"Gargoo"

[Taler]

Otherwise known as In The Night Garden.

My 21 month old has just discovered In The Night Garden and whilst I of course have no problem with this, she is wanting to watch it whilst having her cereal before bed.

I personally don't want her getting used to watching TV during meal times (she'll no doubt wanna do that later on in life when I can't stop it but I don't want TV to be an association with food).

Last night she refused her dinner as well as the cereal later on and am almost certain both times were because she wanted to watch The Night Garden.

She ended up waking up in the middle of the night starving (naturally) so we had to give her a bottle.

Needless to say this is one routine i don't wish to get into.

Just unsure how to get her to understand that it's not on at that particular time and/or that she has her dinner and can then watch it.

Any tips??

[MumOfTheMoment]

Presumably you have let her watch tv while she is eating at some point or she wouldn't think it was an option? I think you just have to carry on being firm if you don't want her to ever eat in front of the tv. And no way give an almost 2yr old a bottle of milk in the night

[meditrina]

I'd make it a non-problem by giving her the last meal of the day at 6ish, rather than 6:30ish (incentive to eat up?)

A normally nourished DC won't starve (or suffer any ill effects) from skipping food one evening, and I agree with pp that you could make things much worse if you offer milk in the middle of the night.

[Taler]

Agree about the milk in the night thing but she was clearly hungry.

Yes admittedly have let her on a few (rare) occasions watch TV while eating which I acknowledge sends a mixed message. But this is the first programme she's been "in to" and she gets all excited when it's on!

[Ferguson]

I don't follow children's TV schedules now, as our DS is 32. His favourite was Thomas the Tank Engine (when it was models, and Ringo was narrator).

If it's not on at other times, Yes, eat first. Or record it (assuming you have a recording system?)

[teacher54321]

I am probably a bad mother but I really wouldn't get stressed about this. Ds has a little table and chair and often watches CBeebies when he eats supper. He also eats beautifully at the table with us, at nursery, in restaurants and at grandma's house. So in the scheme of things I would pick battles. If it's just a bowl of cereal in front of in the night garden is it really going to do any harm?

[IHeartKingThistle]

Meh. She's not having all her meals sat in front of the TV, it's just her bedtime cereal. I'd let her tbh. But non negotiable on the other meals maybe.

[GingerDoodle]

Its only a problem if you feel it is. 18 - 26 months DD was an absolute nightmare with food; started with throwing it, refused the highchair, ran around if sat on the floor etc. In the end being sat in front of the tv ensured she at least ate.

She was very obsessed with Mr Tumble for ages (still watches 1 episode before bed) and then Curious George but the novelty has worn off with time.

Now at a month shy of 3 she eats at a table just fine if required (and we can eat out again thank goodness) but at home has dinner between 4 - 5 pm so usually eats on her own (I eat with DH when he gets home and she has often got to bed). I often read at the table or eat in front of the tv if I'm on my own so I figure its no different really. It's lovely to eat as a family but logistics mean she is often way too tired to stay up.

Personally I have bigger issues with what she watches; we've managed to avoid the bulk of (what I consider) totally odd programs like ITNG, Waybaloo etc but mostly watching Disney Junior (although I still dislike DocMcstuffins lol).

[confusedandemployed]

Not sure I could muster the energy to be bothered by eating in front of the TV once in a while. I'd be far more bothered by giving an almost-2-yr-old milk in the night. If it were my DC I'm afraid they would have had to go hungry.