TV in the morning - seriously????

[HaventSleptForAYear]

Another thing I learn from mumsnet.

Don't get me wrong, the DS are big Cbeebies/DVD fans, much more than I would like (especially DS2).

But it would never actually occur to me to turn the TV on at breakfast-time/before school.

Is this an old-fashioned parenting taboo/hang-up I have?

Do lots of people do this?

Am now at my own because I suppose TV in the morning is no different to TV at night.

If you can live without it, then all the better. It's not something you are supposed to do. Your kids are probably benefitting by NOT having the TV on in the morning, so be proud!

You see we do sandwiches in front of the TV in the evenings when we are knackered after work as a special treat but I have some wierd illogical hang-up about morning TV.

GAWD NO! But....only because my two also grind to a halt when the television is on. It's all I can do to get them dressed, downstairs, fed and all the necessary things assembled (swimming stuff, book bags etc) and out of the door, nevermind them standing frozen with their mouths open in front of the tv in between

ahem... of course what i actually meant is it is EXACTLY like Squeaver said at our house, certainly not me going from a quiet controlled voice to a red faced squeak that only dogs and bats can hear...

Now wondering if EVERYONE does this and thinking it's why we find life with 2 DS such a hard slog

you mean you DON'T have telly on in the morning?

Maybe we could go for a third DC after all if we just get another telly?

[ponders]

You see I AM totally out of touch yappy, I was right!

I sit and watch bbc news (well they call it news) and drink coffee, eat breakfast. Then wake dd up for breakast and she watches tv whilst eating, or does homework she hasn't finished.

I would listen to radio I suppose if I had a table in the kitchen.

We don't really have time for to much tv in the eve as dd is in school club till I finish work or when not working playing out with friends and swimms twice a week and youth club

We often have the TV on in a morning before work/school. DH likes to catch the BBC news and once he has done, providing DD is ready for school and has had breakfast she gets to watch 10 minutes of TV whilst me/DH finish getting ready for work.

We have TV on in an evening too, although DD only gets about 20-30 mins of her channels - we tend to watch the news and then whatever else we want to see. DH watches more than me.

Never been an issue. DD knows it goes off when we say it goes off, and she doesn't need limits or restrictions imposed, etc. We always leave the house on time for school, never late, etc.

Well, life with 2 DS IS a hard slog, which is definitely why everyone else does this

I turn on Skynes when I get up at 6, by 7.30 its onto CBeebies. I would never get chance to get myself ready if we didnt have it on.

[lightbulb moment]

Mine (all v young 3.4 and twins 17 months) have tv on when they get up until breakfast (usually 45 mins to an hour later). I do sometimes wonder if it is half the reason DS1 never sleeps late as he wakes up asking for milk and television every morning.

DS1 usually sits in front of it actually watching for first half hour while he drinks milk / eats his blankie, whereas DTs tend to play with toys and not really watch most of the time (unless it is Teletubbies in which case DTs seem obsessed).

wen they fucking wAKe up( or woke up) at FIVE THIRTY you used the tv to stop yourself going mad.

the time of day matters not one jot - its the overall amount.

i am just SO cool.

Yes we missed that trick too squidward and endured 18tmhs of 5.30 starts.

I'm being to understand why it looks so much easier for everyone else!

I don't have TV in the morning now, but when I worked and had the two ds's small I used to find morning TV was a help.

get up, shower and dress. Wake boys, feed, dress them (DH would have left for work at 5.30 am, 15 minutes before I woke). Plonk boys in front of Hoobs for a few minutes whilst I fot finished up clearninga way etc, run for 7.15 bus.

In the mornings now though they get too distracted if it is on. Have to rpactically drag them off it if they can locate the controller

yy to overall amount - but by NOT having it on in the mornings I buy myself time to have a beer and mn cook wholesome food after work.

We always have tv on in the mornings but then my 2 get up at 6am, we don't leave for school til 8.30am so we've got plenty of time.

I have bbc news on for half an hour or so while we all have our milk/coffee then it's cbeebies for a bit while the girls have breakfast.

Tis like a guilt counter going round in my head, "they haven't watched Tv yet today, they can watch a bit now" / "they've already watched a DVD, need to force them out in the garden".

My DCs know that once they're completely ready for school then they can have the TV on until we leave the house. In the last year they've managed it twice

Radio 4 is always on in our house, though.

Ah but Riven once you got up I'm sure you were doing lots of other things with them.

The DS's childminder is absolutely wonderful BUT her whole family are TV addicts and they are on constantly, it's a way of life.

So working mother plus guilty conscience = trying to be virtuous when we have the energy.

Well you do know that all "working" (outside the home) mothers imagine that the SAHMs are spending their days doing developmental play or some such.

Adds to the guilt factor doncha know!