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Original poster

No TV before school?!

418 replies

Tireddadplus · 03/10/2025 08:41

Hi! Just got a message from our DD’s (5yo) school that we should not let the kids watch any tv before school! Bad for their brains or something…

DD watches a bit of tv while myself or DW sort out lunches or whatever…just makes getting out the door easier!

Am i being unreasonable to ignore this advice?

OP posts:
LapinR0se · 03/10/2025 08:45

Our school said they can instantly see which kids have watched tv before school. Apparently it takes them ages to get into school mode and concentrate. For that reason we have no tv before school ever.

Ablondiebutagoody · 03/10/2025 08:47

Depends. 10 minutes of something relatively calm, fine. An hour of hectic stuff and I can imagine that they wouldn't be in the best condition to learn.

EverybodyLTB · 03/10/2025 08:48

You’ve got to do what works best for you. TV would slow us all down because my kids (teens) are so easily zombified and nobody would get dressed. If everyone in your house is ready and you need 15 mins to do the last things on the list, I don’t see a problem with a bit of Peppa. Especially if you’ve got a walk or bike ride to school that blows the cobwebs away. Just depends - like most aspects of parenting!

FWIW we always watch TV while we eat dinner at the table. I’m sure it’s frowned upon but we enjoy either catching up on and chatting about something like masterchef or bake off, or communally playing a quiz or something while we eat. None of us have rotted brains…. I don’t think!

Swiftie1878 · 03/10/2025 08:48

No TV here before school. Getting ready and chatting only.

Meredusoleil · 03/10/2025 08:49

We have never had TV on before school/work. We rarely put it on while eating dinner either.

Newgirls · 03/10/2025 08:51

Take their advice and try it? We didn’t do it and managed - kids might surprise you and read or play or something

Muffinmam · 03/10/2025 08:53

I’m fairly chilled as a parent. But there are absolutely no screens before school or after dinner (except on school holidays & even then it’s rare).

Aria2015 · 03/10/2025 08:55

Do what works for you, I think a short time if fine if it helps mornings run smoother.

In our house TV tends to slow everyone down and so the rule is that it can only go on after everyone is fed and dressed and really to walk out the door so they usually get 5 mins before they leave if they've not been too slow!

WhatNoRaisins · 03/10/2025 08:57

We don't do TV before school but I don't think it's the schools place to tell you what you can and can't do in the morning.

Ohmygodthepain · 03/10/2025 08:57

We never did, was just something that happened naturally rather than a 'right, that's it, no more tv'.

Helped that we just used to go from the madness of upstairs to breakfast in the kitchen without passing the lounge door. Kids didn't have TVs in their rooms either.

(It's been 13 years since my kids started school, I realised a lot more have TVs and devices on bedrooms nowadays so that it might be insanely hard to break that habit)

BluNavy · 03/10/2025 08:58

I have a 2 year old and 6 year old and we have never turned the TV on in the morning and don't really go into the living room much, but we have a big kitchen so space for them to play. They are able to entertain themselves and have never asked. Well the 2 year hasn't ever watched TV but the 6 year doesn't ask.

He is often quite hyper after watching TV, and he doesn't watch very over the top things, and I would imagine the walk to school would be impacted.

Thissickbeat · 03/10/2025 08:58

TV once dressed and ready while I finished off sorting myself and the house out. It meant they were in one place and waiting by the door.

Belmondo · 03/10/2025 08:59

"Bad for their brains or something…"

I'm going to sound patronising/sarcastic, but I'm genuinely just wondering whether this is the first time you've heard anything about the effects of screen time on small children's brains and development?

mumofoneAloneandwell · 03/10/2025 09:00

Having something like GMB on isnt so bad is it? Kind of frames the morning imo

I listen to radio 1 in the mornings now but have had gmb on in the past

We dont have kids tv on though, and try to avoid giving dd the tablet (unless shes had an awful night's sleep and needs to be kept awake)

Thissickbeat · 03/10/2025 09:03

Just to add, mine were only ever allowed cbeebies or cbbc. I'm sure shoes had to be on for Octonauts or something.

KickHimInTheCrotch · 03/10/2025 09:05

We watch TV in the morning and I dont think it affects my kids massively. Just 20mins of CBBC or something while they eat some cereal. I've had to ban YouTube until they are fully dressed and ready because they get sucked in and I end up having to nag at every stage. Their phones dont activate until 7.30 so that helps.

FinallyMummy · 03/10/2025 09:06

Bit different here. We put the tele on while LO gets dressed and has breakfast after he brushes teeth. I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world for 10 minutes, although when LO came to us (adopted), he was used to a tv on 24/7 and we’ve worked to get that down a lot so I wouldn’t want it to be on for ages.

Westfacing · 03/10/2025 09:07

My sons are now in their 40s and thinking back they watched a lot of TV/videos during childhood and it did them no harm, but they never watched TV before school - and yes morning TV was around in the 80s!

They got up, washed hands and face, dressed, breakfast, brush teeth and we were out of the door to catch the Tube to school.

A screen-free start to the school day is a good thing, IMO, given the amount of time children spend in front of screens in one way or another.

EasternStandard · 03/10/2025 09:09

Tbf it’s a good idea not to. Give it a try.

ComfortFoodCafe · 03/10/2025 09:11

Im a 90s kid we watched tv before school and survived to tell the tale! My kids watch a bit of youtube before going to school and its done them no harm ds9 is working two years above his peers.. but they do need to be dressed, washed, had breakfast etc before they watch anything so we arent rushing out the door!

EllieQ · 03/10/2025 09:13

We used to allow fifteen minutes of Hey Duggee or something similar from CBeebies in bed with one of us while the other was getting ready, but once it was time to get up and have breakfast, the screens went off as we didn’t have time for any more.

She’s ten now and watches a bit of YouTube first thing to ease into the day (she’s not a morning person), but the same rule about screens off after getting out of bed applies.

MrsKateColumbo · 03/10/2025 09:16

Mine ate late risers so we dont really have time, we have yoto with bfast though

Poppingby · 03/10/2025 09:16

We never have the TV on before school because I actually can't stand the sound early in the morning. I also think it's much easier to get the kids out of the house if it's not on. They're a bit older now but it's stuck. However, school should not be telling you how to run your own household and I don't believe that teachers and instantly tell who has been watching TV Hmm. I believe they say they can though. If you walk to school especially enough happens between the two doors for telly to wear off if it ever did have a visible effect!!

Iocanepowder · 03/10/2025 09:16

We have tv on before school. Just something like cbeebies or milkshake. They quite often get up at 6.

I was also going to make the point about us 90s kids. We watched tv before school and it has been fine.

Rewis · 03/10/2025 09:16

If it was jsut sent to me because my child was showing some issues, I would likely doscuss it with school and follow advice. If jt was just a generic message to all parents at the school, I'd just do what I wanted. If mornings were easier with 15min of tv, then we would do that. However, i have issues with a lot of school rules in the school and I don't really appreciate them telling what parents should do un their own house. Unless there is a specific issue that needs working.

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