For thinking it's ok for DC to watch TV before school

Goldengirl123 · Today 08:38
I’m in the camp of kids watch far too much tv so I certainly wouldn’t allow it”

Surely it depends what they’re watching. Bit of Alpha/number blocks might crank their brains up before lessons?

Lots of fun....bike riding, swimming, gymnastics, dance, Lego, reading books, building forts, days at the zoo/park/seaside.
Do you know what too much TV actually does to kids brains/development/behaviour?
🙄

Mine were always allowed tv once they were ready for school. They were always ready in plenty of time so would usually get 10/20 minutes tv time. My youngest is usually ready with a good 30 minutes to spare but he prefers to learn a language on duolingo with his time, or a play a game on his phone. 🤷‍♀️

@Pocketfullofdogtreats if it's Cbeebies it will probably be an educational programme.
Nothing wrong with a bit of Octonauts (marine biology) or Alphablocks (spelling) etc.

No, 6 year old makes a fuss about turning it off. We also have a separate nursery run to do so no chance because it'd cause delays.

Haven’t RTFT but it would be a no from me. For me, TV is what I bring out for the times I really need it, and I (personally) think before school is unnecessary for my kids.

Sounds fun.

We don’t normally as they are very leisurely and don’t have time. 40 minutes at breakfast today. Pain au chocolate and strawberries. Ten minutes to hoof down surely?

I used to have the TV on while I was getting ready for school when I was a kid, and that was in the 80s and 90s.

In my experience, any question about TV, gaming etc on Mumsnet gets a very skewed anti-screens response that doesn't particularly reflect how most people actually parent their children.

Same with questions about food, where everyone will pile in to say they only ever offer their children 'hummus and veggies' as a snack and have banned refined sugar.

Mine always did - both ND and it helped with the time management. DD used to know that if she was dressed on time she could watch Peppa pig (5 minutes per episode) and it made her smile, so where exactly is the harm? As long as it isn't stopping them getting ready it's ok IMO. DS (long time ago now!) had Cbeebies on and would jump up automatically to put his shoes on as The Tweenies started up so it was a useful signal.

No. We never had it on before school. I don't think it's a good idea to have a constant inane TV soundtrack.

I might be remembering wrong but didn't Cbeebies have a song at one point about "it's time to go to school now" ?
There was "what's on your plate" at lunch time and the bedtime song. Am I imagining a "switch off the telly and go" song?

Mine were allowed TV before school as long as they were walk out the door ready. made them get ready quicker and doesn't seem to have stunted them in any way.

Nope. TV is extremely limited here.

Mine would, once up and ready, it was a good timer for actually leaving the house for my youngest who otherwise tended to dilly dally (“ok we will leave for school when Octonauts is finished”) and gave me 20 mins to wash dishes, finish sorting myself out for work and so on. Is your DH around in the mornings, and is he prepared to entertain them instead?

And we had it on in the 80s. I walked with my friends and every. single. day. we watched Aladdin on video

See this is what would make us late. Just one more page, can I finish the chapter, I've nearly done the book. DS is pathologically incapable of putting a book down mid way through a page.

If the smalls start a PAW PATROL adventure with their toys and I stop it to leave, I'll end up with tears and half the sodding toys on the toy run.

Getting them to turn the telly off at the end of a specific show is way easier but then we don't massive restrict screens so it is something they'll happily do without/ turn off themselves

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

We do if they are up at 6.30 and don’t have to leave until 8.30…

DD watches TV in the morning - 20mins or so. No issue turning it off. She goes to breakfast club 4 days a week so it's an early start and it helps her just ease into the day. She doesn't like rushing so we account for that and it works well so far!

See we have no issue with the tv going off when it’s time to leave. But if my kids “played” before school then getting them out of the door would definitely be more of an issue.

We stopped TV before school when DD1 was in reception as it was always ‘5 more minutes’ and then tears when I was turned off before a programme had finished. They never ask for it (it’s been about 5 years) and generally play or read a book if they’ve time to spare.

How does having Bluey on interfere with their hair care?! 😭 if anything it keeps mine in the one place so that I can do their hair…

Morning quiz?

Depends on who is getting them ready! DH? Yup. Me? No. Not because one episode of Bluey will ruin them, but because I take extra care with their hair etc and we run out of time.