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Original poster

Peppa pig and tantrums

37 replies

Sickandtired14 · 17/08/2014 19:09

Hi,

My 2 year old is obsessed with Peppa pig. She watches it on channel 5 in the morning. And she has also been watching it alot on dh's phone (although I am annoyed about this cos I told him not to let her watch it constantly but he did). Anyway, she screams, cries and tantrums for watching it. She steals our phones to try and watch it.

I keep putting her on peppa pig bans cos she won't behave. She will hit, kick and bite when you stop her watching it and it is basically the first thing she says in the morning! But my DH undermines me and gives her his phone so I realise he's compounding the problem.

Does anyone else have similar issues? And if you do how do you combat this?

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IAMACLANGER · 17/08/2014 19:19

I am sure it is a phase and nothing to worry about. I'd suggest buying Peppa Pig DVD's to watch from time to time (obviously not all the time). We had a few and they got watched and watched, and then given away. DC won't even contemplate watching now on TV. It will pass. (I quite liked Peppa!).

SillyBlueHat · 17/08/2014 19:23

Have you got Peppa Pig toys for her to play with? My girls spend hours playing with the little figures.

Original poster
Sickandtired14 · 17/08/2014 19:27

Yes, got a few toys. We have loads of episodes recorded on youview box but she likes to watch it on the phone cos on YouTube it just goes on and on and on.

It's the tantrums that go along with it. She used to love in the night garden but she never ever tantrumed over that the way she does peppa. I wondered if it was the length of episodes but even after 30-40 mins she just screams and throws herself around and cries if pp is taken away!

Perhaps it is just age and timing

OP posts:
divingoffthebalcony · 17/08/2014 19:36

It'll pass.

My DD was obsessed with playing games on my phone at a similar age. She lost interest eventually!

Parietal · 17/08/2014 19:39

It will pass but you need DH on side & to both be consistent. Otherwise she will learn to play you off against each other, and will do the same for the next obsession.

RabbitSaysWoof · 17/08/2014 20:04

I think your right about the timing that she is just at this stage at this particular time when she is into peppa, I dont think the pig is that strong a force I think she's just testing boundary pushing and how much power a scream up can carry in your house.
I agree you and you dh need to be on the same page if you have a screen time concern, but if he is actually giving her the phone in response to her tantrum that is a bigger problem that he is teaching her that tantrums will get her what she wants. Peppa pig will not be in favour for ever but if he does reward her tantrums they will last and last.

Iggly · 18/08/2014 08:08

Sort your DH out. Is he being lazy and letting her watch instead of parenting? In which case let him deal with the tantrums.

Purpleflamingos · 18/08/2014 08:13

It will pass. Ds moved from peppa to horrid Henry, which is frequently banned because of bad behaviour afterwards. Dd loves peppa too. Buy a DVD and pop it on when you need to get some housework done. I use DVDs as a bribe, 'tidy your toys away then you can watch a DVD whilst mummy gets the house ready for bed' because I like to get up to a clean and tidy house.

seasaltbaby · 18/08/2014 12:42

We used to have a similar thing with peppa! What we would do is stipulate from the beginning how many peppas she could watch & then count them down at the end of every one. It did seem to work. However you've both got to be doing the same thing to make it effective, good luck.

CulturalBear · 18/08/2014 13:16

Not quite the same but in the pre-digital era (when I was growing up), I was apparently a big fan of a certain BBC animation Morph to the extent that I would get very upset when it ended.

There were no videos to watch then, so my mum tracked down a picture book as an alternative.

Could you maybe get hold of a PP book (or ten)? Just thinking, part of the behaviour could be down to the stimulating effect of the screen, a non-screen version may help wean her off it a bit?

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 18/08/2014 13:21

Oh God - this sounds so familiar. 2 and 3 months and just nags and nags for Peppa.

We do the 'we will watch 3 episodes of peppa' up front thing and it helps but doesn't totally solve it.

I think we just need to ride it out but the more she tantrums the less we let her watch, which is a shame because she gets so bloody excited when we say yes - jumping up and down and squealing (maybe we have been too stingy!).

I find that transitioning off it helps. So we stop Peppa but switch to Happy Feet. She is grumpy as she wants more peppa but she gets interested in the new thing so overall it's a lot less grumpy than just stopping peppa and switching the TV off. But turning that off is then quite easy - after a couple of minutes she usually wanders off herself bored.

januarysnowdrop · 18/08/2014 13:24

Make a rule about how many episodes she's allowed to watch every day and stick to it - make sure she knows 'we're going to watch one more, but then no more after that', constant reminders so she knows what's happening next. I'd be inclined to make a new rule that she can't use your phones at all - try not to get them out in her presence (if you can cope with this!), or at least if you do, only use it very briefly and then put it away.

We had a massive Peppa obsession with dd1 at a similar age which lasted for ages (but did pass eventually) - I was quite strict with her about screen time (we had DVDs and I think I let her have three at any one time, twice a day), but we lived the rest of our lives through Peppa Pig, with lots of Peppa toys (ebay was a good source), books and endless retelling of the stories. We would watch an episode and then go and do whatever Peppa did in it (making pancakes was a popular one, jumping in puddles, obviously, painting, gardening, playing hide and seek etc). Lots of drawing pictures of them and talking about it - I got quite good at doing Peppa pictures after a very great deal of practice.

I remember one day she got very cross with me because I said I didn't want to carry on pretending to be Madame Gazelle at the playground because other people would hear me and I'd feel silly!

Hemlock2013 · 18/08/2014 13:27

Yes, my 2 year old is the same... Mental over peppa pig... I also count down episodes which seems to help but piggies is the first word she utters in the morning!

Original poster
Sickandtired14 · 18/08/2014 13:38

Lol january we do all have to do chorus' of pig snorts and she actually calls us 'mummy pig' 'daddy pig' and refers to herself as 'dd pig'... Which is kind of cute.

I have cut my phone out completely. I'm the far stronger parent when it comes to discipline and following through with 'threats' of punishment or anything. He is still very PFB and can't bear to hear her crying so gives in to everything.

I try the 'ok that's your last one ok?' And she will look at me and say 'ok' but then scream and cry when peppa is turned off.

We have books and a few toys and bits. She gets over excited when it rains as we have to go outside and jump in puddles. She has clothes and bags and stuff as she just turned 2 and my family spoiled her!!

Thanks for advice ladies, I am trying to get DH on side but he simply says we have different approaches to parenting....TBH dd responds to the 2 of is very differently so maybe it will be his problem more then mine

OP posts:
januarysnowdrop · 18/08/2014 13:55

My MIL ended up writing a little series of 'books' (just a piece of card folded in half) about 'dd pig', all modelled on Peppa but including incidents from her own life. We've still got some of them - they're rather sweet.

Maybe store something up your sleeve to suggest that you go and do as soon as Peppa is turned off - 'now we're going to turn the telly off and go and see if we can find a snail in the garden' (or whatever). And then get her out of the room with the TV in it as quickly as possible!

Original poster
Sickandtired14 · 18/08/2014 13:57

Those books sound great. I'll look into making some. No idea why I didn't think of that, as we created something similar with iggle piggle.

Going outside and that is a good suggestion. Thank you

OP posts:
Toohotforfishandchips · 18/08/2014 14:01

My 4 year old does this. What is it about peppa that makes them so wild and obsessive ?!?

Lovelydiscusfish · 18/08/2014 18:17

We have started to limit tv to evenings only with dd (2years 4months), and an agreed number of episodes, she chooses what (currently it is always a Mister Bloom and a Melody!). I record all the things she likes, so we have a ready supply! The routine really helps, so she very rarely demands more than the agreed amount.
Mind you, not sure how you can get a routine going without your dh's support on this! It sounds tough.

HaroldLloyd · 18/08/2014 18:19

I would stop the phone immediately and get the peppa stuff deleted from there and just stick with letting her watch a little on TV seeing how that goes. I've had to stop all phone and iPad usage as it caused hideous tantrums, yet turning the TV off dosent.

MiaowTheCat · 19/08/2014 11:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Grokette · 19/08/2014 12:12

It's Charlie and Lola here. My Lord, the screaming for it is horrendous!

We now have a designated Charlie and Lola time in the afternoon, watching a few episodes and/or listening to the music. Making it a regular thing has helped.

Luckily DH and I quite enjoy it. Especially the snow one, when Marv's cookie breaks off in his hot chocolate while the others are talking; his face is priceless

Cheebame · 19/08/2014 12:38

Might sound counter-intuitive, and it might just be wrong, but how about giving her control of it?

DD has free access to the tablet, with iPlayer on it. It also has some films on it (although it might as well only have Frozen) and she is quite measured about how she uses it. Some days she watches it a lot, other days not at all - and most days she uses it a bit.

I would have thought that the 'need' to whinge to get to do something she wants to do, and the uncertainty about whether or not she will be able to do it - and how long she will get - will be stressful an make the whinging worse.

The only rules we have with the tablet are that it doesn't leave the house (unless we go on holiday) and it lives downstairs at night time. We always give her warning if she needs to turn it off e.g. if she's watching programmes on CBBC whilst I make tea, I tell her 10 minutes before I serve so she has time to finish watching whatever it is. Having thw autonomy to chose what to watch and when works well for DD. She also likes being able to rewind/fast forward / skip to watch her favourite bits.

Original poster
Sickandtired14 · 19/08/2014 19:32

Dd is only 2 so doesn't understand about rewind/fast forward etc.

Here's the thing, she will be given the tablet, goes I to YouTube app. Selects the thing and starts it playing. You won't hear a peep out of her. Then 2 hours later she is screaming and crying cos the loop has finished and she just runs around shouting 'I need pig' tried a DVD today as my sister bought her one as a gift and she was fine. But when it finished she had a huge tantrum.

I quite like peppa pig. But why I don't like is the tantrums and the screaming and bad behaviour that follows or precedes it.
DH doesn't help matters as he gives in to anything and everything she wants. Constantly used the excuse ' I one wants to hear her crying or tantruming' implying they won't understand (this will be around other people with children.... Go figure)

I'm just sick of feeling like the bad guy a bit I guess. I find it easier not to let her watch it at all as that way she doesn't have a total meltdown when it is stopped!!

OP posts:
Lovelydiscusfish · 19/08/2014 23:40

Letting her watch it for 2 hours or something is quite a long time, though. Whenever I have let dd watch tv for this length of time (if she has been poorly, say, or we are) she has been quite shirty when I have turned it off. I assume they get over stimulated, or something.
I wouldn't personally blame The Pig, per se. It could as easily be the Bloom, the Tumble, the Thomas the Tank. Etc etc. Just try to get your partner to work with you on limiting "screen time", and replacing it with other stuff your dd loves (mine, of a similar age, is bloody obsessed with craft, for example), if you can.

charlietangoteakettlebarbeque · 20/08/2014 11:55

Am I a really bad parent?

We have a Peppa DVD. If my DS wants to watch it, we put it on. I honestly don't think turning it into a battle is worth the hassle. I just don't see the problem with it.

I am strict with other things, things that I deem as more important that watching Peppa, things that I think are worth the battle.

Is doing that really bad, and if so, why?

I don't want to be a bad mummy Confused