Do your kids watch TV in the morning

aoa321

What started out as a little treat in our house is fast turning into a big problem. I have 2 boys, 4 and 1.5 and I turn on CBEEBIES in the morning.

This seemed like a nice thing to do at first, it's a lovely, gentle channel, no ads and like so many of my other parenting mistakes it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Now it's a nightmare. I can't get my boys to eat breakfast, I can't get them dressed on time (the older one is in pre-school) and the morning is a bloody war-zone in the house at this stage.

To be honest I feel like a complete loser. My eldest wouldn't eat his Weetabix this morning and I refused to give him the chocolate-chip biscuits he wanted instead. So in his line for class he was hungry and never stopped whinging, I'm sure some other parents were looking at him and thinking "what a little brat", but the thing is they should be looking at me and thinking "what a loser".

How do I break this bad habit I've given the boys, I'm honestly thinking of getting up tomorrow and taking out the fuse to the televisions and making him eat breakfast before it gets turned on, or should I just turn it off and leave it off? I'd say there will be mayhem in the house whatever way I try to handle it !!

I'm totally deflated with all this arguing and fighting with the boys.

Pikasso

Definitely lose the TV in the morning. It will never work. TV is for relaxing (adults) and as a treat (children, when all the jobs are done). They mentally switch off and get very lazy when introduced to TV first thing in the morning. God knows, mornings are stressfull enough and time-short without having TV time to contend with as well. My advice: no tv.

Audioslaven

Whose the adult/boss here!!! FFS, Get a grip, say no TV and tats it. Tell them no crying or anything and zip it.

Nevyn

If you are having those issues don't turn it on.
Put the radio on or some music and tell them if they are ready before it is time
to leave the house they can have the tv on.

Generally there is the rule of no tv in the mornings here if it is a school day.
Sometimes my youngest who is 6 will wake before the rest of the house and go down stairs and turn it on.

But it is turned off as soon as I get down stairs and they are ushered into the kitchen to have thier breakfast, then get dressed.

The morning routine to get everyone fed and out the door can make you want to pull your hair out with frustration and can drive you demented if you let it.
But I have found the more wond up and anxious I get the worse things can get.
So you have to be in control and set the rules for a smooth routine in the morning that has everyone leaving the house in plenty of time and smiling and chatting on the way to school.

Trust me it can be done and you can do it.
What about a nurery rhyme tape or a cd of thier favourite music ?

Thankfully we live pretty close to my childrens school and they know that the 8:15am traffic report on the radio mean they have to head up stairs to get dressed and that by the 8:30 am news report they should be dressed.

As for your eldest being hungry well make sure you have a talk to him about it.
I had simular issues with my youngest and had to explain why she needed to eat breakfast as she need the engery to run and play.
One hungery morning will not do most children any harm at all, or will one missed dinner if a child plays up at dinner time.

Well yes there will be resistance, but once you have the routine and stick to it for school mornings the stress levels in the house will com down consideribly.

If could only take the next 3 mornings to get them used to it, are you willing to battle with them and get the new rountine established for the rest of the school year or have the battle of will like this morning for the rest of the school year ?

I wake my brats up ( if they are not already up ) and start with good morning, how did you sleep, it is a school morning, who has pe today,we are going to have breakfast, brush our teeth, get dressed, get our school bags sorted and get to school early.

This tells them what to expect and what has to be done.

It is tough but you will get there.

Why not look a bribe ?
If you can get a week of a smooth routine and no drama and everyone get to school on time look at a treat be it a walk in the park a book that you will read to him, or a renting a movie if the mornings go well.

Why not look at offering fruit as an alterative in the morning if he suddenly decides he does not want wetabix ?

littlebug

Guilty.

My nearly 2 year old has taken to waking at 6 am (or earlier). He doesn't want breakfast that early and neither he nor I really have the energy for play/ entertainment at that hour so I just give him some milk and stick on the telly and it keeps him amused til we're both feeling more human. When his sister (4 1/2) gets up about an hour and a half later it's straight to the table for breakfast.
On the rare occasions that they're both up at the same time it's straight to the kitchen for breakfast and then the tv can go on though they do sometimes get stuck into other things and don't really notice that it's not on. I don't really mind it being on once they've eaten.. it give me a chance to get showered and get bags/ lunches etc ready without them at my ankles.

P

loyatemu

if they're dressed, have eaten breakfast and there is a little bit of time to kill, then maybe let them watch TV while you get yourself organised. Otherwise, it's a bad idea.

TempestSabre

We do only if we really need to distract our 3yr old for a little while. Otherwise we try to keep it off. Generally we find things are much more relaxed with the TV off, and hes happier and calmer. He'll read a book, or play instead. He'll also concentrate on his breakfast and other tasks far, far better.

Rather than replace the fuse, unplug it and put a safety blank in the socket, before you go to bed. You might have a battle for a couple of mornings, but eventually things will calm down. Use TV as a reward or a treat, (they've got ready etc) not as an automatic right.

aoa321

Thanks for all the replies.

I unplugged the TV, cleared the kitchen table, printed out some Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam images on A3 paper and provided a packet of colouring pencils from Tesco (€1.99) and let the 4 year old at it.

Hey presto ... breakfasts scoffed, dressed with no fuss, out the door on time and into school smiling ... still had a few flashpoints between the 2 boys regarding the actual ownership of the colouring pencils ... but we'll work on "sharing" next week.

Sometimes once you articulate a problem it seems trivial in comparison to the way you've built it up in your mind ... thanks for the coments and advice ... just the wake up call I needed !!!

Nevyn

Congratulations may the rest of your school mornings go so well.
As for who owns what I just bought two sets of colouring pencils some days kids need thier space and to be sitting as far apart as the table allows others they could nearly share a chair happily

luckat

Excellent.

TV can be a valuable reward, if you print out a few tokens, and say five tokens means one TV programme or one DVD (at the time of *your* choice) - then give a token out instanter when you see desired behaviour.

greenkittie

I don't own a TV myself as i don't like watching it. When i eventually have kids should i get one and let them watch it? Is it a useful thing in a childs development?

Nevyn

It can be esp with some of the really good programs on some of the channels but it has to be limited and you are exposing them to the evils of the toy marketers.

scrattletrap

This isn't a problem for me as although I have a TV I have no channels (not even the Irish ones) so all the boys can watch are the huge array of DVDs that have already passed the suitability mark (from me)
Got sick of all the pushy adverts and teenage shows that were on all the time. The boys don't miss it at all, I have friends who will tape important soccer matches for my older one who loves soccer.

Khannie

I had /very/ similar trouble with my little lad when he was around 5+. He just got totally lost in the television. I walk in having made lunch, and he's sitting there, spoon halfway between the bowl and mouth, mouth gaping open, eyes fixated on the television.......not one spoon actually made it to his mouth....

I made a new rule that worked very effectively: If for any reason you're not finished your breakfast in a reasonable time (because you've gotten lost in the TV), no TV tomorrow. 2 offences in quick succession meant 3 days without television in the morning, etc.

I must admit, it took some time for this to actually work, but we have no trouble now.

HTH.

Edit: I see you're sorted. Nice one.

Khannie

greenkittie wrote:

Is it a useful thing in a childs development?

I think it's useful socially (to be able to talk about the latest craze on television with the other kids in the class) and sometimes to occupy them while you perform some task or other. My little lad likes documentaries, but apart from that, the hours and hours of pokemon cartoons he watches serve no benefit except entertainment IMO.

TempestSabre

greenkittie wrote:

I don't own a TV myself as i don't like watching it. When i eventually have kids should i get one and let them watch it? Is it a useful thing in a childs development?

Depends what they watch. Some programs are ok, they help reinforce things they learn elsewhere, counting, dancing, music stuff like that. But only in small dose's. Generally we treat it as treat purely for entertainment. Our guy can spend a few hours with play dough, and I prefer to see that than a few hours of TV. Theres lots of bad things they can learn from TV so it has to be heavily policed IMO.

Wishbone Ash

Nick Junior (Channel 618) every morning from 6.30 - Thomas the Tank Engine, The Backyardigans, Dora the Explorer, Little Bear, Little Bill, Max and Ruby, Fifi and the Flowertots, Angelina Ballerina etc. I'm begining to feel guilty now. :eek:

TempestSabre

Every morning might be a bit much. But not everyones kids rise at 6.30, thankfully...:) So dunno what I'd do in that situ. TBH lots of those programs are decent enough IMO.

oulu

I have 3 kids 2 in big school one in pre school, rules are simple and they understand, if they want to watch a little TV before school they must eat breakfast ,clothes all on and brush teeth, then when all is done they are allowed watch some tv before we are out the door in 25 min , works a treat some morning they might want no TV just to play with their toys same rules apply

wexhun

HORROR STORY:eek:

OK I've just nominated myself for the worlds worst parent in the world, had a meeting with child no.2s teacher today. She was concerned about his lack of attention in class, constant chatting and sometimes even cheekiness. She asked me does he watch tv in the morning. To my eternal shame yes he does! He gets up at around seven flies down stairs and flicks on the telly. It suited me fine as it gave me an extra hour in bed!cringe with embarresment
I have to admit I have noticed a change in his behaviour since I've started this little routine, practically have to beg him to get dressed in the morning, he is 8, never finishes his breakfast. I remember attending a parent teacher meeting when my first child started school and they discouraged tv watching before school but I have got lazy or old and tired or something and I've been using the tv as an early morning babysitter.
SOOOO to cut a long story short, YES telly, when not controlled does have an effect on their little growing brains so tomorrow I'm getting up an hour earlier arggggghhh! and there is going to be no telly switched on arrrggghhhh! Will update on the changes/or lack of in the next week.

TempestSabre

Was surprised at the effect it has myself. Old those old wives tales have some truth to them.