AIBU to wish you would just watch TV for ten minutes?

[MrsCs]

My son turned two last week and his speech blows me away. I love hearing him talk, literally you tell him a work once and it's memorized and part of his vocab. He speaks to me in sentences, describes things and shares thoughts. Numbers are sorted up to twenty, learnt a good few letters and is trying to understand time (never ends)

His recall is endless particularly in his area of focus for that month. We are on recognising cars at the moment. He has memorised every common car logo and points them out.

BUT

There is a shameful part of me that would love it is he could tone it down now and again. Even if we are out all day, physical and mental stimulation, he still is non-stop at home.

What does this do? What does that mean? Mummy it's a red nissan!! I have to answer everything he says or it will be repeated endlessly.

I have a nearly fifteen week old as well so exhaustion is guaranteed.

Am I terrible to wish he could just not want to learn anything new for ten minutes and be amused by Postman Pat?

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

YANBU but Postman Pat is shite.

Put something good on. At that age DS loved stuff like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop Of Horrors.

Have a sing a long.

:)

[jay55]

Try him on a nature documentary.

[Jdee41]

My two year old now loves The Simpsons [beams with pride]

[MissJoMarch]

Nickelodeon or Channel 5 are your friends!

Blaze and the monster machines
Paw Patrol (channel 5)
New chuggington (CBeebies)
octonauts
Henry Huggelmonster
Doc McStuffins

I had to train DS to watch TV

[UnspecialSnowflake]

How about trying him with an ap instead? When DD was that age I had an ap on my phone with a colourful egg that she tapped until a random cartoon animal popped out, she absolutely love it. I think there's a free CBeebies ap now too.

[Uhplistrailer]

He sounds bright as as a button! I have a 9 year old who also doesn't stop talking! Thankfully he just takes himself off to his room and talks to himself :D

I'm a big believer in children learning to Amuse themselves for short periods.

For example, when the younger kids are in the buggy, I pretty much ignor them unless it's something really interesting. So they'll be talking incessantly about having jam on toast for breakfast and I just let them get on with it. If they question why I'm not talking back, I just say that I can't really hear them over the cars and they can tell me when we arrive. Works well.

What about If you sat him in front if the tv for 10 minutes and said 'I'm just going to do something over here' and just answered with 'mmhm' and 'yup' when he started chatting then he may get the message that you're busy.

Or setting a timer and saying 'mummy's going to read her book. When the timer rings, then I'll come and play with you.'

I know it sounds a bit mean, but constant talking can really do your head in!

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Ha! I remember this very well - hiding in the toilet for five minutes just to get away from the constant stream of consciousness. Sometimes it's interesting, sometimes hilarious but there are definitely moments you just want some silence for a few minutes.

The good news is, they eventually grow out of it. The bad news is, it may take a while! (DD1 was about 6, DD2 still talks pretty much non-stop, even in front of the telly, and she's 8! She'll shut up for a good long time if she's reading a book though.)

[haveabreakhaveakitkat]

Sounds like a good candidate for Disney's 'Cars'.

[hiccupgirl]

Mine's still like that at 5 and will turn the TV off once he's decided he's had enough and wants my attention again. At the most I might get 30 mins of peace and quiet if it's something he really likes like Paw Patrol or Ben and Holly.

It's just exhausting some days.

[GoToTheGymLazyAss]

Try something like Deadly 60. Basically a documentary for kids. There are a few of these type programmes. They might interest him more as they may capture his love of information. Watch a few first to check content.

Alternatively find kids stuff which fits his latest fascination so for this month cars, cars 2.

My eldest DD LOVES factual stuff. She will happily read an encyclopedia! She has watched and loved Blue Planet, Walking with Dinosaurs (although that can be a bit scary!) Deadly 60, Horrible Histories, Mythbusters.

[MrsCs]

Loving these suggestions I will try them all! His intelligence is amazing but I really would like to be able to chop onions for dinner without 'where is the onion from' 'what are you doing' or 'why is the onion' (how do you even answer that lol)

[Andrewofgg]

I know he's hard work but he sounds amazing.

I am '52 vintage and we had no telly in the house until I was ten. I was brought up with the Third Programme - the distant ancestor of Radio Three - in the background. My DGNiece, born last August, is also being brought up in a home with no goggle-box and I shall watch with interest to see how she turns out.

[ouryve]

YANBU. Sometimes oyu just need a bit of headspace.

You need to find something suitably trance inducing. DS1's drugs of choice at that age were Classic FM TV and the old 60s and 70s stuff n the evening on Nick Jr :o

[maddening]

CBeebies does have loads of informative programmes - little human planet, Mr tumble, Nina and the neurons, number jacks. My story,

Peppy pig and Ben and holly were like crack for my ds - it was the only thing that stopped him wriggling when changing his nappy.

[appleandblackberrycrumble]

I used to bribe DD1 with sweets to get her to sit in front of the TV, so that I could have a few minutes peace. Lollipops worked well, as they take a while to eat (and I insist the DC can't be running, or even walking around with them in their mouths).

[maddening]

Perhaps some programmes that explore philosophy to help with the onion question.

[maddening]

Attenborough wildlife docs are always good - ds loved living with the herd which followed a herd of elephants with baby elephants- he was too young thankfully to remember the elephant sex which was quite graphic and unfortunately we had to reset the sky box but poss for the best now he is 4.5 and able to question it more (ds was a slow talker but making up for it now :))

[BitterChocolate]

Do you have any video of him? When DD was little I edited together lots of clips of her and the whole thing came to about 14 mins (I used some of the best bits twice). I could set it running on the computer and be guaranteed a bit of peace because she would be mesmerised.

[TopazRocks]

At a similar stage I used Jane Austen films. It began by accident as the only suitable film we had was the BBC Pride and Prejudice, and the boy in question loved it. He'd watch it over and over and learn all the lines. He was sucker for a wedding scene. We moved on to Emma and S & S. They are all U classifications except for Mansfield Park, I think.

Regarding nature programmes, some of the David Attenborough stuff might suit him. It's quality material too. But some scenes can be a bit gruesome.

Another good one for peace is Fantasia. Walt Disney Classics version. DS1 loved it as a toddler. it was granddad that bought it for his GS and we adopted it when GD died.

[ProcrastinatorGeneral]

Fact shows. There's a hideous show somewhere on the sky channels where they just show you how things are made. My seven year old Aspie and my three year old wannabe engineer will sit glued to it.

Deadly 60 is fabulous though. Have to love watching Steve Backshall do stupid stuff in the name of children's telly :o

[ThatSmirkingWhore]

I have a 3 year old like this, she has been since she could talk.
I'm with you, it is utterly exhausting! Non stop all the time.
I also feel guilty for thinking 'would you just shut up for 5 minutes'
I can't even go to the loo in peace, washing my hands and I'm having to tell a 3 year old where water comes from, how it gets cleaned, and what about rain, is it rain water in the taps etc...
Where does a 3 year old get these questions?

Shopping trips are a nightmare! I just want to get in and get out... nope, soooo many questions, and she is not satisfied with a simple answer...
"Where did the apple come from"
"It grew on a tree"
"Are there different trees for different apples?"
"Yes DD, that's right"
"what about pears" "What about strawberries" "what about grapes"
Cue a conversation in Lidl about every single fruit she could see and whether it grows on a tree, or a vine, or a bush etc. That was when she was 2! (we did however have a fascinated couple trailing us all around the shop, utterly entranced by DD and her questions which I found rather amusing/sweet)

I wait to do the big shop at the weekend now so DH can have her while I go in peace! haha

[vvviola]

TopazRocks I was just coming on to suggest Fantasia! For a long time it was the only thing that stopped chatterbox DD1 talking. Even persuaded her to have an afternoon nap sometimes! There's real magic in it

[MrsCs]

Ooooh I loved Fantasia as a kid!

Also video of him is a good idea, he loves looking at pictures of himself and little clips on my phone. I'll have to do that.

We have a brilliant science museum/centre near where we live and he adores it there, I think it might be worth a year's membership.

He is brilliant and 90% of the time I encourage and join in but every now and again him wanting to play independently would be great.

He is pleasantly tired today because we spent all day at a farm/play centre.

[NobodyLivesHere]

I think learning to amuse yourself is a very important skill. As important as learning to ask 100 billion incessant, annoying questions.
My 7 year old talks a lot. She has been told to go away and talk to herself more than once.

[TopazRocks]

Glad so many of you loved Fantasia too! DS1 is nearly 25 and the 3rd GS. We had/have no TV so going to GD's was a treat as he could watch Fantasia DVD and other things. And the big cousins grew up on it too. Now we watch DVDs on the PC and his little brother/ds4 was the JA fan who also loved Fantasia. Because we had no means to watch films/programmes for most of the older ones' childhoods, they did get used to radio plays and tapes. Yes, really, tapes. (DH even has a reel to reel. In the same way as 'modern' families do videos, we have recordings of the boys talking). Not having the visual input can use a different bit of the brain. They also are huge fans of books, from very early. I'm another mother who was known to say things like 'Isn't it time you did some silent reading?' /'stopped talking' It can be exhausting, I know.