Toddler just wants to watch TV - she won't play with me SOB

[Tapster]

I was very strict with my DD about TV until morning sickness hit me very badly a couple of months ago. I'm starting to feel better but the last couple of days all she seems to want to do is "beebies". She is nearly 2.

Every morning we have an activity - swimming, toddler group etc... If its not raining I take her to the park or library in the afternoon. Its pouring with rain this afternoon so thats not an option.

We had a very busy weekend I'm not sure if she is too tired - I've got jigsaws, books, play doh out but after 5mins she wanders off.

At this moment I feel like moving the telly to the loft bedroom. I should go and make some biscuits with her I suppose, tired, sick and pregnant and a DD glued to the TV I'm despairing to be honest.

snap! Before I was pregnant we were out morning & afternoon without fail. Now 17 wks pregnant & still struggling with morning sickness, DS is just about to turn 3 & has just started nursery. He is very busy all morning but once we get home I seem to collapse & he loves the telly. Even when I try & cajole him out of the house to go to the park he says he'd rather stay in! I know if I had more energy I could rally him & I feel like a v crap mummy. Hoping it will pass & we can get back to normal soon before his brain melts

Totally relate with the 'morning sickness =CBeebies overdose' thing. Don't beat yourself up about it! TV watching is definitely a habit and it can be broken fairly easily. Getting rid of the telly for a while might not be a bad idea. I find that the less TV my son watches, the better his concentration span gets and the more he wants to engage in other activities.

I've been through the same thing, felt dog rough until about 17 weeks or so, DS developed a serious beebies addiction. I'm in the grace period atm, but suspect beebies will come a-calling as I slow up again (I'm 28 weeks).

Like MrsMattie, I have noticed that the more he watches, the more he wants to watch - so I try and ride out the whinging. Do you have friends with small children? I find the easiest outings are walking round to a mate's house for our darlings to menance each other play together rather than trying to do lots of activity stuff. I also find that if I can really knacker him in the morning, I can get him to sleep for an hour in the afternoon which allows me to have a rest too.

I would just go with it for now because it is not going to last forever. When you feel better then you could go 'cold turkey'. I got my dd off Dora this way! After the second day she stopped asking for tv.

Look at the TV as a way of helping you to get through your morning sickness. It is a good idea to drag yourself off to a friend's house so your children can play while you lie about!

I haven't got too many local friends - and when we meet up it tends to be mornings. DD loves playing with children older than her, the same age she just ignores them.

Afternoon naps are a bit hit or miss now, although I do succeed most days (often after a tantrum and lots of screaming) which gives me a break.

She had really good concentration span until recently and I feel really sad about it.

DS got very keen on TV at same age because I was busy with newborn DD. But he is 5 now and although he loves TV if we say no he'll complain a bit then go off and invent a fantastic game.

What does she your DD do when she wanders off? My DD is very independent and often just likes to play alone by herself. She has been like this since before she was 2.

She has a really full schedule, I would be stressed out, knackered and overstimulated and want tv after all that. A chance to relax, watch tv, or just potter with toys freely at home is probably a very tempting alternative.

You dont have to be on a carussel of entertainment with her, you know. Let the impressions sink in a little.

Some cbeebies wont harm her.

Did same with dd during pg. She watched LOADS of Beebies.

Now cant get her to go near the TV, much as you sometimes hear me begging 'please go and bug Mama Mirabelle while I cook supper'!

They go and off it.

A few Beebie programmes aren't going to harm her. What we try to do, and I stress try as sometimes it doesn't work, is tell DS exactly how much he will be watching i.e. two programmes or to the end of Charlie and Lola ( and how fab is C & L by the way )or something like that, so its a bit rationed.

DS is tired when he gets home from the CMs, they play all day so I don't think it hurts him to relax for a little bit while I make dinner.

do you have sky/digital TV? How about during the day, disabling it, so terrestrial TV in only available and children's TV is only on at certain times? Trying to think old fashioned here!