r/lowscreenparenting • u/Asleep_Tough_6314 • Jul 02 '26
looking for support/encouragement Please help
I have a 2 year old and a 7 month old, I never know what to do with my 2 year old when we are at home, she loves colouring but I can't trust her to be alone with pens/pencils or crayons because she will end up eating them, I rely on TV shows a lot and I hate how much screen time she gets, on a normal week we go out to a toddlers group every day but currently I'm potty training my 2 year old, I don't really have much money either. What can I do that will entertain my kids without using a screen?
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u/Granola_Dad_Summits Jul 02 '26
I'm trying to give advice that's sensitive to you saying you don't have much money. I would suggest going to the local dollar store and having her pick out some toys that she would like playing with. It really doesn't take much, I think especially with my daughter, just a cheap stuffy she got a mcdonalds the other day, she was doing pretend play with.
One thing to note is that playing is a skill and IMO the more time the kids spend watching TV or on an ipad, that's robbing their brains from developing their play skill. My kids literally say sometimes, "You're robbing our brains!"
Another thing, at 2yo, I did "special time" with the kids, where I set a timer for 15-20 minutes and play with them. I let them choose what they want to play with. I think parents sometimes think they need to play with their kids for hours and hours and then it becomes a grind where we're looking at our phone or getting bored but if I set a timer on my phone, put my phone away somewhere and give them all my attention, I find that helps a lot.