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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ban telly in the mornings?

102 replies

BalloonSlayer · 23/09/2009 07:53

Have finally had it after 5 years of reminding, cajoling, nagging, shouting, and sometimes screaming like a banshee to get DCs ready for school.

Since the beginning of term we have had telly off at 8am, still has not worked.

This week I have flipped and said it's not going on at all.

DD ok about it. DS2 to small to care. DS1 is a study of martyred injury and Kevin-like injustice. Needless to say it is DS1 who is the one who makes us all late for school.

DH thinks I am being OTT at banning TV entirely. He thinks its unfair as DS1 often gets up very early. I think one of the reason DS1 does get up so early is because he wants to watch the telly - then he is tired and I get attitude all day.

Opinions please.

OP posts:
SofaKingSpecial · 23/09/2009 07:55

YANBU

We have it on, but DS knows if he prats about getting ready it goes straight off.

CybilLiberty · 23/09/2009 07:55

Erm, you are the adult, they are the children. YOU decide if the telly goes on or not, surely.

In my house they are allowed to watch telly only when they are 100% ready, that's fed, brushed, clothed, shod ,with coat and bag next to them ready to go .

It seems to work and is a good incentive for them to get ready.

CharCharGabor · 23/09/2009 07:56

YANBU, I think it's the right thing to do. If DS! needs to entertain himself then he can read or something. Has it helped at all so far?

chachachachacha · 23/09/2009 07:56

YANBU - I often want the telly off in the morning but am too lazy to implement it

We only have an hour max to get breakfast etc done before all being out the door.

GibbonInARibbon · 23/09/2009 07:59

YANBU

WelliesAndPyjamas · 23/09/2009 08:00

If tv in the mornings doesn't work for you just keep up the ban.

In our house, we know tv in the mornings would be disastrous for getting ds1 (6) out of the door so it has never been an option - he is not a multitasker and would get too upset at it being turned off.

scaryteacher · 23/09/2009 08:01

No TV in the morning here; and the iPod is about to be trodden on as well.

We have the morning down to a fine art, and have ds (13) up, dressed, fed, bag packed, lunch made and time for 10 minutes with a book if he's quick in about 40 minutes.

Original poster
BalloonSlayer · 23/09/2009 08:02

Yes I know I am the adult Cybil, the AIBU is because the other adult in the house disagrees with me . I couldn't give a toss about the DCs disagreeing with me.

I have said he can have it on, as you suggest Cybil, if he has done everything and is sat there totally ready. Never gonna happen...

OP posts:
kreecherlivesupstairs · 23/09/2009 08:03

YANBU. If our telly went on, dd would never get to school. She watches it at the weekends in the morning though.

LeonieSoSleepy · 23/09/2009 08:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sarah293 · 23/09/2009 08:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MmeLindt · 23/09/2009 08:04

No TV in the mornings here either, we started this year with the new rule and it is MUCH easier to get them out of the house.

They now need to be out of the house by 7.45am so no time really. If they are ready earlier, they often go into the garden for a while.

WelliesAndPyjamas · 23/09/2009 08:05

this may be an assumption on my part but are you mainly in charge of getting ths DCs ready and out of the door? if so, would it be fun an interesting experiment to challenge your DH to get them ready and out of the door on time with the8 tv* on??

MmeLindt · 23/09/2009 08:05

Oh, and YANBU.

I think that TV is too much of a distraction before school, they are better behaved and more calm/settled when they have not watched TV.

CybilLiberty · 23/09/2009 08:06

So it sounds like HE is the problem rather than the TV (ds, not dh)

WelliesAndPyjamas · 23/09/2009 08:07

excuse the typo - you can see what I was trying to do

Original poster
BalloonSlayer · 23/09/2009 08:15

DH thinks I should get up earlier. I'm still BF DS2 and use him as my alarm clock - if he doesn't wake till 7.30 it makes me late so I get the point there. But if I am up at 6am like today, and the TV is on, it's exactly the same with regard to getting DS1 out of the door for school. DD is fine, totally organised, totally together.

Am going to set my alarm for 7am though from now on just to prove a point. Can't make the rest of the household suffer without suffering meself .

OP posts:
Original poster
BalloonSlayer · 23/09/2009 08:17

W&P He does from time to time take them to school but I end up chiming in. But I just love it when I hear him bellow at them!! Ahahahahahaaaa! Mind you, his timekeeping is better than mine so his nagging reaches crisis point earlier and they get out the door earlier.

OP posts:
Dophus · 23/09/2009 08:19

YANBU - it is the only telly rule that I have managed to stand by. No telly on school mornings.

It is DS2 (2) that has more of a problem as he bounces into our room at 5.30 most mornings demanding the telly. They'er allowed it on weekends only (when mummy can switch on and go back to bed

Original poster
BalloonSlayer · 23/09/2009 08:37

Status report:

08:35 and DS1 is putting the finishing touches on getting ready.

< triumphant >

Stop press:

He
is
getting
his
SHOES
on
!
!
!

< faints >

OP posts:
siouxsieandthebanshees · 23/09/2009 08:49

In my house its BBC1 every morning until we go out the door. Mainly because it has the time showing and there isn't any breaks.

EasyEggs · 23/09/2009 08:51

YANBU!!

I have just done the same thing and the difference is amazing

They'll soon get used to it!

TsarChasm · 23/09/2009 08:54

Yanbu.

We don't have it on for ages then I might eventually relent. Ususally just to calm down a bit of squabbling for 5 minutes whilst I'm sorting out the packed lunches or whatever. But then in no time I'm being totally ignored because they are transfixed and have to be yelled at a zillion times to put shoes on.

So, revert no tv...back to squabbling again...aaaargh!!

Knickers0nmahead · 23/09/2009 08:57

No tv on a morning here either and I dont have kids that go to school!

YANBU.

You should tell dh to get them to school himself for a week. He will agree with you before the week is up

Stayingsunnygirl · 23/09/2009 09:00

I'd say that if you are the one getting them ready for school in the morning, then your rules apply - if dh is getting them ready, then he can do it his way. And you could say, as someone further up says, that the tv can go on if everyone is completely ready for school.

FWIW we have the same issue here - ds2 (14) gets up around 6am, and has always been an early riser, but he's organised too - he does his paper round and is often home before ds1 goes out to do his. Even so, I've stuck with the no tv before school rule, because ds3 is liable to veg out in front of the tv until the very last minute.

Now the problem is ds1 - he can get out to do his paper round, and home with enough time left to get ready for school, but as soon as he gets home, he hits some sort of a go-slow. I can shower, dry my hair, dress and get downstairs in the time it takes him to shower and dry himself. Then he's in his bedroom for ages dressing. Then he comes downstairs and slumps over the kitchen table reading the paper and drinking a cup of tea. I nag him about the time. He says he's got plenty of time. He looks at the clock, realises he's going to be late and gets me to drive him to school. Or he waits until he absolutely must leave the house within the next minute to catch the bus, and then tells me he needs a note for PE.

ARGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

And breathe.

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