Tv?

[thinkfast]

What age did you start letting your dcs watch tv and how much?

Am I being pfb in thinking that Ds (15 months) should watch none at all? Just found out mil and nanny both let him watch it. I never have...

DS is also 15 months. I have never let him 'watch' TV but I have always had it on in the background. I am sure this is probably as bad. Very rarely I catch him watching it - normally during the weather (which I get, big block pictures etc) or the news (I am assuming he is obviously gifted ;)) But I won't have kids TV on as I don't want to encourage him.

MIL was telling me she has to ration DN's (14 months) cbeebies TV when she looks after him (twice a week). I had to find some tweezers to extract my judgy pants from my arse but each to there own.

Wwyd? Feel I can't insist mil doesnt let him watch it - she knows we are dead against it and she is giving us free childcare 1 day a week

Nanny told me he watches one 10 minute programme a day while she is doing other things. The only criterion I had when I hired her was no tv. Other than that she has free reign...

Not at all happy....

Regularly - age 2.11 y.o. but only as a 'treat' following traumatic physio, after which I expect we'll go back to not using it. For us, TV means videos of trains on youtube, not proper programmes though.

I don't think you're pfb, but non-TV users are rare IME.

Tough thinkfast mention to MIL you would really he rather didn't? I know that may be easier said than done.

With Nanny - how did you find out? Did s/he mention it? In that case I would definitely feel more empowered to mention preferences here.

I am sort of resigned to the fact that when I have #2 that the TV may become a babysitter - especially in the early days (not PG yet but hoping to be)

Both know Dh and i hate it - especially at this age.

Dh asked mil to stop but apparently he loves escape to the country she basically said while she's looking after him her rules

Think I will say to nanny one programme only no more pls - obviously I have no way of policing that

Wish I was a sahm

Oh, I remember those days, wait till you have 3!! I think they are not really interested before 2, but after that a little TV doesn't harm them. I suggest finding something you like and recording it, or using the iplayer, then letting them watch while you join them with a cuppa. The problem with Cbeebies is that it never stops so you can end up with a fight over them wanting to keep it on, recording etc means that you only get 1 program and then it stops. Bear in mind that the grandparents are older than you and don't have quite as much energy, they probably appreciate some quiet time with them (my Mum certainly does!)

My DD is 16 months and not remotely interested in TV yet, the older ones (8 and 5) watch a bit but often won't turn the TV on at all. we have our TV in the living room, but all their toys etc are in the playroom, so if they choose to watch, they sit and watch rather than it being on in the background (which is my pet hate!) I am also really strict about them only watching kids TV (or sport in the case of DS1)

I have very happy memories of lunchtime children's TV, guess I was 2-3, watching the flumps, followed by my Mum watching Pebble Mill at one while I had a nap!

I know you're right. Just feel there's a bug difference between 15m and 2yrs and don't want a telly addict...

I think the issue here is not so much the TV, but that your nanny is putting it on for your LO despite yoru wishes (harder to control MIL!). My DD1 is 2.10 and DD2 is 19 months. I work three days a week and have a nanny to look afetr the girls. I have only just staretd to let the nanny to put teh TV on for DD1 (not DD2), during DD2's nap. DD1 is tired when he comes hoem from preschool at 12 but is dropping ehr nap, so on the days she does not nap she is allwoed tow atch TV while dd2 is asleep and tehya re stuck in teh house. Before this my nanny would enevr have put teh TV on - if she only has "10 mins" worth of stuff to get done, she should eb able to do it without tv and she shoudl not eb using it if you have expressly asked ehr not to. dd2 is 19 months and eprfectly happy to potter while i need to do bits and pieces of hosueowr.

Sorry for all typos!

I'm probably the odd one out, but I don't have a problem with DD watching television.

She didn't really have any interest till she was about 2 anyway. She normally watches films - Narnia, Wizard of Oz, Gruffalo, HP, Willy Wonka etc rather than CBeebies.

She does plenty of other things and is out at nursery/school all day so it's not 24/7. Her vocabulary is huge, she has learnt songs and dance routines from the musicals, and her imaginative play is good so I don't think it has done any harm.

Oh, and agree about CBeebies etc going on and on. Much better to record things.

I can say to DD, okay you can watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and then the TV goes off. With CBeebies it's a fight to turn it off as there is no end point till 7pm!

Thinking more calmly one 10 minute programme 3 or 4 times a week won't hurt but I will speak to her to ask that it doesn't increase. Of course I will never know

Alas, MIL is gonna do what she wants. If by "nanny" you mean your mum, good luck with influencing that too. If "nanny" is an employee that's a bit crap but, again, no way to really police it other than to disable the TV entirely (haha).

FWIW - DS is 11 weeks old and, despite my objections, DP has introduced him to "Top Gear" and "Destroyed in Seconds" . I guess at least he's getting a bit of father-son activity.

Dont let them watch FULL ENGLISH on Ch 4 TV (But it is great fun for
broadminded grown ups. )

Hmm, does he nap still? Surely your nanny can do odd bits whilst he naps?

( I'm a nanny and have put the tv on maybe 5 times in the last 3 years - each time has been when myself and/ or charges have all been ill and hibinating under duvets napping on sofa)

I don't rally have anything against tv, just rarely have the time to just plonk them in front ( activity/ parks/ friends over/ baking/ painting etc)

Can you suggest some of these to your nanny? If he really only watches 10 mins its not much she needs to do without him. Coul he be put in highchair in kitchen with some play dough, or allowed to play with saucepans/ wooden spoons whilst she prepares a meal etc, or let him sit in washing basket as a boat whilst she loads some washing

Thanks for the advice. It's a nanny share. The other children are much older and she said she puts the tv on for 10 minutes when packing up to bring him home. Think I can cope with that as the rest of the day ds is doing other things.

Mil is trickier as she is doing is a big favour. However I've decided to speak to her and if it continues will think about finding the money for an alternative on that day.

I think the real reason I'm quite so upset about it is that I would much prefer to be a sahm and have everything just as I like but can't afford to...

I am quite happy to admit I put my dd - 17 wks - in front of the tv for 20 mins every afternoon - better that than us eating crap food as she is a terrible daytime napper and we take our afternoon nap together
In RL I am a child psychologist and I specialise in brain development. A little tv is fine. If its the only thing your child does it isnt. So you all never have the tv on in the background, ever....Though I appreciate people going against your child care wishes isn't fine at all.

My 18 month old loves to watch babies and we put funny baby videos on YouTube for her. To my mortification she will come over to me with the remote control and plead for 'baybeees'. She has two older siblings and watches a bit of TV with them - she loves the Simpsons - but her concentration span is around 10 minutes at most before she's off doing something else. Last week she was obviously feeling grotty and spent a whole morning slumped with me on the sofa, and we did have CBeebies on. But mostly she doesn't notice if the TV is off all day - apart from the wretched 'baybeees'.

(She watches CBeebies In The Night Garden and I think it's fab)