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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To let my 6 year old watch 'unsuitable' daytime TV?

27 replies

WalkingInMemphis · 08/11/2014 09:42

NOT along the lines of Jezza btw Grin

He is currently glued to 'The Real A&E' on Sky Living. Another favourite is 'Police Interceptors'. Generally any documentary about police, car chases or medical problems/injuries. He very rarely chooses to watch cartoons now (old soul at 6/nearly 7) and instead, when he has TV time, will choose Sky Living or similar for any of the above. He generally has a really factual mind, loves documentary's and gameshows and is also a fan of Bear Grylls which he watches with dh.

Some of the stuff on The Real A&E can be a bit graphic/upsetting (although they generally all turn out well in the end), but he is completely unfazed by it, just fascinated, and sometimes makes lists of all the medical problems you can have. At the moment a young girl is having a hook pulled out of her finger which is making me cringe - ds hasn't moved his eyes away Hmm

He's also learnt the names of a few choice drugs from PI (cannabis and cocaine) and also surmised from them that people take drugs by smoking a cigarette with drugs in, or by 'eating drug powder'. We've had a chat about drugs off the back of this and ds's main summary is 'If you take drugs you might get arrested or die. I'm never taking drugs' which to me, doesn't seem a bad opinion to become ingrained from an early age.

Anyway, I've not thought too much about this. Until my sister popped over whilst PI was on and ds1 told her what he knew about drugs and how bad they were and how naughty some people were to take them. She was horrified (to put it mildly) and thinks it's completely inappropriate for a 6 year old to know anything about this and that he shouldn't be allowed to watch these sorts of programs.

Thoughts? Aibu?

Just to add...anything he watches would be in the day time. So swearing is bleeped out and so on. These types of programs generally escalate and get more graphic after the watershed, which he's never watched.

OP posts:
EddieVeddersfoxymop · 08/11/2014 19:55

My DD (7) is the same. Police Interceptors, Motorway cops, Countryside 999......all her favourites. I don't really have a problem with it as she is learning about what the emergency services do, and has declared she wants to work in a job like that. She has lots of questions, which we answer as honestly as we feel appropriate. Only drawback is the reedy voice that pipes up from the back of the car if I go 1mph over the speed limit.....Blush

WyrdByrd · 08/11/2014 23:08

My DD 10 is another one that loves this stuff. Nothing to Declare, anything involving Sheriffs, bailiffs etc.

We were at our favourite Chinese restaurant a few months ago, when immigration control came charging in just as we were finishing our meal.

I though we were going to have to pick her up and carry her out, she was so desperate to stay and watch!

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