To be feeling guilty about putting the TV on at 5.30

[Eileen101]

My kids are 3.5 and almost 18 months. They are early risers (as are most kids I think) and are both generally up by 5.30. I end up putting the TV on to occupy them while I drink my coffee so I can wake up a bit..it's generally around 30-45 mins, then we read, have breakfast, play. This is non nursery days so 4 days per week.
Feeling guilty about giving them this TV time. AIBU?

I think you do what you need to do. It's not like they are sat there all day.

Enjoying your coffee in peace sounds like it would lift your mood a little and makes your morning less stressed therefore happier mum!
Don't be so hard on yourself

Don't feel guilty, give yourself time to wake up, keeps the kids quiet so the don't disturb the neighbours, a bit of telly is not going to hurt them. You're allowed to parent your DC anyway you want, enjoy your coffee ☕

45 mins of tv is fine!

No!! Do whatever you need to do! 5:30 is really early. DS gets up early often and I'm not playing and crafting and god knows what at that time. If I'm going to function I need to wake up properly and have a cup of tea in relative peace.

It's not like it's hours at a time

Do not give it another thought. Enjoy.

Don't be daft, enjoy your morning coffee in peace. Happy mum - happy kids.

530am is very early. I'd start trying to teach your 3 year old to stay in bed a bit later. Can't remember the name of them but there's a clock you can buy to help them with learning a more acceptable time to get up. As for being guilty about sticking the TV on you really shouldn't. Surely you don't expect to bounce out of bed at that time and go straight at it. Do whatever is neccessary for a coffee in peace.

When you were a child and got up early what did you do? I know we always just put the Tele on straight away. My mum used to leave out a glass of orange juice and a KitKat so we wouldn't bother her for a bit 🤣🤣 TV isn't the devil, a lot of cbeebies is educational, as long as your kids do other things as well, it's fine.

It's the only way to survive the early waking

Early mornings with a toddler are hideous. TV is the only way through it. I personally tried to stick to cbeebies so they weren't watching hours of adverts early in the morning but it's not a big deal.

Why would you feel guilty? As a teacher I never understand this guilt from parents about a little TV time. TV shows can be an excellent educational resource for children.

I actually think that a lot of the time, when parents say they feel guilty about their kids watching TV, they're a) just saying it because the think its the right thing to say or b) just saying it because they hear other parents saying it, and then think "Well, if everyone says they feel guilty about a small amount of TV, then it must be bad."

Actually, watching some age-appropriate and educational TV is great for kids! Kids can learn so much from certain TV shows and songs. I firmly believe that parents who say their kids watch no TV at all are doing their children a HUGE disservice and removing a perfectly good educational resource all for the sake of their own egos.

I am doing the same. My 20 month old is watching alphablocks whilst I have a coffee in relative peace. Do what you need to do, it is a long day with LOs and I think important to get it off to a good start with a strong coffee.

2yo currently snuggled in my bed watching some rubbish with a singing panda. It's YouTube and cuddles here til DH gets up at 7. No-one needs DS running around screaming or banging trains on the wooden floor at this time of day.

This is part of our routine every day pretty much. Son is 2.5. Up around 6am. About 40 minutes of songs/toddler tv.

I sometimes wonder what the heck are all the ‘I don’t let my kids watch tv’ parents doing for those early torturous hours? Y’all ain’t telling me you’re doing crafts and reading.

I do exactly the same and occasionally feel guilty about it. But like others have said, it’s not all day and you need to wake up too. 18mo DS usually comes for a cuddle now, rather than sitting on the floor in front of the TV, so that’s nice. Even though it means I can’t have a sneaky cereal bar without him noticing 😅

Showing my age here but Ds1 used to get up and watch the OU. I think he may have benefitted from it. I was up at 5.30 this morning to get Ds2 to work. You may not have the choice but I will have an afternoon nap after work. Children need to chill as well so a bit of screen time is cool.

I’m just jealous your kids will sit and watch!

You do what you can to survive! It’s all in remember doing as a kid - though I don’t recall my parents sitting with us!

I wasted so much time stressing about tv time - I couldn’t manage without it but I made me feel guilty. Both of them are bright, able and pleasant teenagers, it didn’t do them any harm!

There is a campaign at the moment going to persuade people to put the subtitles on children’s tv as an easy way to improve literacy so why don’t you do that? Won’t do any harm.

Do what gets you through the day.

Did you know there is no credible evidence that TV is bad?

I used to have a hot date with Thomas The Tank Engine at 5:30 every morning. Often for more than an hour to wait for my brain to get in gear sufficiently to rise from the sofa and make breakfast. 12 yr old DS still an early riser, but thankfully I don’t have to join him downstairs.

The TV was on at 4.30 in our house when DC were the age yours are. They still get at up at 6am. No tv on school days but at the weekend they’ve usually watched 2 hours before we get up.

With my DDs it was orange juice, Cheerios and Sesame Street while I had an extra hour in bed.
With DS it was tea for me and milk for him while we snuggled on the sofa and watched a program called Sunrise. It was 30 minutes of the sun rising over a lake or river or something. He is an adult now and still remembers watching the sun rise.

Do not feel guilty
We do what we need to do
It's that simple !!!!