Guilt, guilt for too much TV!

[jeffily]

My 19mo DD has been unwell over the last week, co-inciding with this really cold snap. I am 27 wks pregnant and feeling less mobile than I was. We are not getting out as much as we used to, and I am feeling guilty about how much TV she is watching. Usually it seems to end up being on from about 4.30 (although I do pick Charlie and Lola or Timmy time from iPlayer and we sit together on the sofa) then while I cook tea and then she watches ITNG before she goes to bed. There have even been a couple of days when she has had a snacky tea in front of the TV rather than us all sitting down together to eat. She's got no appetite anyway so tea ends up being a fight and unpleasant for everyone. This morning she also watched half an hour snuggled under the duvet with me.

Am I awful? Am I breeding a TV monster who will never eat a proper meal again or is do we all go through periods when we lean on the help of TV more and all is not lost?

No, you're not awful, I'm sure you're a great mother. That amount of TV never hurt anyone and besides. it's very snowy.

Doesn't sound bad to me, don't stress! I was pregnant and had an 18 month old this time last year and I remember endless days of being stuck indoors with nothing to do and Cbeebies was my saviour! And when DD2 was a newborn, DD1 often had a cheese sandwich in front of the telly for lunch and a ham sandwich in front of the telly for tea - it's not ideal but it got us through a difficult time and she was happy.

I currently have truly terrible morning sickness (am on tablets but they only mean I can keep some things down - I still feel shit) and have been basically snowed in with DS(2.6) all week. If Cbeebies didn't exist, I don't know how I'd survive. I feel like I should be inviting Andy et al round for Christmas dinner, such is their current importance in my life.

I'm sure you're doing a fab job and what's more, I'll bet that a very high percentage of toddlers are watching more TV than you at the moment. Christ, more than you most of the year!!

My dad used to fix tellies for a living, I watched a lot of Rainbow as a little one and old ladies used to say to me "you'll get square eyes" when we used to go to their homes and i used to tell my dad that the snowy picture was clear.

I do not have square eyes, i am not obese and I socialise quite well and often like to finish stories with an important moral message...

Thanks all. You have made me feel much better. She's obviously feeling a bit better this today and so far have had no demands for TV- instead we had fun dusting the bedroom and sorting through baby clothes ready for the newbie!

putthekettleon I think you hit the nail on the head there, that I worry that this is the thin edge of the wedge and there is more to come once I have the new baby to care for too. I guess you just have to do what is right for the time and try not to worry too much about making a rod for your own back.

suchstuff hope your MS clears up soon!