Comment by peteey

5yo parent here. Agreed. And sometimes they just need to chill.

I agree with the overall sentiment. Too much screen time is bad. Kids need to get out and play, indoors or out. In our house, it's a lot of biking and playing with friends outside, Legos, Brio, Magnatiles, matchbox cars, or just crafts.

But sometimes they're frazzled, out of sorts, and would benefit from just being able to sit and chill.

So we'll put on something for him that we're comfortable with. Tumble Leaf, Blaze & The Monster Machines, Trash Truck, or the occasional Ghibli movie.

We do not give him a tablet or other portable device. He sits and watches on the couch, we set a expectation, and stick to that.

I think controlling the device is important. Keeping the screen as something we control and not something he carries around seems to allow us better control and helps him understand the limits in play. 90% of the time, we have no fuss.

And it's not bad. In moderation, TV can be just fine. Often it genuinely helps him soothe and relax (Especially if he's been really active and engaged all day), and as you said, helps us get something done. Two episodes of one of his favorite shows is great to help him unwind while we're making dinner.

But we keep time/episode limits as well, and that seems to keep things in balance along with the aforementioned things.

My gripe with Paw Patrol is that everything is met with a cheery "sir, yes sir!" and then the show stops short of ever showing real challenge, friction, risk, failure, or loss.

It's a missed opportunity.

I'm far from being a Caillou apologist, but putting it below, much less way below, Pepa Pig is rather harsh.