Is it wrong to let 3 year old daughter watch DVDs in bed before she goes to sleep?

[OnEdge]

We do a bedtime routine, bath stories bed, then she has started watching her portable DVD player until she falls asleep. Before this she found it very hard to settle, shouting out for mummy and crying until eventually she would fall asleep. With the DVDs she falls asleep at the same time but without all the upset.

Am I a bad mum? I feel guilty doing it but it makes life so much smoother.

It has onlot been 3 nights so should be able to wean her of it easily with something else.

Luckily tonight the battery ran out. It was Angelina Ballerina and I cheered her up by putting the DVD under her pillow, she seemed to like that and has gone straight to sleep.

We did it with both dc's it worked. They never had access to tv programmes just a timed section of a DVD.

It saved my sanity and possibly my marriage. I feel zero guilt about it.

Fwiw they havnt had a tv in their rooms for a few years. At least when they are young you can control what they watch.

How did you time it? Alouiseg

oh man, you do have a lot on your plate, I can totally see why you've ended up with the dvd's. maybe try the audio books. something which helps my dd also is a carousel light - www.littlemonkeymurals.com/Lighting1.html (I'm sure there are cheaper versions out there)

it's like the dvd in that it's sort of transfixing, moving lights, but a lot calmer than a dvd?

I want the starry night sky one for myself i LOVE it !!!!!!

Just pick a section for them to watch, episodes are usually clearly defined.

Those carousel lights are lovely - thinking of one for DD's birthday. But I feel she would find it far too exciting. Does anyone else have experience of these? RobynLou - does your DD just drop off to it?

We do it for dd2, otherwise it's constant screaming from 8pm until we go to bed, when she gets in with us. We had no evening. Just dd2 up and down the stairs every five minutes and screaming bloody murder when you took her back. Poor dd1 was knackered and was having to sleep in our room on the floor to get away from the noise (they share a room).

We persevered with the back to bed method for months. But it didn't work. Attempting to soothe/sing her to sleep took hours. Let her watch a video and she is alseep within an hour. Dd1 can manage to sleep through the noise of the video player. Every one is happy.

It's not ideal, but much better than where we were a few weeks ago.

I wouldn't do it. It'll be a long time before my son (3) gets his own TV in his room.

My understanding is that watching tv just before sleeping changes the brainwave patterns, and makes the person's sleep less effective and good for them. But then I had three boys who were all pretty good at settling down and going to sleep, so I don't feel I can preach at people who are having nightmares getting their children to sleep every night.

I was out to lunch yesterday and there were portable dvd players on the tables to our left and right and on each table an under 2 year old watching them. I think it's a tough time and to be honest I only have one child who is 3, but I think that we should try our best to find other ways of amusing/calming them down. It doesn't calm their minds down and that's the issue. Yeah their body is quiet so they fall asleep, but what's going on while they sleep? I think that it will be a few years until we trully understand the impact on little minds.

I myself have just been on holidays without tv and my head felt so much clearer and it was much more relaxing. Don't know how long I'll be able to stay away from the tv now that I'm back (2 days and counting!).

We used to frown upon children reading because it would "strain their eyes". Of course brain patterns will change with different activities.

My children benefited from me reading to them when I wasn't tired myself. Bath and bedtime used to exhaust me and I had no inclination to drag it out any longer than was necessary.

A good nights sleep is a very restorative thing, I'd rather let a child watch something peacefully for half an hour than struggle all evening trying to placate children and spend time with dh.

My Mum (a teacher) was initially horrified but is amazed at how little tv they watch now.

belindarose, yes, she does, if she hasn't dozed off during her story then she lies and watches the light till she falls asleep, it makes patterns on the ceiling too, often she looks at those rather than the light itself.