To never have adult tv on when children are around?

[justwondering72]

My ds's are 6 and 3. They watch a bit of kids tv - cbeebies and nickelodeon usually. DH and I rarely get the chance to watch anything while they are up during the week, post dinner and pre bedtime being pretty hectic. But at the weekend we sometimes have the BBC news on during the day, or I might put something on while doing the ironing. Inevitably it attracts their attention even if they are doing something else at the same time. And I find my hand hovering over the remote to try and stop them hearing about wars, refugees, murders, missing children or any mildly violent or sexy scenes.

Am I being precious? Should I be letting them find out that the world isn't all mr maker and deadly 60? And being there to talk to them about what they see? Or are they still to young for these harsh realities of life? I'm not talking about horror or real adult entertainment, more like pre watershed programmes.

[lljkk]

I reckon most adults would try to screen some of that out.

[teacher123]

DS is nearly two and I never have telly on that isn't children's telly when he's awake. We watch a lot of postman pat...! It's more to avoid the Jeremy Kyle/loose women crap tbh, daytime telly is so excruciating we never tend to watch it anyway.

[footflapper]

I have to wait til ds is asleep so I can watch Emmerdale, luckily I've got catch up tv..
That is the only adult tv I watch nowadays, but I do sometimes hide in the bedroom and watch Farscape on Netflix :-)

[Longdistance]

I don't let my dds watch adult tv. Especially the news. It's depressing enough without explaining it to a 4 year old.

I had to make a complaint the other week about s film b4 the 9 o'clock watershed. A couple were having sex under the covers. Dd1 came down and I covered her eyes and switched over. Felt like Mary Whitehouse complaining.

[eightandthreequarters]

I never have adult tv on during the daytime, only after the DC are in bed, and mine are older - more because I don't want them watching lots of tv. However, Radio 4 is on constantly, with its rape trials and Syrian atrocities and bombs in Iraqi marketplaces and female genital mutilation. Like you, I switch over pretty quick sometimes! But I like that in general, they hear what is going on in the world.

[givemeaclue]

We never have adult tv on and we turn off the radio when news is on.

[Nanny0gg]

Even if the programmes are ok you can never be sure what trailers will be shown at totally unsuitable times of the day.

And I never ever let my DCs watch the news until they were secondary school age and could discuss it. (Except for Newsround of course)

[givemeaclue]

Op they are 6 and 3, why do you think you need to know about the harsh realities of life?

[MrsGoslingWannabe]

Wildlife programmes are good as are things like Lost Kingdoms of... something! (about old civilisations)

[JackNoneReacher]

I rarely have adult tv on around dc (similar ages). Especially not the news which is of course full of horrific details and pictures that often horrify me and would clearly horrify a child. No need for them to see it.

[TheCunkOfPhilomena]

DS is 3 and his favourite programme used to be Countdown and is now Eggheads He loves to watch it after his bath, odd child. He has seen the news on a few occasions and it hasn't fussed him tbh.

I don't watch much television but we do have bloody Fireman Sam and Postman Pat DVDs.

[LtEveDallas]

I don't censor the news at all - if it's on it's on and if DD asks about it I answer her, factually.

She watches a few things that are 'near the knuckle' so to speak - Modern Family, The Middle and we've had a good few discussions about things that have come up (gay parenting, Special Needs, unsuitable boyfriends!)

Otherwise we don't watch that much TV when she is up, only because we've got other stuff going on, not because we disaprove.

[thejoysofboys]

We never have adult TV on either. Only "general viewing" type stuff such as Countryfile (DS2 loves the animals) or sport, and even then only occasionally. My two will be on CBeebies only for as long as I can enforce it .

[BeingAGrownupSucks]

Nope no adult tv here with very few exceptions like Location, Location or Aussie Masterchef.

[Nanny0gg]

Wildlife programmes are good

Not with the carnage they delight in showing these days.
My DGC love animal programmes, but we can't let them watch since the upset over wildebeest and impala ending up as lunch

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

I watched WPC 56 on the BBC last week. Luckily I recorded it and watched it in the evening. It was very violent with a prostitute found dead in her bed covered in blood amongst other things. It was on at about 2pm. I would have been very upset if the children (5 and nearly 4) had accidentally caught any of it. I did comment to my mum, who'd watched it too, that it was very odd timing.

I do also find that the news can be very distressing and if the children ever overhear the radio news I sometimes have to explain things I don't feel very comfortable with.

I do sometimes have adult TV on when children are around but only really if it is sport or cookery related or perhaps a quiz show. Anything else seems potentially upsetting for them.

[MrsCakesPremonition]

I think that some adult TV makes excellent viewing for children, especially once they are old enough for school.

Recently we have enjoyed Dolphins - The Spy in the Pod, Secrets of Bones, Time Team, Hidden Kingdoms and a history series about spiritual places in Britain. My DCs are 10 and 5yo.

They also listen to a lot of Radio 4 - so probably hear quite a bit of news without having the visual images to go with it.

[Longtalljosie]

I have the news on when DD (4.5) is around unless there's eg a child murder / abduction in the news. Things like the floods we talk about. It's important she appreciates there's a world around her.

[MrsCakesPremonition]

ROFL at NannyOgg's impala. When I watched wildlife programmes as a child the worst bits were always the nasty chomping sounds

[RiverTam]

we don't watch any 'adult' TV when DD is up, with the exception of some sport things like Wimbledon and the Olympics. And FIL's DP likes Strictly so she has a wee bop to that every so often.

I did grow up in a house where Radio 4 (PM and 6 o'clock news) and the Nine O'clock News were daily staples - I could name every member of Maggie Thatcher's cabinet - but I would have been quite a bit older, maybe around 10?

But them DD's only seen TV with ads once - she was very confused as to why her film kept disappearing!

[MrsCakesPremonition]

And DD loves the Challenge channel with all the ancient quiz shows.

[AlwaysDancing1234]

It depends what the programme is. I like to watch quiz shows so my DS (age 6) has got in to watching Countdown, the Chase, some of the old stuff on Challenge etc.
We do sometimes have the news on in the mornings but myself or DH will switch it over if it's getting a bit 'heavy'. However, DS is a good reader so will read newspaper headlines when on the way to school and ask about them so I've realised we can't sheild him from everything.
As with most things, I think a sensible balance is the key.

[CaptainFabulous]

I'm reading this thinking I must be really really weird!

Why would you not have adult TV on when the children are around? If there's something you want to watch, why would you not watch it? Obviously if something inappropriate happens turn it over but...really, no adult TV ever? Covering children's eyes when people are under the covers?

Jeezo. I am feeling very much like the odd one out here.

But when we were all young, there was no children's TV - after tea each night the news went on and it was adult stuff all the way. I am thoroughly untraumatised.

[Back2Basics]

I watch Hollyoaks, the news and bbt. My dd loves Hollyoaks and bbt she's eight

Meh I believe the close to the bone sexual scenes go over their heads and they don't understand anyway. Why would a eight yr old know about certain things?

But I'm a MN minority my dc are allowed to watch 12r films and I always have rap/grime/dancehall music on and I let dd listen to Rihanna.

I must admit to being slightly when she would go round singing I love it I love it I love it when you eat it LOL.

[MrsCakesPremonition]

Totally agree Captain - I've recently been rewatching The Duchess of Duke Street on DVD, I adored it as a child when I was 6 or 7 yo.

All the bits about her being mistress to the heir to the throne completely passed me by at the time.