TV Time

[mac60]

I start in the morning with me having it on for background noise, and I watch the Weather Channel and the local news. When first kids come at 6:15 or 6:30, I turn on Disney and have them lay quietly. As the group gets bigger and once bk is over, I will turn it either off, or turn it to HGTV, Weather Channel, or news for my own use. It is my link to the outside world, and when I tune it to something other than what they want to watch, they totally ignore it. They normally watch something before nap to wind down, then maybe something at pickups. I just love it when a 3 yr old will say "Will you turn it to my tv", when I turn on the weather channel or something else....of coarse I tell him "NO"!

[QualiTcare]

I see what you are saying and I agree with the WAY too much screen time BUT I don't see harm in running a TV show for the ones who are waiting to get dressed and the ones who are fully dressed. It gets pretty hot for them when they are the first one dressed and waiting the five to six minutes per child for the remaining seven kids. I think TV is wonderful for them during this time because it relaxes them and wonderful for us because we can focus on dressing them as quickly as possible without the distraction of supervising a bunch of kids waiting around.

TV doesn't work for us during non transitional times because we don't have enough time in the day for it BUT I don't have a problem with providers doing a lot of TV time if that's what they need to do when they are on their own with a group of kids. I think a lot of TV time is directly proportional to the fee charged for the service.

For providers who are receiving two dollars an hour per kid it is reasonable that they have a good amount of TV built into the day so they can manage more kids and make a higher daily wage. When the parents are paying a higher fee they very often paying for a lower adult to child ratio or even a second person on site.

My parents pay for a one adult to four kid ratio and pay for a daily 45 minute hike when weather permits. The walk is the most expensive thing (staff time/money) thing we do every day... BY FAR. When you are doing a big activity like that every day that takes an hour and a half total time during peek day care hours it doesn't really leave much time for TV viewing before nap time. We eat lunch right when we get back.

In the afternoon we have departures starting at three thirty so we don't go outside in the afternoon except for really low enrollment days in good easy weather.

I do think our kids have way too much screen time BUT there is a reason for that. Screen time is the easiest time for the adults. When providers have a low adult to child ratio then they naturally build in larger sections of time where the care of each kid is as easy as possible so they can get indirect care things done and have rest periods.

I was in WalMart over Christmas going thru their toy isles and I was had pressed to find toys for kids under the age of five that were not battery operated toys. I'm really amazed at how our kids play has turned almost completely into lights, sounds, screens, touch buttons play. Many of these toys are marketed as educational but they really aren't. They are one and the same as computer games and TV when it all comes down to it.

some really cool toys need batteries though! have you seen that game "elefun"? it's cool - the kids chase butterflies with nets. it just has to have batteries to make the air blow the butterflies - kind of like a bubble machine.

i have to say, my kids have about every toy known to man and they rarely play with the battery operated ones (not because they don't have them). i bought one of those elmo dolls that was ridiculously expensive a few years ago - it got played with twice and never touched again. my son got this huge remote "spike the dinosaur" that's like $150 for christmas and is already over it. i got them those nintendo DS portable things last year and ended up selling them on CL because they never got touched. what my son plays with more than anything are the plain old, plastic dinosaurs that don't do anything (or maybe their wings/tail moves) - imaginext has some really cool ones. my daughter plays with her baby dolls more than anything.

the other night my kids pretended they were on a "date" and their dolls were the kids - using plates/cups from the kitchen to have "dinner". they pretended one of those hair styling dolls that's just a head was the waitress. then they built a "castle" with all the canned food in my cabinet. then they tried to go bowling with the cans, but i didn't let that go on for long bc of dents. did i mention they got a Wii a few days earlier? kids haven't really changed in how they play - we've just changed the toys. they still want dinosaurs and baby dolls. MY thumb is sore from playing mario

btw, i was thinking about our whole barbie/clothing discussion the other day bc my daughter got a barbie for christmas and the boots had slits up the back of them - not for design, but specifically so it would be easy for a kid to put the shoes on. i was jealous ::

[SilverSabre25]

I was in WalMart over Christmas going thru their toy isles and I was had pressed to find toys for kids under the age of five that were not battery operated toys. I'm really amazed at how our kids play has turned almost completely into lights, sounds, screens, touch buttons play. Many of these toys are marketed as educational but they really aren't. They are one and the same as computer games and TV when it all comes down to it.

Yes, that's 'cause you were shopping at Wal-Mart! No offense to those who shop there for whatever reason, but their stuff is cheap and the people who buy toys there, by far and away, are the types who think batteries are a good thing (the same people who respond to those horribly written CL ads, iykwim).

The good toys*are* hard to find but they DO exist. There IS a market among today's parents for "real" toys instead of toys that play FOR the child (gag). Unfortunately, those tend to be the highly educated parents--and I don't mean they have to have a college degree, but have probably either been raised in a household where play was valued -OR- have the college education -OR- bothered to read up on child development and fell into the right information.

Most of my favorite places to buy toys are Melissa and Doug, Plan, www.oompa.com, and Lakeshore. I can only think of one or two toys with batteries in my entire house right now, outside of a few Little People things--the Fisher Price Record Player my DD wanted for Xmas, and a cash register that has a conveyor belt they like to play with.

[Cat Herder]

I Love, Love, Love Elefun!!! It is a big hit, here.

I would like to find more submersible childrens toys, it is becoming impossible... I must be able to keep infants toys clean and disinfected and it is getting really time consuming with all the screws and metal peices on EVERYTHING...battery operated or not. :confused:

Back on topic: TV has its place and is valued here as one of many distraction/redirection techniques when I cannot directly supervise (ie. walking them to door for parent pick-ups, cleaning up vomit, bathing off a up to the armpits explosion. I am all alone, here.). It is a saving grace since the kids turn into drones once the magic box gets flipped on, some even drop their toy in a stupor...:::: Is it good for them, IDK, but in every photo that I see from their parents FB pages it is on in the background and the kids know the theme songs by heart even when I have never heard of the show before.

[Little People]

Yes, that's 'cause you were shopping at Wal-Mart! No offense to those who shop there for whatever reason, but their stuff is cheap and the people who buy toys there, by far and away, are the types who think batteries are a good thing (the same people who respond to those horribly written CL ads, iykwim).

The good toys*are* hard to find but they DO exist. There IS a market among today's parents for "real" toys instead of toys that play FOR the child (gag). Unfortunately, those tend to be the highly educated parents--and I don't mean they have to have a college degree, but have probably either been raised in a household where play was valued -OR- have the college education -OR- bothered to read up on child development and fell into the right information.

Most of my favorite places to buy toys are Melissa and Doug, Plan, www.oompa.com, and Lakeshore. I can only think of one or two toys with batteries in my entire house right now, outside of a few Little People things--the Fisher Price Record Player my DD wanted for Xmas, and a cash register that has a conveyor belt they like to play with.

I love the older toys. Remember the old Fisher Price people, they were so much more fun than the new ones. I believe they took them off the shelf because a child could choke? I raised my children on them! But what is funny I went to Toys R Us and ask the salesman (about 23) if they had playschool Bristle Blocks, he said what?? Then he led me to the playschool stuff. I cam home and looked on EB and found them!!!! They are from 1976 My kids loved them!! I do have them on my watched list!! I have been looking at the Melissa & Doug Magnetic dolls any one have them? And if so do the kids play a lot with them?

[Lilbutterflie]

I'm gonna say it. I really don't see the problem with TV in moderation, as long as it's something educational and age appropriate. We watch Nick Jr (Dora, Diego, Team Umizoomi; NOT Spongebob, Rugrats, etc b/c I don't see any educational value in them) or Playhouse Disney for about a half hour in the morning, and the 4 yr olds who only nap about 45 minutes watch Sesame Street as quiet time until naptime is over. And occasionally, when we have finished our afternoon cleanup and waiting for dc parents, I'll turn it on so that my house stays clean until dc parents get here.The rest of the day is arts/crafts, free play, outside play, snack & lunch.

Every once in a while (maybe once a month), I'll do a movie day where they will watch one or two movies throughout the day.

[QualiTcare]

Yes, that's 'cause you were shopping at Wal-Mart! No offense to those who shop there for whatever reason, but their stuff is cheap and the people who buy toys there, by far and away, are the types who think batteries are a good thing (the same people who respond to those horribly written CL ads, iykwim).

you have GOT to be kidding!

[SilverSabre25]

you have GOT to be kidding!

Not in my area, I'm not. I tried, tried very hard, to shop at Wal-Mart a few years ago when we had very little money. I was appalled at the selection of toys. Absolutely appalled. Even Target has a MUCH more wholesome selection of toys than the Wal-Marts in my area. They're cheap...and most of the people *I know* who shop at Wal-Mart aren't going to spend $60 on a nice set of wooden unit blocks...they're going to spend $10 on the whirlyflashymusicy thing that claims to "teach"...

i'm also talking about the strata of people who nether know, nor care, that other things exist and who buy into the "batteries make it better" and "if it's not electronic then it can't be any good" mindset. And given the selection at Wal-Mart, I figure that most people who do know otherwise (or care otherwise) aren't going to be buying toys there very often.

[nannyde]

some really cool toys need batteries though! have you seen that game "elefun"? it's cool - the kids chase butterflies with nets. it just has to have batteries to make the air blow the butterflies - kind of like a bubble machine.

i have to say, my kids have about every toy known to man and they rarely play with the battery operated ones (not because they don't have them). i bought one of those elmo dolls that was ridiculously expensive a few years ago - it got played with twice and never touched again. my son got this huge remote "spike the dinosaur" that's like $150 for christmas and is already over it. i got them those nintendo DS portable things last year and ended up selling them on CL because they never got touched. what my son plays with more than anything are the plain old, plastic dinosaurs that don't do anything (or maybe their wings/tail moves) - imaginext has some really cool ones. my daughter plays with her baby dolls more than anything.

the other night my kids pretended they were on a "date" and their dolls were the kids - using plates/cups from the kitchen to have "dinner". they pretended one of those hair styling dolls that's just a head was the waitress. then they built a "castle" with all the canned food in my cabinet. then they tried to go bowling with the cans, but i didn't let that go on for long bc of dents. did i mention they got a Wii a few days earlier? kids haven't really changed in how they play - we've just changed the toys. they still want dinosaurs and baby dolls. MY thumb is sore from playing mario

btw, i was thinking about our whole barbie/clothing discussion the other day bc my daughter got a barbie for christmas and the boots had slits up the back of them - not for design, but specifically so it would be easy for a kid to put the shoes on. i was jealous ::

the other night my kids pretended they were on a "date" and their dolls were the kids - using plates/cups from the kitchen to have "dinner". they pretended one of those hair styling dolls that's just a head was the waitress. then they built a "castle" with all the canned food in my cabinet. then they tried to go bowling with the cans, but i didn't let that go on for long bc of dents.

THAT'S my kind of play. That's what my kids do every day all day. cept for the bowling part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dck's are crazy good players. My son is too. You can give him a pencil pencil eraser, a bit of string, a stick, and one little army man and he will keep himself happy for HOURS and I'm not exaggerating. He can play with kids of any age. If they can talk and follow a story line he will play with them for hours.

[SilverSabre25]

the other night my kids pretended they were on a "date" and their dolls were the kids - using plates/cups from the kitchen to have "dinner". they pretended one of those hair styling dolls that's just a head was the waitress. then they built a "castle" with all the canned food in my cabinet. then they tried to go bowling with the cans, but i didn't let that go on for long bc of dents.

THAT'S my kind of play. That's what my kids do every day all day. cept for the bowling part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dck's are crazy good players. My son is too. You can give him a pencil pencil eraser, a bit of string, a stick, and one little army man and he will keep himself happy for HOURS and I'm not exaggerating. He can play with kids of any age. If they can talk and follow a story line he will play with them for hours.

That's how my DD plays, too. She can be quite content for long stretches of time with nothing but her hands--it's highly amusing to listen to her in the backseat of the car or at a restaurant scolding one hand for hitting the other, or whatever other thing is going on in her goofy little imagination. I remember doing the same thing as a small child.

[sahm2three]

I have the news on in the morning during drop offs and breakfast. Then the littles go down for morning nap and the big kids head down stairs to play. No tv on then. I usually put on Baby Einstein or something when I am making lunch. Then the toddlers and babies go to sleep and I put on a movie for the older kids downstairs. Then we either put on a satelite music channel or a movie after nap as parents start picking up. Young kids not much tv, older kids mostly just a movie at nap time.

[Blackcat31]

I love the older toys. Remember the old Fisher Price people, they were so much more fun than the new ones. I believe they took them off the shelf because a child could choke? I raised my children on them! But what is funny I went to Toys R Us and ask the salesman (about 23) if they had playschool Bristle Blocks, he said what?? Then he led me to the playschool stuff. I cam home and looked on EB and found them!!!! They are from 1976 My kids loved them!! I do have them on my watched list!! I have been looking at the Melissa & Doug Magnetic dolls any one have them? And if so do the kids play a lot with them?

I picked up two sets when I went to an early childhood conference for school and my kids LOVE LOVE LOVE them!! They are super easy to use and durable too! They get played with a minimum of twice a day by BOTH girls and boys. I have an 18 month old dcg who cries when it is time to put them away! I also have a dcb who is 5 and missed going to Kindergarten by a few months and even he plays with them. I am on the hunt for more so I can let everyone play at one time! Definitely worth the buy. I think I paid $20 for 4 dolls and a change of clothing for each doll. They do come with little magnetic bows and ribbons for the hair but I put those away because they are 1/2 the size of a penny and I was worried about choking and having them accidentally get vacuumed up all the time.

[jen]

We do snack at 3pm and then head outside. By the time I get them in to their winter-gear it is usuall 3:30 or 3:45. We stay outside until 4 or 4:15. When they come in I put the TV on until pick-ups which start at 4:30.

Truthfully, the toys are put away, we've done all the artwork, preschool, and planned activities. They have all been here for nearly 10 hours and they are DONE, ready to sit.

[QualiTcare]

the other night my kids pretended they were on a "date" and their dolls were the kids - using plates/cups from the kitchen to have "dinner". they pretended one of those hair styling dolls that's just a head was the waitress. then they built a "castle" with all the canned food in my cabinet. then they tried to go bowling with the cans, but i didn't let that go on for long bc of dents.

THAT'S my kind of play. That's what my kids do every day all day. cept for the bowling part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dck's are crazy good players. My son is too. You can give him a pencil pencil eraser, a bit of string, a stick, and one little army man and he will keep himself happy for HOURS and I'm not exaggerating. He can play with kids of any age. If they can talk and follow a story line he will play with them for hours.

yeah, it's funny. my husband isn't as laid back as i am (people comment on how hyper he is and how laid back i am all the time) so it gets pretty wild around here. he'll freak out if they start taking cans out of the cabinet or dishes from the kitchen and i'm like WHO CARES!! he just couldn't BELIEVE i let my daughter use orange juice to play "tea set" with her dolls the other day. his mom was a "no" mom. my daughter asked him one day, "why does grandma look like she gets a suntan when she's inside?" because her face stays so red from panic LOL. she thinks the way i let the kids run around is just craaazy - she can't handle being around us together

i don't know why my kids aren't video gamers or TV zombies. they've always had free rein when it comes to tv, games, and wal mart toys they have tv's in their bedrooms too but you'd never know it. i have my treadmill in the living room and i have to hide the adapter to the outlet bc they'd stay on it all day if i'd let them. that's their idea of FUN.
i was telling my husband when we were talking about getting the Wii that most people complain their kids won't get away from the games, and i wish ours WOULD sit down in front of the TV and play a game now and then. it's the same with food - they can pretty much eat what they want and 9.5/10 times they choose healthy foods/drinks. i really wonder if restricting kids (what they can watch, what they can eat, etc) makes them develop an obsession with whatever it is they "can't have."

[Blackcat31]

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.

I LOVE the TV too!! I'd be soooo lost without my DVR!! I am probably having a harder time with no TV than any of the kids are! LOL!!

Ha ha ha - I also watch the Today Show in the morning, for the same reason, check the weather forecast, try to stay in touch a little bit. When dck's get here, it goes to PBS - sesame street, curious george, super why, word world, etc. Sometimes kids are not even watching it and it's just background noise. I never used to have the tv on, but I have a drop-in who is super sensitive to new things and the tv was a really great way to transition him walking in the door being nervous to playing with the other kids. Many times my own teenagers will remind me it's on and at that point I'll turn it off. Tv will go off before lunch and will not go back on again that day, except for me to watch in the afternoon when the kids are napping, and then it's usually the food network.....

That's what I am missing....I had a smaller TV on top the fridge that I watched morning news and such but when I removed the TV in the living room the kids stood in the kitchen and stared up at the fridge so I removed them both... and I am now sad but I'm still surviving....so far....we'll see

This made me realize just how Canadian my kids are ::. They're used to sitting for 30 minutes in full winter gear inside while waiting for me to get all of the littles ready to go outside -- and we go through the whole getting dressed routine at least twice a day, sometimes three times if we're meeting the bus (and that's not including when the parents drop off & pick up). And they might as well get used to it, cuz they'll be doing it by themselves four times a day when they start school ::

But back to the original question -- I don't use tv at all. Personally I think kids have way too much screen time as it is, so we stay away from it all together during daycare hours. My dc kids have gotten used to it, and really between preschool activities, outdoor time, snack/meal times, etc, etc, there just isn't time for it.

This was my original line of thinking....I thought if the kids didn't get an over-load of TV time at daycare then when they went home and they watched it non-stop..... some of my 2 and 3yr old's parents have told me the kids have TV's in their rooms to watch movies until they fall asleep , so I was thinking that the TV they got at home would be more engaging to them since they didn't get it at daycare and then in a trickle down effect the kids would behave better and not be so crazy all the time. I have a couple kids who I know the parents put TV on and shoo the kids away constantly so it is a vicious cycle of looking for attention and when they arrive at daycare starved for attention and I turn the TV on too then I feel as though I am adding to the craziness.....anyways, I was hoping (probably in vain) that in essence eliminating the TV here would make them behave a bit calmer. We had it on before as back ground noise and a few would watch things here and there but it just seemed to add to all the chaos so I was thinking and then I started hoping...but now I'm just wondering if it will even have an impact since the kids now days seem to be consumed by the electronics in life...like a bug drawn to those blue light bug killers......