to be fed up with my friend?

[Aliarse]

she doesn't let her children watch any television and is quite superior about it...

fine...

but she is always asking for help with childcare when her DH is away. And our playdates are never very much fun - she likes to keep her children (and mine) on a tight rein in her house. I dread answering the phone.

I long to tell her to switch on the telly and put Bob the Builder on and give herself a break. She might relax a bit then and maybe even enjoy the time she spends with them. AIBU?

She is your friend,,you are allowed to tell her to lighten up.
Dont be so available when she phones,or maybe her kids like coming to you because you do lighten up.
Are her kids "better" than yours
by not watching telly? can they join in playground chitchat next day?
There is a lot more this than not watching telly,what is her reasoning?

I support not letting kids watch too much tv - I try to limit my DS (4) watching to weekends and occasional DVDs. But that should NOT mean playdates aren't much fun. It can be harder to keep kids amused if they're used to watching tv, especially if they're tired, but it's admirable to try, and much more rewarding if you succeed!. Is your problem that her kids don't watch tv/she's superior about it (maybe you feel a bit judged?), or that she's needy, asks a lot of you, and the relationship isn't very rewarding for you or your kids?

You could try packing a new/favourite DVD (a gentle, unobjectionable one!) in your kids' bag when they go to play and say "they're really longing to show this to your kids, would you mind?"

You can always have other plans - like sorry, we have got in popcorn and a long-awaited film - or not have playdates at her house but at the park or at yours.

there are other life lines out there!!