Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbour's attitude to my judgement re tv viewing

41 replies

mathanxiety · 01/09/2009 20:19

AIBU to think this is a bit much: my neighbour has a DD who plays a lot with my own 7 yo DD. All goes well when they play outdoors, but the neighbour thinks she has a right to say to her DD, if they play in my house, that her DD is not to watch tv here, and to say to me that her DD should not watch tv in my house. I only ever let my children watch bbc-type stuff and very harmless dvds, no Disney, nothing inappropriate for their age. Sometimes the two girls end up playing together for long spells in the afternoon, and sometimes they get bored or my DD wants to watch her favourite programme. But the other DC has obviously been brainwashed against tv and sulks until she gets either my full attention or my DD ends the tv session and plays. I find myself in the position of having to entertain this child quite a bit, provide craft supplies and then clean up the mess they create. The other child is also, from my observation, used to eating a lot in the afternoon, (possibly from boredom). But really, the original question -- has someone else a right to dictate to me what I can let her DC (and mine too since they're plating together) do in my house? Plus I feel that my parenting practices are being judged by this woman...

OP posts:
diddl · 01/09/2009 20:41

It´s sad that a couple of 7yr olds can´t manage to play for a few hours-inside or out, without wanting to watch some TV.
How on earth did we all manage??!!

LovelyTinOfSpam · 01/09/2009 20:42

Sounds like my MIL.

Knitting and drinking tea and eating cake and biscuits.

That kind of thing?

diddl · 01/09/2009 20:44

But forgot to say, it should really be up to you in your house, and she should tell her daughter to come home.

CloudDragon · 01/09/2009 20:44

second MIA

MermaidSpam · 01/09/2009 20:45

Think it's a bit sad that they couldn't do what my DD and her friend do and snuggle up in their pjs and watch a film with popcorn
Does she have any other "odd" rules?

LovelyTinOfSpam · 01/09/2009 20:45

diddl we lived in larger family groups and either had grounds and servants to entertain them (if rich) or had a street full of playmates on tap (if not so rich).

Can't compare really.

Those days would have been easier from a child rearing POV. But a lot harder in pretty much every other respect.

DesperateHousewifeToo · 01/09/2009 20:46

Tell your neighbour that she must not give snacks to your dd during the afternoons she goes to play there as you do not agree with eating between meals

Maybe have shorter playdates?

hmc · 01/09/2009 20:47

Well 'no', she has no right to dictate that tv should not be viewed when her dd comes over to play at yours - that's rather OTT...

But for the record, I tell my dd and ds that if they have friends over to our house no tv will be watched. Just my little foible - if friends are over I prefer that they interact and play with them rather than zone out infront of the tv. Also the novelty of having a friend over generally means they can think of plenty of things to do that aren't quite so passive as tv viewing. I not against tv viewing in general however - not at all!

Having said that friends tend to come here after school to play for a couple of hours - but if they have a friend over for a longer stretch of several hours, I would doubtless have a more relaxed attitude to tv viewing

roundededges · 01/09/2009 20:52

I agree with Hecates.

Garfunkeling · 01/09/2009 21:01

"It´s sad that a couple of 7yr olds can´t manage to play for a few hours-inside or out, without wanting to watch some TV.
How on earth did we all manage??!!"

I remember watching TV with my friends, we used to watch stuff and then pretend we were Double Deckers/Monkee/Muppets/in the Partridge Family etc etc

TheCrackFox · 01/09/2009 21:08

The neighbour sounds like a pain in the arse. Send her DD home as soon as anyone says "I'm bored". Or better still, send them both over and she can have the pleasure of entertaining them.

hercules1 · 01/09/2009 21:10

Why the assumptions here that the parent must be entertaining the dd as they dont have a tv? CHildren are more than capable of entertaining themselves you know without a tv.....

hmc · 01/09/2009 21:11

I agree hercules - at least for a few hours.

bellavita · 01/09/2009 21:14

Hecate speaks very wise words listen to her!

ZippysMum · 01/09/2009 21:17

I'm with Hecate and Hercules.

SixtyFootDoll · 01/09/2009 21:24

If your DD wants to watch tv, then neighbours child can go home.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page