to think that children's television channels...

[cestlavie]

... should give you several weeks advance notice of any planned changes in schedule?

How many other distraught toddlers are there when Night Garden stopped being on a 6.30pm and was replaced by Rubber Dubbers and 64 Zoo Lane? I can't even bear to contemplate what will happen when we turn on Milkshake one morning at 6.45am and Fireman Sam isn't on any more.

I'd like to have the controllers for the channels round my house to explain to a sobbing and intermittently whimpering DD that "sorry honey, it just isn't on at the moment" is an utterly pitiful excuse. At least giving us several weeks notice would allow us to stock up on the DVDs!

LOL! I'm with you there cestlavie. DS was a wreck for a few days after the Cbeebies bedtime hour changed. The best solution is to get a sky + box or similar hard disc recorder and stockpile recordings of favourites. That's what we resorted to - we have ITNG, Roary the Racing Car and Fireman Sam on series link to be played at any time of day, especially on those early mornings when they wake up before TV has started!

I wrote to the Beeb to complain about changing the Bedtime Hour, particularly as they did trailers for ITNG's new daytime slot during it, and that really upset DS! Anyway, now he's addicted to Rubberdubbers and 64 Zoo Lane...

Sky plus is the best thing ever since my DD wants to watch get squiggling all day every day. The change to the bedtime hour was ridiculous esspecially as in the night garden is all about bed time. Poor babies.

I know. We've got a V+ box which we did the same with but the problem now is that she assumes she can get her favourite programmes on demand whenever she wants! For a while, the 'bedtime hour' consisted of back to back episodes of Little Red Tractor...

DS doesn't understand why we can't magic these programmes on the TV in our bedroom, only downstairs!

We had that, so resorted to first a digi box, then a v box in our bedroom!

I figure we've saved what we were spending buying DVD's of his favourite programmes.

V+ is the best thing ever!