Ok, here goes.
To start off, I should probably explain that I don't like Cbeebies, so DS doesn't watch it. I think it is full of nonsense, and I don't like DS to watch programs that 'teach' him rubbish.
I do, however, let him watch cartoons - he likes Ben10, chowder, spongebob etc as I don't think they do him any harm (aside from his realisation that he is NOT and alien). And I let him watch an hour a day of his own programs. And usually we will watch a Disney movie etc during the week. Although, I much prefer him to be playing outside or playing with his toys etc etc.
Whenever we visit my parents or DH's parents they prefer to switch their TV on to Cbeebies for DS to watch rather than let him go out into the garden to play. Because they think that he needs to watch cbeebies to feed his imagination
But I don't think this is the case. I don't believe that children NEED to be sat in front of the tv, I think it's fine for a bit to give them something different to do, and sometimes it can be a godsend when they are refusing to stop screaming
Both, my parents and in-laws think we are being too harsh on our son and insist that he is not having any fun. He has a room full of toys, a large garden to play in and a craft table that I am envious of and he never complains of being bored, but they insist he needs more stimulation.
He got a DS for xmas from PIL and they gave him a stack of games to go with it, they told me to let him play on it all day But I said he can't play on it all day as he needs to be doing other stuff during the day, he can't just be sitting on his arse playing the DS. They weren't impressed.
Whenever we visit them and other relatives are there, they will mention how we like DS to be active, play outside etc like its a bad thing!!
We always feel like they are having a go at us for raising our son to enjoy a large range of activities.
Whereas SIL lets her one of her sons play his DS all day, only stopping to eat - then he is back on it. And her other son is sat in front of the tv watching cbeebies til it goes off at night - then that is his bedtime. I think that whenever the PIL go round to their house, their kids are always quiet because they are engrossed in the TV/DS and therefore are deemed to 'better behaved' children.
I know it all sounds rather stupid, but am I doing a dis-service to my son by not allowing him to watch more cbeebies?? Or am I seeming like some sort of 'smug' mum because I want my son to do other stuff with his time??