To ask if your kids watch TV at breakfast

[firstimer30s]

Just that really. Do your kids watch TV while eating their breakfast and if not, what do they do?

Not any more. DS noew eats breakfast downstairs and has no tv beofre school as it was just so distracting for him

Oh wow! Mine do! They are only 1 and 3 though We have an open plan area so it’s easy for them to do it, they still eat pretty quickly and I get to dodge upstairs to get dressed.

Everyone’s a Winner surely?!!

We don’t have a TV in the kitchen but DD (4) watches CBeebies on the iPad.

I don’t like screens at mealtimes, but DH picks her up from nursery and does dinner and introduced it. Now it’s every meal. I hate it. And yes, of course I can say no to my 4 year old, but when the 44 year old is in agreement with her it’s a losing battle.

No, there's no TV where we eat.

Yes we do. It is the bribe to get them dressed/ready quickly and downstairs. They eat their breakfast in front of CBeebies or Milkshake which allows me to run around gathering stuff together or get small jobs done. It's probably about 15 - 20 mins and mornings would be hell without it. DCs are 4yo and nearly-2yo.

I'm another who panics at the sound of certain theme tunes. On preschool days the Biggle Wiggle means if I haven't already got their shoes on we'll be late. Playgroup day involves leaving as Justin's House finishes at the latest. The only issue it causes is a fight over who gets to press the off button.

No. The TV doesn't go on unless we want to watch something specific (I never just leave it on).

We don’t have a tv in the kitchen so no tv during breakfast. I don’t think we’d have time anyway - my two are like zombies when the tv is on.

We all rise at 7 and they have a drink and look at books while I shower, dress and make beds. Then we all have breakfast together and then they wash and while they dress I tidy up the breakfast dishes. We leave for school after that, but if they get ready before I finish tidying they play together and when that gets too rowdy I tell them to read quietly.

During breakfast we chat about what everyone is doing that day, it’s nice.

No. They can watch when they are ready for school though.

Thanks all! No TV at mealtimes since Monday and it’s been quite lovely actually. So yay.

Yep. Only DD3, 8, is still at school now - she snuggles under the duvet on our sofa bed and eats her breakfast while watching CBBC. Then she gets her uniform on, brushes her teeth, then we're out the door to school. All with zero fuss, and never a late arrival in the four years she's been attending school.

I have found that the imaginative play increases with no TV during week. So after breakfast she starts crafty stuff (has to be dressed for school before breakfast otherwise we'd never get out the house!) and listens to music. Its calmer 😀

No because it's a struggle enough to get him to eat his breakfast without the added distraction. Weekends he generally does

Our routine used to be that everyone had to be washed and dressed before coming downstairs on a weekday morning and they could watch tv after breakfast as long as they had packed up their school stuff etc the night before. It was much calmer than having to rush them through breakfast because they still needed to get ready.

Now they get out of bed 5 minutes before they are due to leave and rush out of the door with a piece of fruit in their hands.

Yes. Always. I have two boys under 4. I love the peace and quiet and it helps them sit and eat! They do so much in their days that I couldn't give a toss about some screen time.

Caveat being that I don't envisage this being the case when they're old enough to have proper conversations.

Yes mine often do...

We don’t TV at mealtimes unless we’re having a takeaway on a weekend and watching shit tv/film. Breakfast/lunch/dinner takes far too long otherwise and we’d be late for school and work in the mornings.

Nope, they would take a year and a half to eat if they did. They can watch a bit of TV if they have time after getting ready for school...it motivates them nicely!

Yes we do
Once Ive made packed lunches I sit and watch BBC breakfast and have a cup of tea whilst they have breakfast.

TBh though my children are a bit older than I think the majority of the people on here. My DC will sit and watch the news with me and kind of get themselves ready in the morning ......the days of cbeebies are long gone!

TV would slow them down too much. They're allowed it on once they are both completely ready for school except shoes/coats so it is an incentive to get on with it.

I love the idea of family breakfast chatting around the table but in reality things have panned out a little differently (because I'm always knackered and because I'm not the perfect parent I always hoped I'd be)...

My alarm goes off at half 6. DS (8) and DD (6) are usually already awake, follow me downstairs and are allowed to watch TV whilst I grab a cuppa and drink it in bed (drives OH mad that I set the alarm early so that I can do this!). DS usually does watch TV, DD tends to join us in bed for a cuddle and a chat.

At 7 or so DC have breakfast either at the table or on the sofa but usually with TV still on. Then TV goes off whilst we all get dressed and ready. I leave at 8am, DH and DC leave at 8.30. They are allowed more screen time if ready early.

At weekends I let them have their cereal in front of the TV. Weekdays, no - I've never allowed TV before school. They both eat breakfast at the kitchen table.

DD often reads while she eats breakfast. DS isn't a morning person and just stares sullenly in to space

Nope, never. DS (10) eats his breakfast at the table while I make lunches in the kitchen (and eat my breakfast while I am doing it!)
We generally don't eat in front of the TV, it's a rare treat at weekends. No screens at the table usually either though again, this is relaxed at weekends if we have time for a leisurely breakfast (and I fancy a browse of Facebook while I drink my 2nd coffee...)

No because they spend too much time looking at the telly and not their food, breakfast will take a fucking age and then there's milk/jam everywhere.

But they do have it on once they've had breakfast and got uniform on. Then I have time to do their hair (TV means no complaints) and clean up breakfast, get bags etc ready.

Nope. My kids get too distracted by the TV then don't get ready so the rule is that if everyone is ready early enough they can have the TV on before we leave at X time - it works