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Can someone guide on this?
After ~20-30 min on a call, I stop paying attention.
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We try to eat all meals at the table and practice conversation-making. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes we’re hurrying through to get the kids outside because they’re fighting us. We have a newborn, 2, and 4 year old.
The hardest part of this routine is modeling good habits for our children. They deserve it though. They’re our future.
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I think building healthy habits is important. We’re screen free during mealtime, pretty structured about screen time. I follow my rule for my toddler and I don’t use my phone. It’s a time to connect, slow down, enjoy a break and eat good food.
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Btw also from a body awareness standpoint, kids need to develop healthy habits around knowing body cues, paying attention to hunger and fullness. All of that is dulled when zoned out watching tv. This is the most important time to have them off the screens during such a crucial developmental time.
It all depends. Our time is so compressed on school days, so if we do allow it, the rule is that if we have to remind him to eat more than twice, the tv goes off.
I would say it would be up to what works for your family.
To me it just depends. If it’s distracting from eating, it’s a no go. If they’re eating fine and you don’t care about screen time then do what works. It’s a limited treat here.
Our 4 year old is pretty obsessed with tv but we have a no tv rule while eating or it takes him too long No tv all day at daycare but were pretty lenient and let him do mornings and evenings after school. He also will color and play with boxes or chairs or toys while it’s on.
My two year old is not really that into it and would rather run around and play with things
Occasionally for us - sometimes we all want to watch a show and dinner’s the only time we have to squeeze it in. Right now we’ve been doing this with Dancing with the Stars. 3, 5 and 7 year olds
We eat in front of the TV! For 2 working parents, dinnertime with our 3 y.o. falls during the decompression time after daycare where he’s winding down from a full no screen day. So we allow it. He also has started eating much better since we started (maybe bc he’s paying more attention to the show than what’s on his fork) so the side benefit is we’ve finally gotten carrots and broccoli into the routine. I don’t think we will keep it up forever as routines shift and school ends earlier though. But for now it works for us!
We have the TV on for background noise pretty much all day. If LO gets distracted we turn it off, but most of the time no one is paying any attention to it.
I think this is a kid by kid scenario. I have 3. My autistic son is allowed a tablet at the table because it’s more of a security blanket than for entertainment. My oldest is almost 12 and I absolutely do not allow her screen time at the table because she’s careless and is a disaster.. lol! Also she eats more when there’s screen time because a she’s not being mindful at the table. She’ll almost always ask for seconds when watching a movie or watching YouTube.
My toddler is learning to eat at the table. On the days it’s impossible to wrangle her in her chair .. I play ms. Rachel on my phone and have it face down. Just hearing it keeps her seated. (I love that lady)
I think you have to adjust for your kiddos to see what worlds for your household.
Only Friday and or Saturday night movie nights.
Not regularly
It depends on how many of us are at the table eating. My kids are 19, 13, 14 and 2 of the kids are eating sometimes they watch TV. If we are all together the TV is off
Depends. If we are all watching something live as a family like a sports event or debate, we might watch it while eating. Otherwise, no.
No TV at meal time. We sit at the table and discuss our days or anything else that comes up. It's important to keep that time distraction-free.
It depends on the meal, and the day of the week. If it's the weekend and there's.no.plans after breakfast, what's the harm? As long as it's not "Barney" (is his show still on the air?).
We watch the news now that the kids are teens during moat dinners We have great conversations about what's happening in the world 🌎
Man I'll long for that day. At the current rate I don't think so I'll make it till then or I'll have lost all I have to enjoy that moment 😭
I always try and have my kiddo (27
Months) eat with us at the kitchen table. But.. toddlers are gonna toddle lol sometimes it’s not worth the fight, and I’ll go to the living room with him and we’ll watch something together and eat dinner.
We are not anti screen but do not allow TV during meals except on very rare occasions (sick or absolutely exhausted kids).
Gen X here: We grew up that way, so I carried on the tradition with my son. Here's the difference: we watch what we both like. No "I'm the adult. I paid for the TV. I pay for the cable, light bill, etc." power-tripping.