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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not have the TV on cbeebies all the time

50 replies

Ilovemyself · 10/08/2013 11:04

Our children are twins of 17m and a singleton of 5 months.

When the twins were younger we used to have the TV on cbeebies all day. They had their favourites and also some they didn't watch so much, but on the whole they were always watching the TV, no matter what they were doing. They also got upset if the TV Watson any other channel.

A couple of months ago we decided we wanted to we wean them off the TV, and now the TV is hardly ever on cbeebies. Tbh they take very little notice of the TV now. It is on a lot of the time, just not on things that interest them.

I know a lot of children their age are raving about waybuloos or baby jake or night garden, and I have started to think are we doing the right thing? I don't want them back to needing the TV, but wonder if we are being unfair by not letting them watch it.

OP posts:

pianodoodle · 10/08/2013 14:05

I don't know beepoff I wouldn't have thought so though. You don't really stare at the radio it doesn't seem the same to me!

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 10/08/2013 16:48

Oh for god's sake, everything's bad, let's just live in silence...

Saffyz · 10/08/2013 17:28

Record their favourite programmes and let them watch one or two a day?

MissMuesli · 10/08/2013 17:32

I don't have a telly kicked ex out, he took his telly and I couldn't afford a new one and I personally love it. I don't think it makes me a better parent or anything but it does wok nicely for us and peppa pig has luckily made it to YouTube for emergencies

Lanceolate · 10/08/2013 17:39

Constant background noise would drive me insane. TV or radio.

poocatcherchampion · 10/08/2013 19:08

cbeebies all day would drive me up the wall. we have it on the sum total of never. dd 17 months doesn't mind

Panzee · 10/08/2013 19:11

You should vary it with Nick Jr and Cartoonito. :o

formicadinosaur · 10/08/2013 21:28

If you read up on any research or advice from psychologists, you will find that very limited TV is recommended for children. With no TV recommended for babies.

We tend to do about 5 hours a week of screen time with our kids. Usually a film and the wii. I prefer talk radio for background noise. Most adult TV is so boring and in interesting.

applepieinthesky · 10/08/2013 21:42

We have the tv on quite a lot of the time but hardly ever on kids channels. DS is nine months old and prefers the music channels or radio to my relief.

Hamwidgeandcheps · 10/08/2013 21:49

In my house its cbeebies or nothing if the kids are up. I don't feel anything else is age appropriate and I can't bear background tv. Dd1 has it in in the morning while I get things ready and when I'm cooking dinner. I would never attempt to watch my preference of tv when the dc are about how odd?

Thurlow · 10/08/2013 22:09

We do have the telly on quite a bit in the background but I won't have it on CBeebies all the time. My SIL used to do this was DN and the Disney channel and he never paid anyone any bloody attention. We just tape one or two shows that 18mo really likes and if we're in the house we might put a 10 minute show on for her twice a day. The rest of the time it is on 'adult' TV and she generally ignores it.

However when she does notice it, she is noticing what is going on, which is slightly irritating. We used to be able to catch up with our TV shows in the background while playing with her (nothing like The Sopranos or anything) but she's now started reacting to the TV - today she nearly cried because a cat fell off a sofa on You've Been Framed - so I guess it will be rolling BBC News for us from now on...

GreenShadow · 10/08/2013 22:16

Strange question.

Of course you're not being unreasonable not to have Cbeebies on all day, but UABU to have the TV on all day.

maja00 · 10/08/2013 22:18

If I had one year old twins and a newborn you bet the TV would be on all day!

Whatever you need to get through it

pomdereplay · 10/08/2013 22:24

I really don't understand the need for having the TV on all the time. What purpose does it serve? It just seems odd to me -- if things are too quiet for us (though I personally love it quiet!) we'll play music and have a dance or just go outside. When the weather is we nice as it's been throwing the windows and patio doors open means we have plenty of general hubbub to hear too (city centre here so it's not cows mooing and birdsong really!).

Thurlow · 10/08/2013 22:30

Telly's a personal thing though, as an adult. If you've spent most of your adult life pre-DC used to having the TV burbling away in the background then it's going to be a default to have it on even when you do have DC. I hate silence and will always have the radio/TV on in the background. I have it on now, even though I'm not watching it.

I'm also happy to say that much as I love spending time with DC, repeatedly putting toy tin food in a line on a shelf, packing it back in a box, then putting it back on a shelf for an hour at a time goes a lot better if I have half an eye on the TV. I know in a weird way I will interact better and longer when DC want to play their strange little toddler games if the telly is on for me. I just turn it off when they want to read a book or something that requires all of my attention.

It's a bit bloody U to say that another adult shouldn't watch so much TV...

bigkidsdidit · 10/08/2013 22:41

What an odd question. You don't have to have the tv on anything all the time. I'm not sure about having adult programmes on in the background though, they pick up so much more than you think.

TheBleedinObvious · 10/08/2013 22:46

I don't think it is unfair that you don't let your babies watch ceebeebies all the time.

They don't know what they are missing.

They are not missing out.

MrsTerryPratchett · 11/08/2013 00:06

This is one of those times when I just don't understand. We're out most of the time and when we're in, it's radio or nothing. I don't understand having the TV on all the time.

RealAleandOpenFires · 11/08/2013 01:23

We limit how much he watches per day (so he watches his favourite 4-5 progs only once a day. Maybe a 1 hours worth?

Music wise:- it's a choice of radio 3, jazz either from radio or 'net, Mummy's music or (some of) Daddy's music.

MissMuesli · 11/08/2013 01:25

Also just to add if I had to choose between cbeebies or music channels it would be cbeebies every time. Can't stand the music channels, the videos seem to be so raunchy and dirty I hate it!

PeriodMath · 11/08/2013 01:30

Is this a joke?

RealAleandOpenFires · 11/08/2013 01:41

You could always just have either the radio on or turn the picture down on the TV.

Original poster

Ilovemyself · 11/08/2013 08:34

Why would you ask if it is a joke Periodmath?

OP posts:

Original poster

Ilovemyself · 11/08/2013 08:36

And for those that have made the assumption that we just sit and watch TV all day that is far from the case. We go for long walks in the countryside, we play in the garden, we have play groups to attend and much more besides.

OP posts:

SavoyCabbage · 11/08/2013 08:44

I think you should just do whatever suits you. I would hate to have the tv burbling on in the background but you like to have it on so just have it on.

There doesn't see much point in having Cbeebies on if your dc aren't watching it. If its just for background noise just have anything on.

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