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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think kids watching tv is a bit of a waste of their life?

316 replies

Amykins35 · 21/04/2013 13:14

My daughter is 5 and her father and I are separated. When she has contact, she usually watches at least 5 films over the course of a weekend. On the other hand, here we used to go to the cinema on some of my weekends before her baby sister was born and that was the only thing she watched. We didn't even have a TV at home until 4 months ago. In the winter we had a film night on my Fridays where we baked cakes then snuggled on the sofa with teddies to watch a film and eat our cakes. But now the weather is finally brightening up we'll be going to the park/walking the dog/playing in the garden on those Fridays and so she probably won't watch anything here til next winter.
I read a few weeks ago that kids in the UK watch an average of 3 hours tv per day and that makes me sad as I really do think its a waste of their lives. Also, I don't understand where people find time for their kids to watch tv - my daughter goes to bed much later than her friends but we still run out of time to do everything she/we wanted to do. A typical day is:
7.30: she wakes up and gets ready while playing with DD2
7.45: breakfast
8.00: leave to walk/scoot/bike 2 miles to school

After school:
I usually drive to collect her so we can pop home for a snack before after school activities which usually finish at 6. She then plays/draws/reads while I cook tea, tea usually finished by 7 when we walk the dog, back home for homework, bath, stories and bed usually around 8.45.

There just isn't time in the day for tv and I don't understand where people find the time for it. If DD isn't doing an activity she likes to trampoline/paint/have tea parties etc after school and I think the amount of TV she watches at her fathers is a waste of his contact time. Before I get flamed and told my DD needs to rest and relax which may be why she watches TV at her dads - drawing and listening to stories are relaxing too. My DD never asks to watch TV here even if worn out - which is very rare indeed! AIBU to think watching TV is a bit of a waste of children's lives when there are so many more fun things they could be doing?

OP posts:
AlexReidsLonelyBraincell · 22/04/2013 11:34

Ooh I loves a bit of existentialism of a Monday Orange. Grin

squoosh · 22/04/2013 11:37

'If it were cultural differences the jibes and digs would be seen as racist'

Hmm Hmm Hmm

Ummm, but it's not cultural differences, so it isn't racism. What's next, someone admits to not liking tea and it being compared to not liking Chinese people.

LadyBeagleEyes · 22/04/2013 11:37

How on earth can you equate this to racism iclaudius?
It was the op that seems to think her parenting is superior, and the telly watchers coming on to defend it.
What a silly post.

flangledoodle · 22/04/2013 11:38

Nazis :)

squoosh · 22/04/2013 11:42

Thanks flangle! Wink

flangledoodle · 22/04/2013 11:44

Welcome

infamouspoo · 22/04/2013 11:44

why dont you pay for your ex to have a nanny too? Then he too could be super mum. Heck, I could be super-mum with a nanny. Rather than haggard knackered mum.
But I'm going to be smug that eldest got a job at the Beeb before she goes to work in NYC in theatre land. All down to telly so

squoosh · 22/04/2013 11:45

I think the OP is a nanny not has a nanny.

That's how I read it anyway.

TantrumsAndBalloons · 22/04/2013 11:45

Is it not possible to have a debate anymore without the word racist thrown in?

It makes a mockery of actual racism you know, to say stupid things like that.

iclaudius · 22/04/2013 11:46

Lady beagle read what I put

It's just a different lifestyle choice - why laugh at someone because you don't agree with what they do?

I don't see how it makes her smug - just different

LadyBeagleEyes · 22/04/2013 11:47

But she is smug.
Her entire op was a stealth boast.

dreamingbohemian · 22/04/2013 11:49

Jaysus Orange, a bit existential for a Monday morning?

I totally agree with you though, very nicely put Smile

dreamingbohemian · 22/04/2013 11:56

I think it's a bit narrow to be so opposed to TELEVISION completely, when it's just a medium at the end of the day -- a tool, like radio, like the phone, something to transmit content.

To say all the content ever shown on TV is a waste of time is really not using your imagination.

I grew up poor in dodgy cities, no green space, no beaches, etc -- would I really have been better off baking cupcakes than watching something like David Attenborough, and learning about the whole wide world?

My parents were really into politics and so I watched probably far too much TV news when I was young (really, I don't know what they were thinking). But this sparked my fascination in politics and foreign policy -- I did my BA in international relations, then worked in the field, now finishing my PhD. I certainly don't regret not having teddy bear picnics.

So YANBU to restrict TV for your own child if you want, but to say that it's a waste of time for all kids is really narrow-minded.

jaabaar · 22/04/2013 11:56

Majabiene!

U just reminded me of Beene maja cartoons on tv! R u swiss by any chance?

SlimFitWellies · 22/04/2013 12:05

I was going to go out for lunch until I read orange's post.

Now I need to go lie down in a darkened room.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 22/04/2013 12:16

Loving the op describing her ex as an obese waster well you clearly found him attractive and appealing enough to shag at some point so maybe your choices aren't always as perfect as you think.

grumpyinthemorning · 22/04/2013 12:22

We always have tv\radio on in my house, I can't stand silence. It actually helped ds talk, he wouldn't copy us but repeats everything mr tumble says. That said, he barely glances at the tv most of the time, it's more for me than him.

Currently having my ds-free day (he goes to his grandma on mondays). Have just finished housework, so settling down to watch Cool Runnings while I eat my lunch :)

pigletmania · 22/04/2013 12:28

It's not that op holds a different view, her posts are as smug as hell, that because her dd does not watch tv in te day, tat she has every miniute of the day planned out, the tv watching brigade are just lazy slatterns. Op is looking down her nose at people, well she has no idea how other people lives are like. Mabey not now op, but when your dd is od enough to know her own mind you might find her reselling at your anti tv ways

DontSHOUTTTTTT · 22/04/2013 12:28

Grin orange

infamouspoo · 22/04/2013 12:37

The OP has a nanny to help with all these worthy things and to entertai the child while she makes tea.

BearsDontDigOnDancing · 22/04/2013 12:40

My kids watch tv...

We have a laptop connected to the TV and my 5 year old can navigate from reading eggs, to the cbeebies site (where he likes to play the games)to the nick jnr site, to the iplayer, and then log on sky go and watch tv via that! Quite impressive.

He has this morning spent some time googling different types of whales and sea creatures so he can then sing a "creature report" to me and tell me all about the animal he has found. I believe this came from The Octonauts.

They have free reign tbh, they put on the laptop when they want, and play games, or watch a cartoon. I have a 5 and a 3 year old who are not at school yet.

They are currently running around playing at My Little Pony (seriously, watch the new series, it is quite good...more often than not we put it on for the kids, they wander off and me and dh have stopped what we are doing to sit and watch it)

Oh and in the time i have written that Ds is now a Manta Ray! (again from Octonauts) and dd is a Rabbit! And they are apparently racing. I think the Bunny won.

squoosh · 22/04/2013 12:48

I thinks she is a nanny.

OP can you confirm whether you are a nanny or have a nanny.

UniS · 22/04/2013 12:49

YABU

Too MUCH TV may be a waste of time. Some TV may be a worthwhile part of a childs life. By TV I include DVDs, Web sites and other moving image media.

We live in a rural area, a rather mono cultural area. "TV" is one way that DS comes across people of different skin colour , language, acent, cultures, faiths etc and sees that children from "other places" are children like him, life?s may be different but there are also similarities.

Using a story CD to occupy a child is no different really to using "TV" to occupy a child. What matters is content more than media.

FWIW- we don't have a TV, but DS does use a PC to access CBBC and games under light supervision. Together as a family we might use the PC to access other sites- follow a sports event or find out about a subject for school work.

LadyBeagleEyes · 22/04/2013 12:50

Op has already confirmed she is a nanny.

MERLYPUSS · 22/04/2013 13:04

I knew this would kick off.
TV saved (and our family)my life when DT2 was waking at 4.30. Good old baby tv or whatever stopped him screaming the house down so everyone else could sleep (including me on the sofa with him).
Now our watch kids crap and other crap like you've been framed, discovery animal progs and BGT.