TV rationing!!

[happysunshinedays]

My 4 year old has just started school and is basically knackered! As a result she's been watching a lot TV in the afternoons (she's half days just now). I have always banned TV on week day mornings as I didn't want to get in the habit of having her switch it on every day for ever! She often complains but when I don't give in (and I never do) she ends up playing with toys/looking at books etc.

Today she asked for TV on way home from school and when I refused as it's a lovely day and she can play in the garden she went into meltdown!! I am thinking of rationint it to an hour or so a day, from 4-5 perhaps before tea. I know lots of children watch a lot more telly and I'm not judging that; it's just that we have a small house so when it's on it seems to take over. She's also a real addict so would literally sit there all day left to her own devices. I don't think it does her behaviour any good either. AIBU?

What about a compromise? Half an hour when she gets home then half an hour before tea?

DS1 gets one hour on the screen of his choice every day after school, after homework. None in the morning or he is a PITA.

He bitches about it sometimes and tells me that his friends are allowed to all afternoon (they aren't BTW), but he finds other things to do.

If we are having a slobbing around the house day on the weekend he is pretty much allowed to watch as he pleases.

I think most children get knackered straight after school, but will perk up again after a rest. Starting school is a lot for children to take in, I'm not surprised your DD wanted to chill out for a bit. My lot watch a bit, then tend to recharge and go off and do something else.

I find that children whose parents make a big deal about banning/limiting TV tend to be the keenest to watch it. If you were a bit more relaxed about TV you might not have such a battle on your hands.

TV is good for vegging out when you're tired after a stressful day, so I'd be inclined to let her have some time when she gets in from school. But you can still limit it to half an hour or so and then expect her to be recovered enough to do something else.

Thanks, Think I'll try the half hour/ one program after school approach. Morloth, I like your thinking. Think something similar could work for us too. Inch High - when I had DD2 I let DD1 watch loads of telly for a few months. She really does just sit in front of it all day. If I didn't actually switch it off she would rarely go and find something else to do of her own accord. She's always been the same right from a year old. My DD2 is just the opposite. She will watch a bit then go and entertain hreself. They're all different. So if I was "more relaxed" and let DD1 watch it whenever, I think she'd watch it for many hours each day.

Our dd is 3 and started nursery in the afternoons. She watches dvds rather than tv so we can limit to 3 Peppa Pig episodes, 1 Postman Pat, or if she's exhausted a disney film. As she know how long she's got she's fab at turning it off - I can't stand all the adverts of watching kids stuff on Sky and it means no more Bl**dy In the Night Garden or other drivel!!!