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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Dc 6.5 when watching Britains got talent

19 replies

Membersavedbythebell · 03/05/2025 21:41

Just wanted to check how typical my 6.5 year olds behaviour is. We let them stay up a bit later on a Saturday to watch Bgt. The whole time Dc talks all the way through it, literally non stop, then gets up to dance around, find things for the dog to play with (dog is old and just wanting to sleep) washes arms with soap, changes wet t-shirt and so on.
Dh thinks a child at this age should be able to sit quietly and watch a show.

How is/was your similar age child?

OP posts:
ToKittyornottoKitty · 03/05/2025 21:43

Sounds totally normal, i cant see anything wrong with what they are doing.

Membersavedbythebell · 03/05/2025 21:44

ToKittyornottoKitty · 03/05/2025 21:43

Sounds totally normal, i cant see anything wrong with what they are doing.

Not wrong as such, just if it was too hyper? I only have friends kids to compare it too and when we’re with them, they sit and watch calmly

OP posts:
OnePearlHelper · 03/05/2025 21:45

Yep my seven year old does this kind of thing despite asking to watch it.

Snorlaxo · 03/05/2025 21:45

IIRC there’s lots of ad breaks and talking bits when watching programmes like BGT which encourages the mind to wander.

Can she sit down and watch a film at the cinema ?

Membersavedbythebell · 03/05/2025 21:45

OnePearlHelper · 03/05/2025 21:45

Yep my seven year old does this kind of thing despite asking to watch it.

Ahh really, just quite hyper and all over the place?

OP posts:
Membersavedbythebell · 03/05/2025 21:46

Snorlaxo · 03/05/2025 21:45

IIRC there’s lots of ad breaks and talking bits when watching programmes like BGT which encourages the mind to wander.

Can she sit down and watch a film at the cinema ?

Yes, but sometimes asks to leave it early as gets a bit bored?

OP posts:
ToKittyornottoKitty · 03/05/2025 21:48

Membersavedbythebell · 03/05/2025 21:44

Not wrong as such, just if it was too hyper? I only have friends kids to compare it too and when we’re with them, they sit and watch calmly

She probably finds it a bit boring! My 8 year old still does this. She can sit in the cinema and watch a film fine (although a year ago wouldn’t have done) but at home yeah she’s up and down.

Newbie887 · 03/05/2025 21:48

My 6 year old is like this when we try to watch anything as a family. He climbs on the sofa, jumps off it, does spin jumps from one end to the other etc etc. It drives the other kids crazy. He is not NT though

RavenLaw · 03/05/2025 21:52

Mine was like this at 6.5 and still is. She has severe ADHD (and ASD, but the inability to watch a show that she wants to watch without talking all the way through and moving constantly is the ADHD). Her friends at the same age used to get frustrated with her if they had a play date and a parent put on a cartoon or a film at the end for them to watch, because they could all focus for longer than DD and she annoyed them so I don't think it is typical for 6-7 year olds. Unless DD just had incredibly sophisticated friends 😂

mathanxiety · 04/05/2025 02:01

Your DH is right.

A child of 6.5 should be able to sit and listen unless the programme is way beyond his or her frame of reference, level of interest, or comprehension (a documentary about lunar geology, for instance).

How late was 'a bit later than usual'?
If your DC was very tired, I would have expected a bit of fidgeting or punch drunk type behaviour. Not the performance you witnessed though.

mathanxiety · 04/05/2025 02:08

My DCs sat through Mass every Sunday at that age - at least an hour - without a peep out of them, and the children I see in the church these days are the same.

Are you concerned about ND issues, OP?

temperedolive · 04/05/2025 02:13

They may just not be a BGT person! It gets very talky. Lots of the backstory of the performer, the judges bantering and reacting, etc. The good bits for a child are short and spread out.

Cam they watch something designed for children with appropriate interest?

hhtddbkoygv · 04/05/2025 03:02

Mine is similar but more climbing on everything and jumping around and suspected nd but otherwise I'd say it sounds normal.

I could sit still and watch programmes at that age but everyone is different.

raspberrieswithchocolate · 04/05/2025 05:38

A child that age should be able to sit quietly and watch tv, so your DH is correct. What is she like in other scenarios? For instance, can she remain at her desk at school? What about other tv programmes - does she sit calmly and watch other programmes that she's really interested in? At the cinema, how long will she sit quietly watching the film?

IAmTheLogLady · 04/05/2025 06:23

I think it's on the chatty side of normal. Maybe the idea of staying up later was really exciting for him.
What's he usually like ? How does he get on at school ?

IAmTheLogLady · 04/05/2025 06:25

Grin just noticed you didn't state if your dc is a boy or a girl in your op.
I just put him because I have 2 ds I think.

ForLovingAquaSheep · 04/05/2025 06:32

Mine did the same at that age. She's neuro typical. It was the excitement of being allowed to stay up late, probably coupled with a bit of overtiredness meaning she went a bit hyper to keep herself awake.

I encouraged a bit of fun, got involved in the crazy. She sat through meals out for an hour or two etc without running around like a headless chicken from very early on.

At home she was free to let off steam; why encourage getting them to zone out when you can interact with them and the show with a song / dance

HugHog · 04/05/2025 06:36

BGT goes on for a long time, and it's late for a young child. What we sometimes do is record it, then watch it the next day but earlier in the evening. Means we can skip the ads and any boring bits but we still get to watch it as a family.

notsureyetcertain · 04/05/2025 07:16

Chatting is normal, dancing is normal as there’s music. The other bits are a bit. much. I’d assume she is a bit bored/tired can she sit through an animated film?

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