How much "screen time" for a 2 year old?

dangerkitty102

Do you limit how much time your 2 year old spends each day watching tv or playing on the phone/ipad/leappad?

How much? And do you separate the two mediums or do you just consider it all "screen time"?

 

kcisthebombdotcom

All screen time is equal. We limit it to under 2 hours a day.

12bailey18

We always have the TV on but he never sits and watches it. He just watches it as we play around here and there. We're also out of the house a lot so it's not even that much. The only thing I really limit is playing games on my phone. He gets to play a few minutes in the morning before his sister wakes up and a little at night when she goes to bed. I limit that because that's what he 'zones in' on. He could take or leave the TV so that's not a big deal to me. 

TMDMJAOCT07

DD usually watches about 90-2 hours of some sort of tv a day.

It's divided up over the day though, usually 1-2 shows while I get ready in the morning, then 1 show after her nap while she has a snack and then another show while I make dinner, unless dh is around then they'll be off playing. 

Occasionally its more but not often. 

NerdyMama2

DS usually watches 1-2 hours a day. I'll set him in front of it in the morning while I'm getting ready, then again for dinner, and lastly he'll maybe watch 10 minutes at night before bed. (He loves Sprout's night program) 

dangerkitty102

We are probably doing 1 - 1.5 hours of tv a day. We snuggle and watch "elmo" (sesame street) every morning as part of our waking up routine, and at night he asks to watch "baby" (hbo classical baby). And sometimes we put on "baby" in the early evening too like if we need a distraction while we get dinner ready.

But I think the ipad time ahs gotten a little excessive. I love that it's interactive and educational, unlike the tv, but gone unchecked I think DS would play with it for HOURS and never get bored. And yesterday I let him for a good 2 hours while I reorganized my bathroom.

Just want to keep us in check and make sure we're not leaning on it too much and our child is still a part of the three-dimensional world too, lol 

superned

We are still at zero for any kind of screen time.  I have always been very strict about it and she's never asked me to watch TV, so I see no reason to start.

I have a couple of flash card type games on my phone that we use when we're out and we have to wait.  The only time she sees TV is when I'm watching football on Sundays (and there were two times when she saw some of the Olympics last month when I had them on).

I figure if I can get through eight months of pregnancy without turning on the TV, we should be good indefinitely.  : )

TiffanyBerry

It's all the same. I try to limit it to half an hour a day, and prefer to limit it so it's not all in one chunk. But I don't sweat it if I'm sick and she watches an hour of her favorite movie a couple of days one week.  (I will say I don't count the time that she's watching moving on the iPad as a distraction while I brush her teeth. :P)

ridesbuttons

no more than 30 minutes in a sitting.  less than 2 hours total per day.

dragon_chica

I consider any type of technology that provides TV/media entertainment to be "screen time."  DD rarely watches TV on the weekdays (maybe 20 min. if we're at the grandparents) and on the weekends I'll let her watch up to 90 min./day if anything.  I purposely don't have any toddler apps on my phone and I'm holding out as long as possible.  I do have a season of Diego and Disney Jr. on my phone but I rarely let her use it.

Cilley

L Os 1 and 2 get about 45 mins of TV about every other day and no other media.

groovygrl

it's all supposed to be the same & 2 hrs or less is the AAP rec.

My kids watch probably 1 hr or so of TV on average, some days none & some days a little more depending on their mood & weather & what we have going on. Ipad is a special treat mostly b/c DS throws such a fit every time I take it away, regardless of warnings, promises not to cry, etc... but he loves it. I'd say over the course of the week they get to play with it for a total of an hour or so. 

Ardmhs83

Our TV is always on.  I LOVE TV and as long as the show is appropriate I see nothing wrong with it.  My little one is smart and loves playing with other children and outside, but he also enjoys TV as well.  He is like his momma.  TV never made me dumb, by any means.  I am a high school teacher with a college degree, so I turned out fine and I watched A LOT of TV.  We are also a very active household...we go to the gym and eat healthy so we aren't lazy by watching TV either.  I don't really limit and watch the clock on his TV time...if it is on while he is playing...then Sprout might be on all evening long.  To each their own... 

*Want to really flame me...he has a TV in his room and a DVD player.  He has had it since he was a newborn.  We have a huge cut out in the wall that the TV sits on and his changing table is right under it.  He has always been pretty calm on the changing table b/c of that TV.  We never let him watch it to fall alseep to though.  It is only on when I'm upstairs getting ready and he is in his room playing or when we are changing him.  I am strict and follow AAP guidelines on most things, but not this one. 

Adriamichelle83

DD is in DC for 9 hours a day, when she gets home, she has downtime where she eats her snack, watches some Dora, or whatever she wants. The tv stays on the rest of the evening, she's not always in front of it, but I definitely don't consiously turn it off so she only gets a scheduled amount per day. I figure her brain is active the majority of the day, some downtime won't kill her.

tinktink20

Our TV is on most of the morning.  However, my daughter doesn't even watch it that much.  Maybe a few minutes here and there after she's fully awake.  She'll also watch a show before bed.  

ktrn

Our TV is always on.  DS watches 2-3 a day not in one sitting.  he is extremely active and it is teh only way he settles down, for us it is a saving grace.  I can shower, make dinner, get ready for work etc. while he watches TV. Like someone else said he is in DC about 9 hours a day so I think it balances out.  Although starting next month he will only be in DC for 2 days a week and at home with DH or my mom so I do worry about him watching too much TV at that time becasue he will have more time at home.  I dont know how other moms do it. I find it really difficult to entertain DS all day with constant play and games without some TV time.