I am sure there are so many things that you think you won’t do before you have your own kids and you change your view when you have one. 🙂
One of those topics for us is screen time for Chhori. I am sure everyone with kids or without one has seen that kids these days are hooked on the TV, tables or phones. Everywhere they go, no matter what age they are, they want their own device to watch something or to play something.
With Chhori, initially we didn’t start any TV at all but then we realised that she is missing out on learning Rhymes so we started with limited TV time. It was working great for us as she had only a few hours a day and the day we are out and about, none at all.
But it is changing slowly as she stays home with my parents a lot and there are times she refuses to eat so we need to put some Rhymes on for her. Sometimes, she even has the TV going on for hours. The good thing is she doesn’t sit in one place and just watch TV passively; she will be constantly on the move playing with her toys but the TV will be still on in the background.
I have told my parents to cut down on TV time as well but I do understand their problem. It is so hard to look after a very mobile child and if nothing works, TV does. Sometimes AS and I have no choice either but to put some Rhymes on when she refuses to open her mouth for food. We don’t do that for every meal but Chhori knows how to play us already. (God, she is only 1 year old. I can’t imagine our future.)
Chhori dancing to the tunes of her favourite rhyme 🙂
I have to admit, some good things have come from her watching TV, like she has now started to dance or do some actions when her favourite rhymes come on and she has started to hum to a few songs. We are making sure that she only watches Rhymes on the TV, not tablets or phone.
Chhori doing action “No more monkey jumping on the bed”
I think she is still a bit small to apply rules to right now but in a few months’ time, we are going to introduce screen time limit so we are sure she doesn’t spend too much time in front of the TV.
Are you concerned about how much time your child spends watching TV or movies, playing on little screens? What do you think is the solution?
Take care everyone,
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
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nepaliaustralian 
Actually she is at that age when she is not allowed any screen time at all M. There are limits by age you can checkout, this is not just tv, any screen. She wont miss out on any learning because she is not watching TV. Don’t worry, she will catch up. We still do tv time at dinner because that’s the hardest part for me and im tired end of the day. Other than that no tv time. Habits you start now, even if small, will stick. Look at our dinner TV habit. I swore we will stop doing that when kids turned three. They will be four soon and we just got used to the comfort of this.
I wish I can do no TV at all for her but especially in the after when my mum is alone with her, there are times when she puts TV on so she can have a quick break to do something. I am making sure there is no TV on during meal times so she doesn’t get the used to it. But I have to be honest, it is hard to do no TV as we have already introduced it to her but we are making sure it stays minimum. Thank you so much for your advice.
I think screen time should be far from the baby’s eyes. My television screen doesn’t make my eyes “tear” but my cell phone and grandsons tablet are so bright. There are simple musical and pretty pictures aimed for toddlers, too. My daughter liked Baby Einstein while DIL likes the cute shows on Nick, Jr. Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer. ❤ hugs for you and Chhori.
Hi M, I would say 1 hr is enough screen time for under 2 years, I let my 11 mths old watch iPad for 1 hr for which I divide the time, like 10 minutes while feeding and 10 minutes while pumping breastmilk. Sometimes it’s goes beyond 1 hr depend on how fast she eats.I would spread her toys and I would sing and dance the rhymes for her and read her books especially the one with touch and feel and I also hang big mirror ( plastic and cheap one) she loves to play infront of the mirror, she talks with herself and imitate whatever I teach her.
Hope this will give you some ideas about screen time for kids.
Take care
Merina
Hi M, I have been following your blog after my daughter was born.both our daughters are only a month difference .Mine is younger than yours. You are lucky that ur parents are there to take care of your daughter.But, as for me it’s just me and my husband taking turns to take care of our baby while we go to work.As for the screen time I would say 1 hr is enough.Though I always try to divide that time.I only let her watch iPad during feeding time .so, if I am feeding her cereal then it’s 10 minutes screen time and another 10 mins while I am pumping breast milk. That’s how I try to divide.sometimes it’s go beyond that but not more than 1-2 hrs depends how fast she eats. I just spread all her toys especially with sounds one and her books( the one which the baby can touch and feel) and I also hang a big mirror( plastic kind of cheap mirror) where she goes and talk to herself and imitate whatever I teach her.
I hope this will give you a little idea about screen time.
Take care.
M.B.
First of all big congratulation on being a mum . It is beginning of such an wonderful journey. And big thank you for reading my blog. Your daughter will be turning one soon now so must be excited about it.
I feel blessed that my parents decided to return and look after Chhori for us. I didn’t asked them as I didn’t want to pressure them but was over the soon when they offered. I am glad that between two of you, you are managing so well.
Initially I didn’t want Chhori to watch TV when feeding but some feeds, she does watch TV . We are trying to have a set routine for her so we know what we are doing. These days kids are so clever and they know how to get things their way so planning seems to be so .
Mirror sounds like a wonderful idea, I will definitely get one for Chhori too.
Have a great day and keep posting the comments. I love to read more about your motherhood journey and about your baby too.
Nathan is watching by the same program each morning for half hour while my wife works and I get ready to bring him to my parents. Other than those 30min he watches with his grandfather perhaps another 30_45 minutes some nursery rhymes in German language
We definitely need to make routine for Chhori too. How many language Nathan speaks/understand. I want Chhori to speak both Nepali and English but don’t know how to help her. Any tips?
The best method would be that one person in the household only speaks English and the other only Nepalese and the child needs to speak only I this certain language to the parent. Anyways she should learn rather quickly English once she is in kindergarten/ has much more interaction with other children as they all will communicate inenglish. A hard point will be to learn the Nepalese written language,,,(I guess they also have their own special script which has nothing to do with the western alphabet). The same issue we face with written Chinese, no idea yet how we will manage that
All of us conversing with her in Nepali a lot as my parents are here and she is with my mum whole day. You are so right; we need to have the method of one person speaking only one language so she gets the concept. I hope she will understand and speak both languages without difficulty.
Two languages will never be a problem for a child but as soon as it gets more the child will need more time till starting to speak at all in the beginning
I hope so and Chhori can speak both the language once she starts speaking. I really want that to happen and we are trying our best to make it happen.
We have not allowed our son to watch TV yet. We have been only playing audio rhymes. Not sure when to introduce TV. When did you introduce TV to Chhori?
If you have a choice, you should never introduce TV but in todays’ world that will not be possible. I started sho wing Chhori Rhymes’ when she was around 5 months but limited to 10 minutes at a time for 30 minutes a day.