be careful of Cartoon Network. I watch it for Family Guy, Futurama and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Those are definately not kid friendly shows... They show those and a lot of Adult Anime later at night.

[jmjj215]

My wife and I just have a one-year old little boy. I'm still in school full-time and she's staying at home with him. I also work 3/4 time. We don't have much time for TV - but we also don't own one. When we first married I think some people felt bad for us b/c we didn't have one so one night there was knock on the door and I open it up and there's a nice used TV there, a VCR and some videos. We had the TV for about two months - but we ended up selling it. It's just a big time waster 99.9% of the time.

(Don't talk to me about the discovery or history channel, people always bring them up, but rarely do people watch the history/discovery channels a majority of their time in front of the tube).

I don't think we'll ever get one. Of course in a few years computers will be our TVs. And I do see a definite need for a computer...

[PrincessPerky]

I was talking to DH last night about just how much football one can watch. I mean what 17 weeks of 3 time frames for football (multiple games so of course you can flick channels on comercial breaks) that is like 170 hours of football! Not including Monday night games or Thursday or whatever other nights they play, that is just Sunday.

Don't get me wrong, DH likes football, but in those 170 hours he can play a LOT of games with our two (will be three) not to mention get a little work done on the irritating spiders out back. And watch a game or two, or at the least follow up while writing his stories at night (game cast gives updates he can check when writers block surfaces.)