It’s our wedding anniversary and I’ll little one will be 7 months. Our good neighbour (who is also a friend, she’s a Nana so has baby experience) has very kindly offered to look after him for a couple hours whilst we go out for lunch. It’s the first time leaving him as a couple.
Me and my husband avoid ‘screens’ unless it’s a quick FaceTime with family. When I go round for a coffee she has a TV in the kitchen that he naturally loves the lights and always looks at. She has a bigger TV in the lounge and because she knows he’s drawn to it I wonder she might plonk him in front of the TV for the 2 hours we are away. My parents didn’t think twice about it when they were here with us but ofc they’re my parents so I said ‘no screens because XYZ’ which they were baffled at because they didn’t do that with me but they respected it. But because she’s a friend and a neighbour NOT family I don’t think I have grounds to ask.
- is there likely to be any damage done if she does plonk him in front of the TV? I think I might be unnecessarily anxious about it (first time Mum here!) but obviously since the 60s babies have probably been around TV’s and they’re fine.
- Is it unreasonable and complete helicopter parent of me to mention that we’d prefer it if he didn’t watch the TV and give her some books / I’ll make some purées to entertain him with instead?
- if you think it’s fine to mention - how would you politely and diplomatically approach it? I guess I would just give the toys etc and say ‘he loves these’
part of me thinks it’s cheeky / absurd to mention it - just wondered what other people think.
Thank you:)