have made a rod for my own back...tv again!!!

[swifterella]

ok all these threads about tv have got me thinking. DS (18 mnths) does watch too much i think (bout 2 hours a day 1 hour in morning and 1 in the evening after tea.

however i do work three days a week and he is in nursery so doesnt watch any on those days. We are also at baby groups the other 2 days so watches an hour before bed.

He is quite obsessed with Thomas the flippin tank and today he just stood infront of the tv chanting thomas thomas.

it made me feel terrible, but i didnt give in even though he is poorly.

I feel like i dont know how to play with him. He doesnt like drawing really, bit young for painting, so what can i do instead of the TV?

just pootle around trashing things!! My ds 13 months does not watch tv and he is currently playing with a childs suitcase and a spoon!

things is we do do stuff like that. He has been quite poorly recently and clingy so maybe i have been using Tv as a crutch?

how about getting some thomas books or a baby thomas puzzle? or - a train set? We use the fara childrens shops for a load of the kids toys - because they are generally in good condition, and it means we can keep rotating toys without feeling too guilty.

feel like a bit of a twonk as have got him loads of thomas stuff and he has pushed it round a bit then just stands in front of tv shouting thomas (this has been since he's been ill)

blocks, big lego, crayons

My eldest watched Thomas the Tank videos over and over and over again. If he is poorly he probably doesn't feel like playing. I would let him watch Thomas at least until he is well. By then he might prefer to play with his Thomas toys.

have given in,poor thing has D and V bug...Hopefully once he is better i can sort things

You haven't "given in". You are just being sensitive to his current needs. Hope he gets better soon.

There's nothing wrong with more TV than normal on days when they are ill. After all, when we are ill, we don't feel like doing much else (if only we had the chance to lie on the sofa in front of the box when ill!).

Have turned my 19 month into tv addict-she points remote at the tv-loves all ceebeebies but has taken to taking out the smartcard at the moment-probably find it posted somewhere

DS 2.3 loves Barney the Big Purple Dinosaur. I hate Barney the flippin purple Dinasaur and think he is an abomination. DS would watch the same episode 10 times in a row if I let him. (Which I have done when he's been poorly and just wants to snuggle on the sofa with me and his blankie.)

I'm with the others, it's the equivalent of comfort eating!

Swifterella, I would say if you want him to stop going on about Thomas, DON'T have the products about, they'll just make him think about it. I got utterly fed-up of Teletubby obsession when my DS1 was about 2 and just stopped putting the TV on at all for him - the weird thing was how quickly he forgot about it.
If you sometimes put it on and sometimes don't, your little one has no way of knowing what he can and can't have, so will nag mercilessly. Be very clear in your own head what the rules are, then don't budge. You also have to not worry you're 'depriving' him or you'll soon give in!

Funnily enough, I find that having the products about help. When the kids ask to watch Thomas and I don't agree, they are usually quite happy to be read the books. Likewise with Kipper and Maisy.
I agree about being clear about the rules in your own head.