To never have adult tv on when children are around?

[justwondering72]

My ds's are 6 and 3. They watch a bit of kids tv - cbeebies and nickelodeon usually. DH and I rarely get the chance to watch anything while they are up during the week, post dinner and pre bedtime being pretty hectic. But at the weekend we sometimes have the BBC news on during the day, or I might put something on while doing the ironing. Inevitably it attracts their attention even if they are doing something else at the same time. And I find my hand hovering over the remote to try and stop them hearing about wars, refugees, murders, missing children or any mildly violent or sexy scenes.

Am I being precious? Should I be letting them find out that the world isn't all mr maker and deadly 60? And being there to talk to them about what they see? Or are they still to young for these harsh realities of life? I'm not talking about horror or real adult entertainment, more like pre watershed programmes.

Captain - well if you are wierd so am I. Would never have thought to turn the news or such off when DS was little, I doubt he would have taken an interest and if he did, I would have answered as honestly as I could.

I remember as a kid my mum watching Emmerdale Farm (as it was called then) and I used to wonder why on earth would anyone want to watch something that wasn't a cartoon. That's about as much notice as I took.

I don't watch a lot of adult TV but I've had to field a lot of questions about the charity adverts which are on during breaks in many children's channels. These often feature starving children and endangered wildlife so I go from watching Ben and Holly to explaining about charity and conservation work.

They also watched the news a lot when there was coverage of the Syrian war, they wanted to ask questions about why it was happening. I do find this uncomfortable as it is hard to explain and upsetting, but I think if they are interested enough to ask I owe them an explanation.

Yanbu. I wouldn't too. It does them no good.

I don't have adult TV on when DC are about.

I do..I am a single parent of a 6 year old so he would think the TV was just for him otherwise...

I am aware of what is on though... It is very amusing if supernanny is on how shocked he is at there behaviour...

At the moment with all the HIV story line on emerdale and the Hayley storyline in Corrie I sky+ them

He watched half of dancing on ice last night and sky+ ed the rest so he can watch later

Ginger why does it do them no good to learn about world events and to understand that they are not in charge of the TV all the live long day? They take a turn at choosing something and then someone else gets to choose, so then they go and amuse themselves some other way.

If I am watching something I don't want DS to see I just tell him to go and do something in another room..........I pay the bills therefore I get first dibs on the tv :)

There was a thread a few weeks ago and the main sticking out point to me was the OP didn't have any dvds over 12r. Not even for her and her dp it was a blanket ban on them for everyone.

YANBU.

DCs are 3 and 5 and I never have adult TV on when they are in the room.

I always leave the TV tuned into Cbeebies when I turn it off so that if they switch it on they don't come across something horrific on BBC News for example.

No need for the harsh realities of life yet IMO.

We have on adult TV around DD (6) but we are careful. I agree with letting her watch the news, and factual programs....if she has any questions I would answer them in a way that's appropriate for her.

Her current favourite program in the world, EVER, is countryside 999. She's decided she wants to work for the Royal Navy Search and Rescue when she's older after watching this show on repeat every single day

We draw the line at soaps, and anything that might be a bit sexy though.

We wake up witn BBC beakfast, DC (6&4) love the weather forecast, and the rest they are not really interested in. Sometimes they ask a question , and I just answer honestly. We don't watch other daytime tv, but I would not have a problem with them seeing property shows or whatever ( but not Jeremy Kyle show and similar).

Obviously YABU. My Ds watches Jeremy Kyle on a loop to improve his vocabulary.

By harsh realities I think I meant them developing an awareness that not everyone in life is as lucky as they are - so the floods and other natural disasters, children growing up in slums and poverty etc. that is explainable at least. But the lunchtime news on the radio detailing just how many times a man stabbed his wife and then dumped her body in the bins, that's not what they need to hear, I know. I guess I interested where other parents draw the line btw real life and unnecessarily graphic and inappropriate.

They are both fine with animal gore thanks to a steady diet of Backshall and Attenborough since young! And no sexy music round here, just jazz and beardy folky tunes.

CaptainFabulous, I'm with you. I've always had a mix of adult and kiddie programmes on around my son, and he's certainly been watching the news since he was pretty young. I've found that over the years he's been gradually been asking more and more questions about it as his interest and concentration has naturally expanded - when he was really little he didn't get a lot of it anyway, and he certainly wasn't traumatised by it - he just kind of filtered out the stuff that was beyond him. I don't see what's wrong with letting them know what is, after all, life. There are plenty of children around the world who have seen absolutely horrific things first hand, who work, who beg etc. Childhood isn't a bubble. My son is nine now and has his own views on politics (he knows the names of plenty UK politicians), national and international happenings and can conduct conversations on these subjects. This wouldn't have happened if he'd only ever seen Postman bloody Pat. And it also wouldn't have happened if I'd had him watching brain-rotting soul-rotting garbage like fucking Location Location or Loose bloody Women - what kind of message does that sort of horseshit give to children?

I agree with all this. It doesn't half get tricky when they're older though. Mine are now 15 and 12 so they're up later. I know they are old enough to watch a lot more now, but nonetheless I'd prefer not to be watching certain things with them in the room. You just have to be quick off the mark with the remote control as they wander in just as something pops up on the screen.

I watch "grown up tv" when DS is around, he isn't quite three yet so no questions yet. But I don't think I would change my habits once he is older and more aware.

I think children need to know that tv isn't just for them, and that they world isn't all bright colours and talking veg (Mr Bloom fan here). I don't mean sit them down and make the watch panorama, but and awareness that bad things happen elsewhere shouldn't be a bad thing.

I'm so sorry Tunnock.

YANBU. Most people I know are the same. We never watch any adult TV until after the children are in bed. Saying that, there's nothing I would want to watch during the day anyway.

When I was growing up, it was children's channels after school until 6pm then my parents took over the remote. Most likely because there were only 4 channels (oh the joy when Channel 5 and sunset beach launched).
That practice carried on when they got sky, I wasn't interested in the news so went and read a book or played out (it was all such a simpler time )

My friends have got a 3 yr old and Kids channels are on constantly, they literally watch nothing else and last time I saw them I mentioned something shocking that had happened at the time and they had no clue what I was talking about.
Their daughter however was playing with toys and paying no attention to Peppa Pig so why we all had to endure it I've no idea.

I sort of understand your concerns but I think, on the whole, young children don't pay that much attention to it if it is not something that interests them.

Having said the I remember the news being on when DD was about 5 and she suddenly looked up and appeared to take an interest when she heard "a woman has been raped in Stockport". I steeled my self for an awkward question, but what she actually asked was "Where's Stockport?"

I have Pointless, Corrie and house programmes on when dd (2.2) is around. Tbh I dont want her growing up thinking the tv os for her sole entertainment and thatit must be shared.She likes Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly and the odd movie such as Toy Story but doesnt watch masses.

I have adult telly on but is usually cookery shows that type of thing some of the news is well grim

I have the radio on as I'm working round the house and when driving. My DDs are 9 and 11. I cringe when I hear murder details or other gruesome stuff on the news. So far DDs haven't commented on any of these stories. I think they might tune it out.

We never have background tv on.
Dh & I will watch adult tv from 8pm, DDs playing in a different room. (Bedtime is 9pm, they are unlikely to come interrupt us). But not if they have friends over.

We keep stuff like Game of Thrones until DDs are in bed, but have watched Breaking Bad while they are in different room..

I switch off radio news and the news if on telly and never ever ever anything like east enders.

Its far to young to expose them the endless ...on trial for sexual assaults etc...as well as everything else going on.