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Original poster

Child wanting me to watch everything - driving me insane!!

82 replies

MisterMakerMakes · 19/12/2020 20:15

DC is 7 and is currently sat next to me asking me to watch video after video. They will sit watching my face to make sure I'm watching and it's driving me insane, I'm going to scream. BlushHmm

I have tried to tell them politely that I have already watched the 5 previous videos they wanted me to watch but now have to get on with my own things but they just don't stop!

OP posts:
DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult · 19/12/2020 21:56

The advice to 'cherish every moment' when your kids have grown up and, undoubtedly, a large part of the monotony of bringing up your kids wasn't cherished, is pretty patronising. I'm sorry you're missing your grandson foreverandalways and I really hope you get to see him again really soon, but please don't try and guilt trip people for not cherishing having to do the same thing 20 times in a row.

Gérard Butler himself could be helicoptering his knob in front of me and I would still get bored after the 8th consecutive "look at this" while he does it again.

Emeraldshamrock · 19/12/2020 22:02

Oh yes you need to put a time limit on it.
DD has grown out of it she asks now and again. I happily do it at nearly 12 she doesn't spend much time on me it is a chance for 5 minutes.
DS hasn't started that phase yet.

ladykuga · 19/12/2020 22:11

Beware, it could go on into adulthood. My EXDP comes round and does it. A quick "I'm not interested" usually puts a stop to it. Guess that's where DD gets it from. Gives me the most unreasonable rage. I DON'T BLOODY CARE about Formula 1, Tiana Wilson, Roblox or the bloody Unicorn Twins. Angry

FinallyFluid · 19/12/2020 22:12

Enjoy the little things, they are the big things.

My DS 19 tells me so much about his life, he doesn't mean to,

because I am like well a grown up.............but hey we have an easy chat thing going on, because I listened to the little stuff.

ScienceSensibility · 19/12/2020 22:20

I just don’t understand this as a problem.

Say No and mean it.

Remove yourself from the space if you have to, be very obviously doing something else...

Manage expectations. Don’t let your children think they can dictate what you do, they will then expect such deference from those around them, somewhat problematic when they get to school.

TyroTerf · 19/12/2020 22:24

I feel your pain. Mine's also seven and is forever shoving a nintendo in my face so I can make impressed noises at random cutscenes and explosions and whatnot.

Taking away the screens sounds like a brilliant idea, but simply means I get a book shoved in my face instead. I don't mind so much when it's Simon's Cat, but when it's the Pokemon encyclopaedia knocking my tea into my teeth I have to protest. That thing's a bloody unwieldy beast of a book.

Love51 · 19/12/2020 22:32

@foreverandalways the fact that our kids haven't been anywhere all year is precisely the reason they are so annoying at the moment! Mine are really missing companionship from people that don't live here.

CatholicKidston · 19/12/2020 22:36

@foreverandalways

I am a grandmother and have been unable to see my 9 yr old grandson since April...heartbroken...I would give anything to sit and watch movies with him right now...cherish every second x

Aaaaaaaaaargh Biscuit

thetaleunfolds · 19/12/2020 22:48

Don't tell me it doesn't end soon - my 2 year old spends all day making sure I'm also paying equal attention to CBeebies

M4J4 · 19/12/2020 22:49

Omg does heartbroken coronavirus lamenting need to be shoehorned into every thread.

OP, my DH does this. Is it a male thing?!

Rosebel · 19/12/2020 23:30

Mine don't show me things very often but repeat word for word a video or even worse a TV show. My 14 year old will shout 'you aren't listening. Listen to me, listen ". My 12 year old is autistic and doesn't care if I'm listening or not, she talks regardless.
I understand it's really tiring but if it's a problem then set a limit. 3 videos and then I have things to do. Their face might drop but they'll get over it and probably put it on a bit if they know you'll give in.

Aria2015 · 19/12/2020 23:39

Maybe agree to watch his video but ask if he'll watch a video with you about something you like afterwards. I do this with my 5 year old and he soon stops asking me lol!

CherryPavlova · 19/12/2020 23:55

The alternative to “No” is to turn the television off. Even better get them doing jobs.

HaveeeeYouMetTed · 20/12/2020 00:02

I've never read anything more relatable Grin

My 4 year old does this. It drives me crackers. My heart sunk when I saw your child is 7 therefore numerous more years of "watch this!" then the pain of seeing the video being rewound all the way to the start if I dare blink for too long. I end up seeing more of the video than him as he's too busy watching me! 🤣

Whatthebloodyell · 20/12/2020 00:08

My personal pain is being told their Minecraft strategies (?plot plan?) in intricate detail. Repeatedly. But I just can’t keep any of it in my head, it’s all complete gobbledygook to me. But periodically he pauses for some sort of response from me and I have to come up with something to say beyond ‘oooooo hmmmmm yeah’.

79Beastie · 20/12/2020 00:43

I remember when my daughter was about 7, we had a marathon barbie film watching day. Started at 10am finished about 5,30 ish when it was time to make tea. It was absolutely horrendous but looking back I'm so lucky to have had all that time cuddled up with her. These days I'm lucky if I get half an hour with her. She's nearly 15 now. Spending quality time with your kids when they are little makes happy memories for them even though it's can be torturous for you. They are only little once make the most of it. My son is nearly 18 now and I remember having to sit through endless cbbies, Bob the builder, the wiggles, barnie the dinosaur and many more but again it's all memories.

Thehogfatherstolemycurry · 20/12/2020 00:50

I am a grandmother and have been unable to see my 9 yr old grandson since April...heartbroken...I would give anything to sit and watch movies with him right now...cherish every second x

Don't be bloody silly. I too am a grandmother and haven't seen my grandchild for nearly a year, that doesn't mean I want to or have time to sit watching endless videos with her or my younger children who live with me.
You a at bed a few so now it's ok to say "last one then I need to do such and such" and go and do it.

StormBaby · 20/12/2020 01:01

We have one like this, my stepdaughter is early teens and it just gets worse. Extreme neediness and attention seeking. Watch this video/dancemove/picture I’ve drawn...it’s endless. I just lovebomb her and make a huge effort because if I bat her away, she just ramps it up a notch. I feel like she gets ignored a lot of the time so she’s figuratively screaming to be heard.

With your child OP, could they be anxious? Has lockdown affected them at all.

CharityEscapeGoat · 20/12/2020 01:03

Really, @foreverandalways? My 8y/o DD does this too. I am not allowed to drink a cup of tea in peace. Or go to make dinner. Or do the laundry. Or go for a wee. Or go for a nap because I'm disabled & in constant pain. Or anything at all by myself because of her continual questions, comments, requests that I pay attention to what she's watching, what she's doing, what invisible animals she's galloping around the (tiny) living room with right now. I get no peace, ever. She has ASD & never bloody well stops moving or talking. She cannot be left alone as she trashes the place. My mother has never babysat for us, ever, despite living locally, because DD is too much hard work.

MinnieJackson · 20/12/2020 12:11

My son has been asking me for about seven months if On boxing day he can show me his whole years worth of minecraft building Confused he has asd and will never forget. I tentatively asked him yesterday if we could perhaps do a tour of just his favourite builds. He's been saving them all year for a big reveal and I don't think I'm going to get out of it. He couldn't fathom why I don't want to see every single bloody block! Xmas Hmm

ForestNymph · 20/12/2020 12:12

DS1 does this all the time

PoppyOppy · 20/12/2020 12:31

When they get older it's ”look at this goal/penalty/corner”

if I were interested I would have been watching and would have seen it the first time...!

WhereYouLeftIt · 20/12/2020 12:47

@MisterMakerMakes

It just feels so mean to say 'no, I don't want to watch it' Confused His face drops and I feel like a terrible parent Blush
Toughen up! Grin

Either do the 'asking questions' thing, or a straight 'no I don't want to'. Do you really want to raise a child who never hears the word 'no'? You know that does them no favours in the end.

I was very gratemful when DS outgrew this, so I do feel your pain, but - say 'no'!

LindaEllen · 20/12/2020 12:56

Never mind kids, my DP is like this. He watches so much crap on YouTube and likes to show it to me, and he has an amazing ability to watch 1,000 similar things in a row. He, too, loves it when he shows me a video that I also like (it does sometimes happen) and looks like a beaten puppy when I say no, or that I'm not interested.

They never grow up!

PragmaticWench · 20/12/2020 13:04

@MinnieJackson, maybe think of it as Blocksing Day instead?! Definitely mentally earn yourself rewards after for each five minutes you watch. Wink