Guilt, guilt for too much TV!

[jeffily]

My 19mo DD has been unwell over the last week, co-inciding with this really cold snap. I am 27 wks pregnant and feeling less mobile than I was. We are not getting out as much as we used to, and I am feeling guilty about how much TV she is watching. Usually it seems to end up being on from about 4.30 (although I do pick Charlie and Lola or Timmy time from iPlayer and we sit together on the sofa) then while I cook tea and then she watches ITNG before she goes to bed. There have even been a couple of days when she has had a snacky tea in front of the TV rather than us all sitting down together to eat. She's got no appetite anyway so tea ends up being a fight and unpleasant for everyone. This morning she also watched half an hour snuggled under the duvet with me.

Am I awful? Am I breeding a TV monster who will never eat a proper meal again or is do we all go through periods when we lean on the help of TV more and all is not lost?

[Mobly]

No, you're not awful, I'm sure you're a great mother. That amount of TV never hurt anyone and besides. it's very snowy.

[putthekettleon]

Doesn't sound bad to me, don't stress! I was pregnant and had an 18 month old this time last year and I remember endless days of being stuck indoors with nothing to do and Cbeebies was my saviour! And when DD2 was a newborn, DD1 often had a cheese sandwich in front of the telly for lunch and a ham sandwich in front of the telly for tea - it's not ideal but it got us through a difficult time and she was happy.

[SuchStuff]

I currently have truly terrible morning sickness (am on tablets but they only mean I can keep some things down - I still feel shit) and have been basically snowed in with DS(2.6) all week. If Cbeebies didn't exist, I don't know how I'd survive. I feel like I should be inviting Andy et al round for Christmas dinner, such is their current importance in my life.

I'm sure you're doing a fab job and what's more, I'll bet that a very high percentage of toddlers are watching more TV than you at the moment. Christ, more than you most of the year!!

[malachysmum]

My dad used to fix tellies for a living, I watched a lot of Rainbow as a little one and old ladies used to say to me "you'll get square eyes" when we used to go to their homes and i used to tell my dad that the snowy picture was clear.

I do not have square eyes, i am not obese and I socialise quite well and often like to finish stories with an important moral message...

[jeffily]

Thanks all. You have made me feel much better. She's obviously feeling a bit better this today and so far have had no demands for TV- instead we had fun dusting the bedroom and sorting through baby clothes ready for the newbie!

putthekettleon I think you hit the nail on the head there, that I worry that this is the thin edge of the wedge and there is more to come once I have the new baby to care for too. I guess you just have to do what is right for the time and try not to worry too much about making a rod for your own back.

suchstuff hope your MS clears up soon!