Help me to not turn the telly on!

[anna*]

I am not philosophically opposed to television watching, but it is getting to be a bit of a habit in our house to turn it on as soon as we get downstairs. It doesn't stay on all day, but I would prefer not to have a start that includes the goggle box. Part of the problem is that Stan is ENORMOUSLY grouchy in the morning, and putting the telly on gives me half a chance of fixing his milk and my coffee (although often their are tantrums going on nevertheless).

He is just in such a state in the morning, he can't let me know what is wrong indeed I don't think there IS anything wrong, he is just in a flap and can't unmuddle himself until he has had some milk and cuddles. But I seem to need to have the telly on to have him calm enough to have some cuddles and drink his milk. Otherwise more than likely the milk is thrown across the room 'No NOT THIS MILK! THAT MILK! NO MUMMY NO MILK! I WANT MILK! NO MILK! WANT CUDDLES! NO CUDDLES'. You probably know what I mean.

[skatty]

Aww bless him, he isn't a morning person then! I don't know if you have any but story cds are very popular in our house, they have to be stories from books she knows like The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Maisy Mouse and her latest favourite Bad Dog Marley but they work just as well as TV and have since she was about 18 months. I'm not sure if it is a usual thing that happens as they get older but Leorah is not so interested in TV now than she was when she was younger, I think she has worked out for herself that there are so many better things she could be doing. Saying that at the weekend I love her having some morning TV time so I can leisurely surf the net 

[anna*]

LOL really not a morning person. Thanks for the idea about books on CD, I hadn't thought of that. He was relatively calm and happy this morning, so managed not to put the TV on. I agree with you it is a godsend when you need a tiny bit of me time, especially now that they aren't napping regularly throughout the day!

PS: Adore your new avatar - the little senorita!

[We Three]

Oh Stan....waking up on the wrong side of the crib, huh?      (Hey, doesn't dh come home today?)

Well, I am a *bit* opposed to tv watching. I mean, in my perfect world, she wouldn't watch any, but I know that's not realistic, at least not for me right now.  So we have 2 rules...TV is for after breakfast and after dinner only. It is not on at any other time.  DD does NOT lke to get out of her crib in the morns...I put bookes in her crib at night after she's asleep...you can wedge them between the mattress and the rail....and she reads for at least 15-20 mins every morn. If I go in, she either doesn't respond at all, just a smile and then back to her book, OR she gets angry..."NO! I STAY in my BED!!!!" 

Maybe Stan would like to chance to chill out in bed for a bit? 

We come downstairs and go right into the kitchen, she has her own small table and chairs in there....I make sure there is something there for her to do in the morn...a puzzle, whatever while I make breakfast. She usually will just stick close to me while I get her food ready.

It's easy here, since this is the way we have always done it.  I realize that it would be harder to change at this point...but you can do it!!! I LOVE the CD idea...I bet if Stan could put in the CD himself (do you have a tabletop CD player?) he would probably love it!

OK...gotta run...Amelia has finished her breakfast and is asking to watch Diego.   Time for me to blow dry my hair...so I like Diego most mornings!!! 

[anna*]

Aww, I WISH he would chill in bed for a bit - I really feel like his mood/attitude would be much improved by a slower start to the day! But, he starts yelling for me as soon as he wakes up.

[clazzat]

We do okay with starting the day - we have breakfast and then a couple of programmes after I have had my shower (normally so that I can clear up the breakfast mess!) - but we absolutely have to have telly after nap: dd1 is just impossible unless she gets 30 mins of chilling time after her nap.  I have just accepted that it is something that she needs - much like I need my coffee to start the day!   I think it is okay to have a couple of programmes during the day to smooth things over - for her and me - so I just try to make sure that she doesn't watch it at other times of the day.

The story CDs sound like a really good idea, but honestly I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about it.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Spencer is a real TV addict first thing in the am, even though she is a morning person! Mostly it is a habit, she wakes up and plays in bed for a bit, I get up and get her milk and cheerios ready before I get her out of bed (yes...exact same breakfast every day!) and she sits on her Dora couch and watches a Baby Einstein (usually 25 min show) and it is so funny because my spirited whirlwind actually lounges on her couch and drinks her milk and eats her cheerios! This gives me time to get Masyn up (so not a morning person) and supervise as she makes her breakfast, feed our pets and get my coffee (also not a morning person!)

I really wouldn't worry about it too much, but the books on CD sounds good too, we listen to those or kids music after supper when we have a strict no TV rule.

[bovi]

We have as a general rule: not more than 15 mins TV/day  He actually watches a cartoon on DVD. We get home from daycare at about 13 and I give him his milk in his bottle. Now the thing is that if I do not put the DVD on he is running around with the bottle and not drinking it and then he is too tired to sleep etc. Once I just thought I could try to make him watch his DVD and then he would not be running around and bingo, it worked so we got a bit addicted to it. I would prefer in theory not to let him watch anything.
so I would also welcome any ideas on what else I could try instead of watching the box.
What I read is that psychologist does not advice watching any! TV before the age of 4! Anyway watching TV while eating is a bad bad habit for many reasons and I try not to do it myself neither (with frequent exceptions tough ). but there is a difference to DS, if I get food I am not running around and I would never refuse a nap no matter what 

[skatty]

IMHO I don't think some TV watching does any harm, especially if you moniter what it is but it is definitely a personal choice whether or when to have it on. Unfortunately it doesn't guarantee any chill out time in our house, Leorah always wants to dance around or act out what is being watched 

PS: Adore your new avatar - the little senorita!

Thank you 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I though of this thread yesterday when Masyn and I saw an ad on Treehouse (one of our kids channels) that they are promoting their shows that are on at 7pm and later as "Bedtime with Treehouse" - as in watching the shows will help calm them down so they can go to bed. This is the channel geared to 1-3 year olds, ratings must be down at that time if kids are getting ready for or are already in bed!

[bovi]

I really dont think that any TV is good for toddlers, now I am just saying this b/c I want to support Anna in her mission-not-impossible. 

Just give it a google: all sources, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, say that toddlers under 2 should not watch any TV. For me it is also common sense.

[anna*]

Bovi, I do appreciate the support. I just don't want it to be a habitual first thing in the morning thing for us - realistically, with our lives, the 'no TV' thing just isn't going to happen. First I would have to persuade DH and I to give up TV too! I think there are many factors at play in the overall health of a child (of course) and TV is just one of them - so a moderate amount, supervised, taken in the context of a well-rounded childhood with plenty of play, reading, interaction, outdoor play etc etc etc is not I believe going to be drastically harmful.

[We Three]

Anna...just a thought...if you did put the books in the crib at night before you go to sleep...when he wakes and calls for you, maybe you could go in there and say good morn, and spend a few minutes greeting the day slowly?  Have a read, a cuddle? Not saying that he'll allow you to *not* go in, so DO go in, but maybe 10 minutes with some books would help his morning grumpiness...  Then maybe, in time, when he woke and found the books, he'd be ok alone for a few minutes.  ?  Doesn't have much to do with the TV issue per se, but *might* help his mood, AND help with the NWs....just making bed a more positive place to be, right?  

[Bryony]

We have just discovered CD stories too - and K does enjoy them.  So much of it is habit I am sure Anna!  If you are determined to change things in the mornng can you introduce a new habit?  Ours in the morning is a few stories with me in our bed while she drinks her milk - and woe betide us if we try and change it!

[anna*]

Thanks everyone! I have been meaning to get back to this thread.

I think we're doing better. Sometimes like this morning I do still turn on the TV. But each night I am setting a little pile of books on the coffee table so that when I have fixed our milk/coffee there is an alternative right there.

Anne I WISH he would give himself a slightly slower start to the day. I like your idea though, spending a few mins reading with him before going downstairs, then maybe one day in my vivid and beautiful imagination he would do so for himself for 5 mins before calling me to start wailing on me. Gosh it's a great way to start every day.  

[AshleyB]

We're having a TV problem at our house, too. We watched a lot one week when she was sick and now she wants to watch all the time. I don't mind her watching first thing in the morning and when we first get home from daycare because that's when the grownups need to be dressing and/or cooking. However, it's really hard to get her to break away when it's cold/wet/icy outside and there aren't that many good alternatives to playing.

One thing I've done is put on shorter videos than the ones she's asking for. She usually asks for two-hour movies, but I will put in a 15-minute Curious George instead. She accepts that (most of the time), watches it, then gets up and goes back to playing with her toys.