to not want to give my dd "in the night garden" toys?

[babymt]

My dd2 was 2 on friday and for her birthday has been given by 2 seperate people an In the Night Garden book and a dolly (Upsy Daisy). AIBU to not let her have them?

My reasons are that I A. Passionately hate the program as I just think its completely idiotic and B. Think that her having them toys makes it look like I endorce the show.

I know lots of you will let your children watch ITNG and they love it. But I don't like it and will under no circumstances let mine watch it. I'm not criticising those who let their kids watch it, its just something that bugs me.

Also AIBU to be annoyed that people seem to give my kids inappropriate toys i.e. books for 5+ year olds (including Enid Blytons for my 2 year old!) or baby books. Or toys will loads of little bits when my dd's a "put everything in her mouth"er.

I feel a bit bad for my dd2 coz she didn't get hardly anything she liked for her birthday. Which is also embarassing for me. You know when they do that rip the present open then throw it on the floor then display no interest when someone tries to show them it.

Ok I IABU a bit I think.

Look, she's not disrespecting your dislike of In The Night Garden - she is respecting the fact that your daughter isn't you.

My two didn't watch any TV until 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 respectively, & still have a quite anally restricted TV diet (including ITNG, which is a fav). They have been given lots of TV based books and characters that they didn't/don't get. They enjoy them and play with them in their own way.
I do edit out books that I find terminally dull/badly written (Thomas the Blardy tank and Postman Pat are key offenders), but otherwise, tis not a problem.

I think it is odd of your friend who knows you hate ITNG to give you an ITNG present .... but I suspect it's a subtle hint to lighten up. Other than the dreadful gender-typing of upsidaisy, I can't see much to object to in ITNG. Much of the behavious of a 2 yo is idiotic to the average adult, surely

ITNG's educational status - a few basic egs:

• repetitive language, often with one key word as focus in an episode = best way for kids to learn vocab

• language patterning (ie intonation patterns) = great way to learn sentence patterning construction
• focus on key concepts and often opposites (easy for los to learn) eg loud, quiet; clean, dirty; up, down

In terms of other age suitability - a 2 yo is changing SO fast, that unless you know the individual child well or have one yourself, it's easy to judge developmental stage wrong. I know I couldn't buy a great present for a 10yo, for example (although yes, I would ask the mother....)

Ime, 2 yo are generally way more excited in the present opening than the gifts - I wouldn't take your dd's lack of excitement as evidence of anything.

I hated ITNG. Then I watched it. Yes, it's irritating in that the scale of characters are all wrong but as someone else has said, it does actually teach stuff like big/small on/in/under etc etc. 2 year olds aren't interested so much in a complicated story like, say, Postman Pat but the repetitive nature and simple story of ITNG seems to appeal.

Blimey.

Why does it have to be educational?
It's telly, not school.

People will say do and give your children things you're not happy about, like nits for example.
Get used to it.

YABUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

I think any type of toy or book actually IS educational for a 2 y/o.

The main way an under 5 learns is through play.

that really gets my back up that everything has to have educational value to it, when do kids get to have chill out time its all about cram the info in. in the night garden just lets the children enjoy it and have fun and evens lets there imagination thrive.
u telling me the only thing you watch on tv is eductaional documentries

you are bonkers sorry

I just composed a long post and then deleted it because it could be summed up as follows: bonkers, rude, and very unreasonable

I don't think that children need tv to survive. But I think appreciating that they will like different things to us is an important part of bringing them up

If you've told people and they still buy it, then you're not. I also think it's up to you what you let your children watch or not and even if people don't agree with you, it's still up to you. People should respect your parenting decisions.

I don't like bottles, dummies or weaning sets with baby dolls and I've said that I don't want her to have Bratz dolls. Mum thinks I'm being unreasonable and that she will get picked on when she gets to school, but one thing I've learned from this site and others is that I'm not alone in my feelings.

You are being a bit daft IMO. Of course you won't like the same stuff as your dd or her friends, she's two! ITNG is crafted very carefully to appeal to her age group, not yours.

I do get a little weary of people complaining about repetition and all the other things that make stories just right for small children. Remember someone damning Enid Blyton because her stories were simple. Well, duh!

Ripping the paper off a present and throwing it on the floor is typical two year old behaviour. Nothing unusual about it.

monkey trousers, you say 'and it helps them enormously' - how?/why?

May I ask why you dislike ITNG so much - serious question.

and if I can politely point out that these programmes were/are made for babies and children's minds so why can't you be objective enough to look at things from your DD perspective?

Sorry but I think YABU. I think mummyloveslucy has the right attitude!

edam - i agree with you, repetition is a key factor in learning at this age. and simple stories are what 2 year olds understand and like.

but still, there are simple repetative stories that both adult and 2 year olds can like (dr seuss?) so why have to watch ITNG or Barney?

YABU, They probably went looking in the toy shop looked at age appropriate toys and though oo ITNG is popular she will like that, after all in the shops last Christmas you couldnt get hold of them.

Your 2 year old having not seen the program will just think its a cute doll and pretty pictures in a book as I presume she cant read the story but if you hate them that much then donate them.

I was once bought a hideous plastic bird on a perch from a tv show I hated, my mum made me write a thanks note then we gave it away.

what makes you sure that these are 'crafted for their age/ helps their minds,' etc?

Try INTG with a glass of wine. It really helps.

Oh, I agree with you about Barney, horrible. And of course no-one has to watch ITNG. Just seems a shame to reject toys your dd might well like because you dislike the programme.

I don't like Ben 10 or Powerangers or much of the stuff that ds and his friends enjoy but hey ho, it's not aimed at me and I don't have to play those games.

LOL @ Fabio!! nits...ooh lovely

I hate teletubbies but I wouldn't stop my future kids watching it. Why does anything have to educational, if it keeps them quiet for half an hour?!

I personally love ITNG and I'm 23!

Pass the toys onto me Ds1 luuuurves INTG

I enjoy both INTG and Teletubbies. I'm 43

I think it's a bit sad if anyone wants toys for 2 year olds to be educational. What's wrong with fun?

i dont like tv toys nor the assumption that my kids watch them

they dont

my ds4 does have a toy fom ITNG though neither he nor i have ever watched it

we call it 'teddy blue'

i dont think you are being unreasonable

DP has worked with Annie Wood and Ragdoll. The amount of work they put into their stuff is staggering.

My god, have we got to the point where people are cynical about the very best of childrenss BBC tv. What a world.