to be pleased that my DDs don't know the words to the Bob the Builder song?

[Riponite]

Am I being mean at nearly 3 and 5 that they haven't seen any of the TV programmes their friends watch? I love not having a telly and am secretly very smug about it too, but is there an age where they will start feeling left out and ought to know who Peppa Pig is?

why are you smug about it???

YANBU about Bob

But Peppa is cute

And there are some fab programmes (Horrible HIstories a current fave in our house)

I limit the amount they watch (no more than 1hr a day, though more at weekends so I get a lie-in)

I admit I find it a GREAT babysitter if used appropriately

I take it they don't go to nursery or preschool? We don't have a telly either and I am actually openly smug about it but DD1 comes home from nursery singing the full Bob the Builder song, talking about Mickey Mouse and Disneyland and she loves her Upsy Daisy... so I am afraid you won't be able to keep it from them forever

I guess I just like the fact that we can do without something that seems to be taking over a lot of society. I feel like more people around me are moaning about the telly than enthusing.

And that we don't have to pay the TV licence fee

They do uptoten.com and coolmath and switchzoo for babysitting, so they get their screen time in!

They are at playgroup and reception but haven't mentioned telly yet... though when DD1 was in hospital I put C Beebies on the bedside thingy and she was completely absorbed, refusing to give any attention to anyone, including doctors, and her behaviour was so vile about it I swore to keep her off it for as long as possible.

They don't know you can watch it on the computer...

Oh dear hiding my head in shame - my DS wouldn't watch TV for more than about 5 minutes so I activly sought out something he would watch and stocked up on DVD's of it!!

I do limit it though and since he got given glasses he does actualy sit still and watch it for about 20 minutes at a time!

Do have to pay sodding licence fee as have computer capable of receiving.

God, don't want to make anyone feel guilty, each to his own. I just wondered whether there would be a point where it seemed unreasonable for reasons of their social lives to exclude them from the TV.

What is CoolMath?!

Not sure why you would feel smug.

If you don't like TV - good for you. It is your choice. Doesn't make your parenting better or worse than someon else's though.

Okay to try and answer your question - my parents limited very much what I was allowed to watch when I was a child and I did feel left out from about 8 years old or so when all my school friends talked about the shows they'd seen the day before. It didn't do me any lasting harm though.

"though when DD1 was in hospital I put C Beebies on the bedside thingy and she was completely absorbed, refusing to give any attention to anyone, including doctors, and her behaviour was so vile about it I swore to keep her off it for as long as possible."

But IMO and IME this reaction to Tv is becuase your DD doesn't ever see Tv elsewhere. It is not just normal for her to see a bit of TV, therefore if, like that time, she sees it she may well obsess over it and become transfixed. Forbidden fruits, etc.

Agree with HUlababy

www.coolmath-games.com. I think it's great, got it off Mumsnet, of course.

Thanks for answer, Schulte, I'll not feel guilty for a few years then. I'm enjoying not having to sit through it all, quite honestly, but I know other people enjoy watching things with their kids.

You can feel smug when your Dd is an empathetic and happy child.

Anything else is inconsequential imo.

No, you have the wrong idea

You DON'T watch it with them!!! Good Lord

Everything in moderation...TV is no biggie, unless they are stuck in front of it all day, every day. In fact, some children's programmes are fab.

So there.

Well, we used to watch it after the kids had gone to bed, and there seemed to be less and less that we wanted to watch, and we ended up watching things for the sake, and staying up late and then wondering why, and after we just decided to ditch it it just seemed freeing, in a way. I like the fact that we talk more, and look at each other more, and read more. And the children do the same.

I think I'm allowed to admit to feeling good about it and I guess that makes me smug, because admitting to feeling good about something which authority has decreed is actually good for you is usually considered to be being smug. It's like admitting that you really prefer a salad to chocolate, though some people do.

Do you believe everything that 'authority' tells you??

um coolmath v's numberjacks!!!

God no... coincidence is a fine thing! I do not prefer salad to chocolate!! No, I just happen to feel this way. Will have to look up numberjacks.