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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask a daft question about babies and violent games/TV?

16 replies

TaliZorah · 13/10/2015 16:32

My son is nearly 2 months old, when does it become inappropriate to have him in the room with me if I'm watching a violent film or playing a video game. I figured it wouldn't matter until he was a lot older but I'm wondering if I'm going to cause problems by letting him sit in the room with me while stuff like that is on. On the other hand surely you don't give up every adult film or game when you have DC.

I feel really stupid asking this lol but do you think it's inappropriate to play these games or watch films that are a bit violent around a baby?

OP posts:
SirChenjin · 13/10/2015 16:38

How violent are we talking about? Is there a reason that you can't watch them when he's sleeping?

Roobix04 · 13/10/2015 16:40

We uses to watch x files when dd was in the room. Stopped at about 9 months when we saw her actually watching the tv. Dp still plays call of duty with her in the room at 18 months but only the online mode where without the context of knowing what war or guns are she can't tell it's violent.

Original poster
TaliZorah · 13/10/2015 16:43

Sir he likes to sleep on me, so when he's finally gone to sleep I tend to stay on the sofa for a few hours till he wakes in case I wake him up. So I do it when he's asleep but sometimes he wakes up while it's on.

Roob thanks. It's COD type games I'm talking about, I figured they were fine but just wanted to make sure

OP posts:
nutmegandginger · 13/10/2015 16:53

If you go to the baby cinema screenings that various cinemas offer mums and babies, they show all kinds of films, not just child-suitable ones. At our local one they showed Mad Max! I used to go all the time when dd was little. Once the baby gets to the age of 1 they become subject to censorship law, and then you aren't allowed to take them any more - the cinema takes your baby's birthdate when you sign up so it is taken quite seriously. So I assume from that that someone has decided that 1 is the sort of age that children start becoming aware enough of what they see that these things matter. Not sure what research lies behind that.

When my dd was just a few months old, we used to watch all kinds of stuff on TV while she slept on me or gazed blankly out into space. I wouldn't worry about it with a 2 month old.

littlefrenchonion · 13/10/2015 16:53

When DD was very first born I didn't worry too much - I watched the entire Walking Dead collection while recovering from EMCS while she sat with me. I figured she couldn't see clearly enough at that point for it to be an issue. Now she's 5 months and getting quite interested in the TV and her vision has clearly developed so I am more careful about what I expose her to.

I noticed our local cinema does mum and baby (for babies

ilikebaking · 13/10/2015 16:53

Up until DS was 4 months I watched what I liked- but the worst thing had to be Jeremy Kyle or Game of Thrones. I had the volume on low though because raised voices worried me with his development.
Once he was 4 months though I stopped and made DH stop too, then I stuck to things that I would let a child watch.
Occasionally we have on things that are a bit risque- but it would be rated 12, rather than X.
I think you just need to make a decision and be okay with it.

I cannot abide gaming, so it isn't an issue. Dislike violence, sexual scenes and swearing too- so they tend to get fast forwarded when I am alone!

Original poster
TaliZorah · 13/10/2015 16:58

Thanks, I've never been to a baby screening so didn't know that! It's generally sci fis I have on rather than loads of gore, thanks for the reassurance

OP posts:
Iloveonionchutney · 13/10/2015 16:58

Me and dh play cod and similar games, we carried on when dd was born until she started showing an interest in the TV screen, she's 5 now so don't play when she's awake but I'm due at the moment and will probably play when oldest is in school and the baby is here.

thebestfurchinchilla · 13/10/2015 17:00

Personally I don't like or watch those type of violent films or play those games but I turned off aggressive trailers etc when my chn were around. Just didn't want then to become desensitised to shouting and violence. I see chn of 4/5 playing really aggressive games and they must have seen it somewhere!

gamerchick · 13/10/2015 17:05

I got into gaming during the babydays. I stopped in front of them at a natural time.

You'll know yourself when to stop I think. You won't be able to when they're awake for longer periods and then on the move anyway.

Strokethefurrywall · 13/10/2015 18:12

I don't game or watch horror movies generally because I'm a wuss, but I don't think we stopped watching anything until DS1 was old enough to pay attention to what was on TV.

I recall him in his high chair at about 18 months and the trailer for Drag Me To Hell came on the TV. DH and I both actually hid behind cushions and then we realized DS1 was happily sitting in his high chair utterly unfazed by what he was seeing. Same with the LOTR trilogy which we watched all the time until he was about 2 and by that time he actually wanted to watch TV with us.

He's 4 now and we have to switch between a lot of channels if we're watching something innocuous, given the watershed doesn't seem to apply here and the TV channels like to stick horror movie trailers on (and the Exorcist on BBC America!) at like 3pm.

LionsDontWeaveLentils · 13/10/2015 18:21

We used to watch a lot of very adult and violent stuff when dd was a baby. We stopped when she seemed to be actually paying attention to it.

Someone mentioned 9 months up thread and that seems about the same for us. I was so sleep deprived I can't really remember to be honest.

She doesn't seem to have been terribly effected by it. At least I haven't woken to find her standing over me with a carving knife yet Grin

poocatcherchampion · 13/10/2015 18:25

I don't think it is just about violence and gore. There is not much on the telly I think it is OK for littlies to watch - which is presumably why people like non stop kids TV.

No soap operas are suitable IMO, or things like doctors - its all about infidelity, rape etc. Just not right for kids.

If we ever put the telly on it ends up being a house hunting/improvement programme. Or occasionally a quiz. Dullsville.

StarlingMurmuration · 13/10/2015 18:29

I've been thinking about this recently - I have an 11 month old DS and for the last couple of months I've started censoring the things I watch while he's in the room. He doesn't really watch TV (through he likes theme songs and musicals), but I'm worried he might see something horrible and have a nightmare that he doesn't understand. Probably being a bit PFB but at least if I'm watching e.g. Glee or I put cbeebies on, I know he won't see anything violent.

Bishboshbash · 13/10/2015 18:30

It wouldn't bother me if the baby was asleep on you but I wouldn't watch things like COD with DS in the room by the time he was about six months old.

Purplepoodle · 13/10/2015 18:54

We just stopped when started to show awareness of tv. But didn't bother if they were sleeping on me when older. Recently had ds (4) asleep on my knee as he was poorly while trying to watch ripper street. Turned over when he woke

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