Help us transition to one movie a day to none?

[bright_eyes]

I really want to get rid of the screen time that ds is has every day but am really struggling with how to do it. We have somehow fallen into the habit of letting him watch one movie a day. So he watches 1/5-2 hours a day and I would prefer him to watch none. He can play by himself really, really well, but since he's turned 3, he really wants us to play with him a lot. I struggle to get things done each day and have come to enjoy that time where he is watching something so that I can do the dishes, clean, whatever. I can keep him from asking about a movie, if I am on the ball, and setting up activity after activity, and playing with him most of the day, but that can be draining, and then it means I don't ever get the things I need to get done daily accomplished.

So those of you who's kids are tv free, how do you get things done? What do your days look like? Do your kids play alone for long periods of time? Do you spend a lot of time playing/entertaining them?

[Marcella_Moxley]

Maybe first try shorter movies! Lol- what I mean is instead of showing Nemo for example, show a 30 minute video of Elmo or Dora or whatever your child likes. There are literally hundreds of these at the library.

Then, to cut back gradually, maybe plan an activity out of the house during the time you usually watch videos and just claim you "ran out of time for tv today!" in an offhanded way. "maybe we'll have time tomorrow!" . Are you opposed to all screen time? If not, then instead of a video, Maybe you could set him up on the computer to nick Jr or starfall or some other interactive and slightly educational site. Also there are leap pads, pixter and other things that I think, while are still a screen, at least the child is thinking and doing rather than staring like a zombie at the screen.

[knottyPugBy]

my 2 1/2 gets one movie a day, he still asks for more all the time, but i jsut say "no, you watched cars/thomas, but you can go play w/ your cars/trains, and you can watch (whatever) tomorrow." I use his screen time to do house work, but i always have more than 1.5-2 hrs, so if he wants me to play at that moment or watch something is just tell him go play and then we will eat lunch/play outside...whatever it may be. when we first started this there would be a few times he would cry, i felt bad, but i felt that in the long run crying a few times instead of me playing w/ him right then was OK. bc now (most of the time) he plays by himself, i get my thing done and that's all the quicker lunch is served, or we go outside. or i let him "help me" depending on the chore im doing. so i guess what im saying is, just tell him no a few times and he might just eventually go off and play, or you could let him "help you" if it's appropriate (i do understand that takes way longer to get the chores done and patience)

[nina_yyc]

http://www.sesamestreet.org/home, a kitchen timer set for 30 min, and something really fun to do right after.