Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be a bit surprised how many people put buggies in front of the tv

125 replies

TheFlumpFlan · 05/03/2014 10:24

Recently I've seen quite a few do this. Today I asked a friend to sit in for 15min whilst I popped to the shops whilst dd maple in the buggy. Kind of her but I was surprise to come back to see dd had woken so shed wheeled in the other room and turns the tv on.
Last week whilst we another woman got a buggy out to stick her 10month in to watch tv whilst we ate, I was offered a spare and both women looked taken aback that I'd rather leave dd to crawl around. I've seen it a few times dropping kids off too, an under two strapped in in front of the tv.
Am I the odd one making my live difficult letting children roam as I do household tasks? It's never occurred to me. The kids never look bothered or affected by it, but it just feels like something I couldn't do? Is it normal?

OP posts:
grobagsforever · 05/03/2014 10:27

Sounds a bit odd. Do these friends not have childproof houses? I suppose I used to stick the TV on for ten mins after lunch when DD was in her highchair but we were in rental we couldn't childproof effectively.

mumofboyo · 05/03/2014 10:29

I've never done it; mine are left to roam Grin.
Surely it makes the carpet mucky, rolling a pushchair over it, when its wheels will have been pushed along pavements, paths and verges covered in all kinds of shit? Confused

Onesleeptillwembley · 05/03/2014 10:43

I've honestly never seen it. Maybe it's the circles you mix in? Don't mean that as a dig at you, just that you see it a lot, and as I say, I've never seen it.

WorraLiberty · 05/03/2014 10:46

I've never seen it either but I'd never judge a parent for popping their 10 month old, in front of the TV while they ate their dinner in peace.

What's the problem with that, if the baby's happy/quiet for 20 mins? Confused

AntiDistinctlyMinty · 05/03/2014 10:50

DS1 went through a phase of pushing his own buggy into the living room, climbing in and pointing at the TV. He would fall asleep about five minutes later so I think it was his way of telling me he was tired. It only lasted about a fortnight, but a couple of times when he was desperately overtired I did wheel the buggy in in a desperate attempt to get him to sleep.

I never would have thought of it if he hadn't done it first though...

Crowler · 05/03/2014 10:51

Babies are so delicious when they're waking from a nap. Why waste it? Save the TV for when they've been awake for hours and are driving you mad.

But there's no difference between a buggy & a playpen. I would keep a baby contained so I could do something crucial i.e. eat lunch uninterrupted, surely this is normal.

ShadowFall · 05/03/2014 11:02

I've never seen anyone doing this, and it wouldn't have occurred to me to do it.

Although we do have a playpen that I used to pop DS1 into when I couldn't keep an eye on his roaming because I needed to cook dinner / do housework etc.

ThisSummerBetterBeDarnGood · 05/03/2014 11:25

Agree with popping child infront of tv, in high chair or baby walker, but I am scared by the Baby P thing with children restrained inside in pushchairs. Unfortunately I see his image when I see other children in them in the house.

ThisSummerBetterBeDarnGood · 05/03/2014 11:27

But there's no difference between a buggy & a playpen

Yes there is a massive difference between them, but not between high chair or walker.

In a play pen they can move freely! And play and entertain themselves

Crowler · 05/03/2014 11:31

OK. There's no difference between a buggy & a walker.

TinyTwoTears · 05/03/2014 11:33

Another one who's never seen it or done it. We had an activity centre for ds1 while I was cooking. Same constraints as sitting in a pushchair I s'pose.

FederationPresidentBarryFife · 05/03/2014 11:36

I'm a bit judgey pants about that. Strapped in and put in front of the TV seems like terrible parenting IMO!

emsyj · 05/03/2014 11:41

I have literally never seen this done or heard anyone talk about having done it or seen it. Very odd.

BillyAndBamBam · 05/03/2014 11:41

Dd's treat is watching Pointless from her high chair with her pudding while we eat tea!

She's not mobile atm but for the rest of the time she could be playing with me, playing by herself, emptying the DVDs, bouncing in her jumperoo or running around in her walker. I don't have the tv on during the day and our buggy stays outside.

I wouldn't necessarily judge someone for doing it though as long as it wasn't all the time or for extended periods.

Brittabot · 05/03/2014 11:41

I have never done this and don't know of anyone who does, and was being a bit cat bums mouth about it but then I remembered we had a jumperoo & I used to stick them in that. Not in front of the telly though, that sounds a bit like they're captives. Although they watch plenty of free range telly!

Crowler · 05/03/2014 11:42

I had a real, live 18month old in my house this weekend (house guest) and I wouldn't judge anyone for trying to keep one contained for a small period of time. I was absolutely shocked.

emsyj · 05/03/2014 11:42

PS Do 10 month olds watch TV?? We quite often have the TV on in the late afternoon for DD1 who is nearly 4, but DD2 (13 months) doesn't show any interest in it. I don't remember DD1 watching TV until she was about 2. I would never have thought to use TV as an entertainment for a baby simply because I wouldn't have thought they would be engaged by it.

StuckOnARollercoaster · 05/03/2014 11:43

Its quite restrictive being in a pushchair when they are strapped in so I wouldn't want to put DD in it unless we are actually going somewhere or we do use ours for daytime naps.
Normally she is free to roam in living room, but if I need to do something and can't supervise then I will pop her in travel cot/playpen. I think its a massive difference with the pushchair as she can move around in there and isn't restricted other than how far she can get.
I spend a lot of time in kitchen though and floor is hard tile and she's not yet a good enough sitter and crawler that she doesn't collapse and knock her head so until she's better at that she does have to spend a fair bit of time in her high chair - but her arms are free in ours and she can kick her legs - so again much prefer that than using the pushchair.
I think I'm a bit of an odd mum though - as she doesn't really watch tv yet at 8 months. Although if there's something on that we want to watch then she sees it - so a fan of top gear and sewing bee at the moment ;-) and then she sits with us on the sofa!

MrsRogerSterling · 05/03/2014 11:43

A friend of mine did this with both of her dc, if they weren't in the pushchair then they were in the travel cot with toys. She never let them roam about. I always felt a bit sorry for them but they were happy and safe. My pushchair has never been in my house, it is kept in car boot when not in use.

Goldmandra · 05/03/2014 11:47

I've only seen one parent doing this, well actually it was a car seat not a buggy, and the child was eventually given a full time place in a SS run nursery because it was delaying his development. It was the making of him.

Crowler · 05/03/2014 11:47

emsyj, my thought exactly. TV would not hold either of my children's interest until about 2.5 years.

TheresLotsOfFarmyardAnimals · 05/03/2014 11:48

I'm just jealous. DS would kick off big time if I tried that one! He wants to be attached at all times.

SomethingkindaOod · 05/03/2014 11:52

Nothing wrong with letting them free roam but there are times when it's a damn sight easier to pop them in the buggy or the high chair for a few minutes to keep them out from under your feet. The tv can be a useful distraction. I would be Confused if it happened all the time but every so often can be a godsend. I will be doing it shortly as my small one is rebelling against her nap time and won't last until bed.
You can't really use anything like this as a comparison with the Baby P situation though.

MeepMeepVrooom · 05/03/2014 11:55

I've never done this nor have I ever seen it.

How odd.

Mrswellyboot · 05/03/2014 11:58

If it is safer for five mins I wouldn't have an issue with it. Walkers aren't recommended (but each parents to their own- i dont judge, but dont like them) but we have a fisher price chair that has toys attached and has straps that I use as baby is too small for highchair.

I think there are other ways than the TV though, like books you can hang from their activity centre etc.