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I'm done with the constant requests (mostly from my 4 year old) to watch tv. We currently watch a show before nap and I want to do away with that. For those of you that have screen free daycares...do you have any tips on how to transition to that? What does your nap routine look like? What can I do to replace the tv time (used as a wind down time)?
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Just do it
I personally (and I understand a lot of people feel differently) think cold turkey works best.
"Starting tomorrow friends we will start a new routine and will no longer be watching TV" Then just do it.
For a nap routine, I have special "after nap" books that the children get to read while I clean up the kitchen. Then I do bathroom breaks and diapers while they continue reading. Afterward, everyone sits on their nap mat and I read two books to them, tuck them in and say goodnight. -
We almost never watch any show here. The few times I've turned on a show (20 minutes max), it's been annoying because the kids ask for "one more!" and a few of them have thrown a fit when it was over. They realized quickly that doing that didn't mean I was going to play more. So we rarely watch anything because I find it easier that way.
Once you develop what schedule will work for you, just stick with it. "We don't watch TV here" would be a good answer to the four-year-old who won't stop asking. After responding a few times, I'd ignore the question and direct the child to go play.
Our nap time routine is this--
1. Eat lunch. Once a child is finished, he or she can be excused to go play.
2. Kids have free play while I clean up all of the dishes. The slow eaters are finished by the time I'm done cleaning.
3. Once everyone is finished eating, and I'm done cleaning, I call the kids one by one to go potty and wash their hands. I change the baby's diaper and put her in the crib while the kids are going potty.
4. After they are done going potty, the kids know to go right into their beds. Off they go!
It's so easy and smooth. I've been a stickler about nap time because it is SO important. The kids are wonderful and do a great job.Comment
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We are TV and battery free here. I have no toys with batteries, lights or sound and NO TV. Ever.
During times of transition or winding down, I use books (audio books at rest time) and songs/chants or rhymes to pass the time or keep them occupied.
I also have a bin that is a "toy box" and is filled with lots of random stuff... Old McDonald's toys etc... the kids are free to play with that any time. Its easy to take out, pick up and doesnt require much of anything.Comment
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I am completely screen free.
We finish lunch. I read one story at the table. Put littles to bed (diapers + pnps). Older kids potty and go downstairs. We read one more story then have audio books while they fall asleep/rest.Comment
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THIS happyfaceJust do it I personally (and I understand a lot of people feel differently) think cold turkey works best.
"Starting tomorrow friends we will start a new routine and will no longer be watching TV" Then just do it.
For a nap routine, I have special "after nap" books that the children get to read while I clean up the kitchen. Then I do bathroom breaks and diapers while they continue reading. Afterward, everyone sits on their nap mat and I read two books to them, tuck them in and say goodnight.
I don't have a TV in the house so it's not an option; parents walk in and look around because they can't believe I was serious in my media policy
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I don't have a tv in my daycare space. The only time I use an IPad is for 3 min segment on a subject we are talking about that week. This is not every month only when I don't have enough books or pictures about the subject. Examples different kinds of transportation, countries etc.Comment
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Our TV actually broke last week and were in no hurry to replace it. We aren't tech free but we are low tech. TV on special occasions, very few battery toys etc.
No one really misses it or has even noticed that it's broke.
I agree with PP, just do it. Turn it off, and don't turn it on. Explain to the older one that were not going to watch tv anymore and when they ask why, "because I said, now go play."Comment
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I agree with PP. Go cold turkey. Tell them there will be no more tv. I've never had to go to screen free because I've always just mostly have been. There is no tv in my daycare space. On rare occasions I will let them watch 20 min of something on the laptop.
After lunch, they go potty and sit and look at books quietly on their own while I clean up the dining room and change the diapers of the littles. Then they get 1 or 2 books read to them and then nap. They know that time between lunch and nap is quiet book time and automatically go grab a book after washing up. Just stick to it and she'll learn.lovethis daymommy to 7 kiddos - 5 girls and 2 boysComment
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I agree cold turkey. When my SA siblings were here, on a snow day I tried to let them watch something and all they did is argue over what to watch. Never again!!!!
I do have a couple of battery toys, ride on toys I bought used. My son's GF came in with my grandson a few months ago and said "we were thinking of buying that toy for Christmas, what sounds does it make?" I said "I dunno the batteries came dead and I am not replacing them, it does what it needs to do, it is a ride on toy".Comment
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Books, books, & more books!!! Our routine is lunch, quiet play (lacing beads, magnets, pattern blocks, coloring, etc), & then I read one story to the group. Then we lay down. Easy peasy
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Whenever my kids ask for tv I direct them to the books.Comment
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After lunch, the kids "read" books while I clean up. Then we do diapers/potty and that lay down. I turn a sound machine on and they fall asleep.Comment
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When the kids are done eating lunch, they stay at the table and have conversations while I clean up. When I'm almost done cleaning I'll turn on the nap music which is their signal to quiet down. Then it's wash up and potty time before nap. I'll read one story followed by the book goodnight moon which I read every day while everyone is laying on their mats. When I'm done reading the book I say good night to each child. It might help that the children are tired and ready to rest because right before lunch is outside time which is an hour. Their bodies expended the extra energy and is full of food.Comment
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I used to have a similar schedule - 20 minutes of television while I cleaned up the kitchen.
I changed our schedule so that the kids use the bathroom and get their mats out *before* lunch, and as soon as they are done eating they go straight to their mats for nap. I finish cleaning up and check on them and that's it - I wasn't about to fill that time with anything else (audio books, story time, etc) as all day is book time. I wanted nap time to be no muss and no fuss. So much more relaxing that way!Comment
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