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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:
Quixotequick · 03/10/2025 21:25

We have TV before school and I love it! We have the chillest, cuddliest, lovely mornings - I usually watch/cuddle/wake up with them for half an hour, then make breakfast and they eat that while I get ready. Then dressed and teeth and then we leave.

No stress, no drama - and I'm positive they're fully ready to learn when they get to school!

Needmorelego · 03/10/2025 21:29

Nelly91 · 03/10/2025 21:24

I don’t allow my two to watch it as they get too into the show and we always ended up late and the kids upset they didn’t watch to the end. So much better now.

Don't you check the running time or the schedule?
Don't watch something that's too long or is on at the time you need to leave.

BogRollBOGOF · 03/10/2025 22:02

CBeebies was quite good for pacing our mornings. Get dressed promptly and there was enough time to watch Hey Dugee and Octonauts before breakfast. Time for "exit mode" when Justin's House came on.
They're in secondary now, but I still remember that punctuation to a difficult time of day (it turned out they're ND with executive function issues)

These days I have umpteen musically themed alarms to get me out of the house.

I watched TV before school through the 80s and 90s with no ill effects. It's hardly a new phenonemon!
School is overreaching on this one.

Trainstrike · 03/10/2025 22:32

Usernamenotav · 03/10/2025 20:47

We're so relaxed as parents but would never put the tv on before school.

When people say things like this I wonder what their definition of relaxed parenting is? TV before school just seems normal to me, not relaxed or unrelaxed!

Lauralou19 · 03/10/2025 22:33

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.

Our kids game, watch tv before school, eldest plays on his phone on the bus (as do 99% of kids on the bus). Both are top of the class kids (eldest gifted and talented group at secondary as are the majority of his close friends) who all use screens before school.

However - as with everything, this is massively balanced out by active weekends, always doing homework, reading every night, set bedtimes in the week. There’s no way a school can tell if a child has been watching abit of tv before school. If they can, then its only boosted our kids performance at school😆 We’ve never had anything like that from our kids schools.

If they are going to send though ‘helpful’ advice, i’d say its far more important to stress the importance of sleep and kids having a proper set bedtimes certainly on a school night. I would imagine that causes a huge amount of problems in school dealing with sleep deprived kids, rather than abit of tv before school 🙄

Psychologymam · 03/10/2025 22:38

We never do but we have very limited screen time anyway. they can read/use yoto - much calmer way to start the day. Some tv shows definitely impact kids concentration so if you are able to avoid it I would or at least be very mindful of what they are watching. What ages are they?

TheCurious0range · 03/10/2025 22:39

No TV in the mornings here, we didn't even before DC, nor when I was young. I hate TVs on in the background. To be honest ds doesn't really have time to watch TV during the week, he watches a bit at weekends, but prefers to play or read.

PurpleFlower1983 · 03/10/2025 22:42

No, no TV here. Definitely affects them negatively.

Bluedenimdoglover · 03/10/2025 22:51

If your child gets up and immediately switches on the TV and it stays on - that's what will affect their learning.
Having breakfast, getting washed and dressed ready for school, then 10 minutes TV until you leave - can't see how that would cause problems.

greengreenbass · 03/10/2025 23:17

I doubt ten minutes or so of tv is really going to have that much of an impact, I'd keep it in the routine if it helps the morning goes a bit smoother

greengreenbass · 03/10/2025 23:19

TheCurious0range · 03/10/2025 22:39

No TV in the mornings here, we didn't even before DC, nor when I was young. I hate TVs on in the background. To be honest ds doesn't really have time to watch TV during the week, he watches a bit at weekends, but prefers to play or read.

As always, I find most of the responses to this thread completely out of step with most of real life, classic mumsnet 😂

Percypigsyumyum · 03/10/2025 23:30

We don’t in our house because it always made it harder to get the kids out the door when they were younger. We listen to a lot of podcasts whilst having breakfast, greeking out is a fav

Psychologymam · 03/10/2025 23:46

greengreenbass · 03/10/2025 23:19

As always, I find most of the responses to this thread completely out of step with most of real life, classic mumsnet 😂

Show quote history

I’m not sure it is - most of my peers are pretty strict about screen time. Real life is probably just different for different groups of people - very few people I know admit to giving kids tv before school! I’d say most common is just on weekends.

Sarahutv · 04/10/2025 03:02

Whatever works for you. In our house we have the tv on, normally some football pundit for my 10 year old daughter. Not had any problems. My 14 year old son is not allowed his phone until he is ready for school as he gets distracted!
We get up early enough and my son is out the house at 7.30 and my daughter is ready 15 mins before we need to leave.

TheCurious0range · 04/10/2025 06:14

greengreenbass · 03/10/2025 23:19

As always, I find most of the responses to this thread completely out of step with most of real life, classic mumsnet 😂

Show quote history

Why is that out of step? He has clubs most evenings plus homework, and is 6 so loves toys. We sit together at the table for dinner and chat so that takes a little while. He also needs to shower so where is all this TV time coming from? He needs a lot sleep so is in bed at 7 lights out at 7:30. I also read a lot it's not weird to not have the TV on as soon as someone is awake.

Original poster
Tireddadplus · 04/10/2025 06:29

I should have added a poll. I’m thinking its about 50/50! Interesting how much everyones views differ. For the people that need tv to stay employed or sane, i totally understand! Also can see no tv would have benefits as well!

OP posts:
susiedaisy1912 · 04/10/2025 06:49

Swiftie1878 · 03/10/2025 08:48

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

Same

Shelllendyouhertoothbrushtoo · 04/10/2025 07:31

Does nobody else's kids get up mega early and have the TV as babysitter until breakfast? Genuinely shocked at how many people have no TV in the morning. Do you just wake up with your kids and entertain them at god-awful o'clock??

Jade3450 · 04/10/2025 07:33

No TV before school ever in our house. It’s really detrimental to how kids start their day.

Only exception is when there’s been a general election 😂

Also no TV during mealtimes. By the time your kids are teens you’ll realise this is the main time they actually talk to you about stuff.

Jade3450 · 04/10/2025 07:34

Shelllendyouhertoothbrushtoo · 04/10/2025 07:31

Does nobody else's kids get up mega early and have the TV as babysitter until breakfast? Genuinely shocked at how many people have no TV in the morning. Do you just wake up with your kids and entertain them at god-awful o'clock??

No, if my kids ever got up early they had to read books.

Jade3450 · 04/10/2025 07:36

greengreenbass · 03/10/2025 23:17

I doubt ten minutes or so of tv is really going to have that much of an impact, I'd keep it in the routine if it helps the morning goes a bit smoother

Interesting that’s not what the professional educators are saying though…

PurpleFlower1983 · 04/10/2025 07:38

Shelllendyouhertoothbrushtoo · 04/10/2025 07:31

Does nobody else's kids get up mega early and have the TV as babysitter until breakfast? Genuinely shocked at how many people have no TV in the morning. Do you just wake up with your kids and entertain them at god-awful o'clock??

Ours get up at 6am, 5.45 at the earliest and tend to play in their rooms, usually making the marble run or playing their Tonies for 30-45 mins. We used to have it on but it made them like zombies and grumpy so stopped! Made such a difference!

Jade3450 · 04/10/2025 07:40

Lauralou19 · 03/10/2025 22:33

Our kids game, watch tv before school, eldest plays on his phone on the bus (as do 99% of kids on the bus). Both are top of the class kids (eldest gifted and talented group at secondary as are the majority of his close friends) who all use screens before school.

However - as with everything, this is massively balanced out by active weekends, always doing homework, reading every night, set bedtimes in the week. There’s no way a school can tell if a child has been watching abit of tv before school. If they can, then its only boosted our kids performance at school😆 We’ve never had anything like that from our kids schools.

If they are going to send though ‘helpful’ advice, i’d say its far more important to stress the importance of sleep and kids having a proper set bedtimes certainly on a school night. I would imagine that causes a huge amount of problems in school dealing with sleep deprived kids, rather than abit of tv before school 🙄

Show quote history

Are you only interested in how it affects them academically?

I’m sure playing games on the bus doesn’t affect their learning much, but it sure as hell affects thei socialising, as if theyre playing games they’re not talking.

I’ve banned phone use while we’re in the car for this reason.

BabyToothbrush · 04/10/2025 07:43

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.

Same here

Jade3450 · 04/10/2025 07:46

”My kids watch an hour of TV before school and are all in the gifted and talented program.”

🤣