No TV school mornings

What a strange comment! Lies? How do you decide people are telling lies?
No TV before school here, ever.

We've always been strict on Tv time - and for us the less time works best.
They have so much screen access - esp. when older.
TV, - with kids programmes on all the time. Tablets. Smart phones. Screens in school for teaching, homework done on screens.

TThere are so many distractions. It affects how much time they spend outdoors, reading, learning, playing games, sports.

Turn it all off now for as long as you can now. You'll be battling enough when they're older

My DC used to have TV in the mornings before school but I changed it a couple of years ago to none because, like you, my DS seemed to be getting up early in order to watch TV! It works a lot better now.. And at the weekends I usually say no TV before 7 am..they are generally sleeping a bit later now.

@Somanycats

Seriously why? What is wrong with you? How can you care about this crap? Why have you no confidence that most children grow up just fine with very few rules and very little intervention? I never wanted more for my boy than two A stars, 2 As and a science degree from a Russell group university. Which is exactly what he got. On his own, with bugger all non negotiables or rules from me. But hell if I'd made his childhood really miserable maybe he could have gone to Cambridge!

Same here! First and a Masters in Physics. RG Uni..... and he had a TV AND a PC in his room. Fuck me! Politeness and Kindness were my rules. That was it.

And how much screen time the rest of the day? Of course he’s waking early to watch TV.
that’s a really bad habit, just tell the it’s a no from now on and see if he still wakes at 6 in the morning to read a book…

Given what you’ve observed about your own kids, I think it makes sense to try a total morning ban. At that age we had a no screens before you’re ready to go rule but they were never any trouble to get out of the door when it was time to go.

One alternative you could try is to let them watch one program if they are ready in time that will finish exactly as you need to leave. That would give them an incentive to get ready, give them some chill time, and set you up to leave on time. But there’s no harm insisting they find other ways to fill the time either.

If we didn't watch TV in the mornings, I would never catch up on Bluey.
😂😂

If we didn't watch TV in the mornings, I would never catch up on Bluey.

Me, ds and dp get up, washed, dressed, cafinated (obvs not ds) then sit for 15 mins and watch the 7.30 bluey episode before dp takes them off to cm and work whilst I fuck about with housework until I start my job (wfh)

I love that little 10 min chill time before everyone leaves but we don't have TV in bedrooms and my ds is too young to use thr remotes so maybe we will need to change once he is older. Right now (3) he isn't bothered by screens so we don't jave to limit them, he limits himself to about half hour max a day. And i have to force some of that time when I really him to be distracted for 5 mins or so.

At primary age, in the 80s, I used to get up at 6am and watch The Flintstones in the lounge. It was my only 'me time'. Then they changed it to 5am and I had to start setting my alarm. Worked for me.

No TV (or any screen time) before school in this house, never has been (DC 8 and 12, the younger one much more a morning person than older sibling). DC help clearing up breakfast and read if any spare time in the morning, not usually much as we need to run a tight ship! Good behaviour rewarded with screen time after school, depending on homework.

Make them watch the news channels instead. Hopefully that'll motivate them to get moving...

Yanbu none here either

My kids have never watched telly before school because they are all late risers and we barely have time to have breakfast let alone watch something (school / nursery far away). However they have ALWAYS watched TV when they come home from school. I have 3 kids with small age gaps and the first barely watched telly but as soon as the second came along I found it to be indispensable - it allowed me to cook dinner for example, now with the 3rd I can give him his bath and put him to bed while the older two watch TV (they are below 5 years old). As my husband is never home before 9pm I just couldn’t do the evenings otherwise. I’m interested to know how others do the evening routine without TV if there is only 1 adult? I’m sure it’s possible but it would take more discipline and effort (and angelic children!?). I do love TV myself but I don’t like the fact that they watch it every day.

Wash and dress first, than breakfast and teeth, and if there is any time after that - then TV ensures there is no last minute rush to get ready and is very importtant in a neuro diverse family

I think a little tv before school is ok. Depends on the nature of the child. And what you need to do to save your own sanity and get yourself ready in the morning.

However, i also had an early riser who would literally bolt out of bed the minute he woke up to do something fun if allowed. So i also had to make early mornings very boring to encourage him to not get up the moment he stirred.

Ie if we wake before the clock says 7 we lay quietly in bed and wait patiently. Or we quietly read a book. We come out of our rooms at 7. If he risks disturbing brother it could be that he sits in the lounge and reads a book.

Compromise. Let them watch a bit between 7&7:30.
Tell them they need to stay in bed until 7 then if they do they can have half an hour whilst they eat. They must then be dressed, packed and ready by 8:15 though,if they aren't then they loose the privilege of morning TV.

We have always been no tv before school for the reasons you mention - I'd rather they sleep more, we aren't rushed, their behaviour is better without and less transitions. We are definitely a no tv in the bedroom family too.

I would be honest with them and then stick to the boundary of no tv before school without wavering. It may be hard the first few days.

He does have meltdowns about turning off tv or is very resistant to it, but he does have ADHD so struggles with the transition from screen to no screen

I don’t allow telly before school because my son is completely distracted by it and it stops him getting ready. He’s a late riser though and needs to be woken at 7.30 ish to get ready.

I don’t have tvs in children’s rooms though

It's funny I'm the opposite of all the parents here. Pretty much the only time my kids are automatically allowed TV is in the mornings when they are fully dressed/breakfasted/ready. Gives me a few minutes peace to check we've got everything/finish my hair/get myself together before we go.

We don't allow the kids TV on week day after school/evenings at all. At the weekend TV only goes on occasionally after dinner if we've been up to a lot and are tired.

When mine were little, we didn’t have the TV on if it was a schools day. We listened to story tapes instead. (That’s showing my age!)