Do your early riser toddlers watch a lot of telly?

[PartyFops]

My dd who's is 3 wakes at 6am, sometimes earlier . She refuses to go back to bed and it's futile trying to make her. She will not get into our bed for a snuggle.

So, we trundle off downstairs bleary eyed and sit and watch TV. I just cannot handle a lot more this early, but I feel ever so guilty. She has active days, she does 3.5 days if pre school, swimming, soft play etc.

The telly probably stays on until 8.30 (maybe 9 on weekends) and doesn't go back on until 4 til 5.30.

Tell me I'm not alone?

[TheTrashheapHasSpoken]

You're not alone. And my toddler is only a year and a half. I often feel guilty.

[notadoctor]

You're not alone! I used to stick to 1hour TV a day but since DD (2.8yo) started getting up early it's crept up! Like you I limit TV to early mornings and after 4pm when she needs to veg out (and I need to get tea cooked)! It probably adds up to around 2hrs total. I think as long as it's not on non stop and they're active in between then it's not too much of a problem (I hope!)

[cabbagedinner]

Definitely not alone,mine watch more than that I'm embarrassed to say.

[BikeRunSki]

You are not alone.
My 5 yo gets up around 6am and goes and watches TV by himself. Then big fights when 2 yo dd gets up and wants to watch something different. I hate the tv.

[DrFunkesFamilyBandSolution]

Same here. They wake up at 5 & wehave it on until 0830, it's off for breakfast (at 6!) & a little bit of play but it's probably two hours worth of stuff before most others are awake (it's off until we watch a Balamory in the afternoon whilst dinner cooks).

[TheTrashheapHasSpoken]

This thread is strangely comforting.

And from now on I'm going to borrow some of Miaow's attitude!

[fledermaus]

The TV is always on til 8am/8.30am here, although I am pretty strict about not getting up before 7am.

[Cat2014]

You're not alone.
It's the only way to deal with early risers imo. Unless you can be Mary poppins at that time in the morning (I can't!)
It used to concern me but ds is so active and does so much other stuff for the rest of the day. I don't think it's a huge problem.

[lola88]

I got a small tv for my bedroom for this reason DS watchs tv and I snooze til 7/7.30 I just refuse to get up before 7.

[lola88]

my post makes me sound like 7 is time to get up and get ready at 7ish we go to sitting room with tv on while I veg and DS plays with some toys we don't tend to do much until 9ish

[TheTravellingLemon]

you are not alone. we have active days too, but DS always spends time in front of the tv or, shock horror, ipad if he gets up before 6.30. so, pretty much every day then. I cannot function at that time in the morning - he needs to just amuse himself until I can wake up properly. our day starts at 8.

[Iggly]

6am isn't that early

Yes we got into the habit of sticking the TV on. I've long since accepted that children don't want to cuddle and have lie ins in the morning roll on the teenage years

What we try and do is have one show each (DC are 4&2) while I wake up with a cuppa then turn off and have a play.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Mine used to have all his telly-watching time in the morning, as he too was an early riser. I was fine about it, as at that age he didn't have telly in the afternoon. Now he's 12 we have radio 4 in the morning and telly in the evening! It hasn't scarred him for life - I'm more likely to put the telly on than he is.

If you are worried about the total screen time, then just cut down the afternoon session a bit.

[littlesupersparks]

6 is the time I feel good about getting up! We don't have tv on work days (3 days a week) but a couple of hours on other days between 6-8. My eldest also watches for at least an hour whilst youngest is napping and it's on again early evening!! They are still very active but I do feel guilty. We do go out twice a day but they don't do many other things - drawing, craft etc which I also feel guilty about :-(

[JuniperTisane]

We're always up between 6 and 7, tbh I just give over the tablet with a kids app on for DS1 nearly 4 until I've finished feeding ds2, then downstairs and cbeebies for a bit til breakfast is ready (not on nursery days, then its just rush rush from get up til out the door).

[Bettercallsaul1]

I really wouldn't worry! All parents do this if they have early risers! You have to think of your own needs as well as your children's and very few of us are able to jump up enthusiastically to begin lively creative play at the crack of dawn! Our body clocks are very different from pre-schoolers and, unlike them, once we get up, we have a full day's work ahead of us whether it's at or away from home. We have to pace ourselves!

The very fact that you're worrying a about it shows you are a great, concerned parent. Chill and be very grateful to the inventor of television!

[KellyElly]

That's what Milkshake on channel 5 is for!

[Petallic]

A day that starts before cbeebies does is a grim start. Thank goodness for Iplayer. That whistling tune they play on repeat just before 6am on cbeebies is a horrible earworm. Just writing that sentence has lodged it back into my head again!

[teacher54321]

DS 2 usually has about an hour's worth of telly first thing (postman pat or random documentaries about steam engines) and then we get up and vaguely start the day...

[mrscog]

Of course. To be honest weekend mornings DS probably has 2-3 hours of Peppa Pig, although he'll be pottering around with other stuff too. He's 2.4 and the HV said his speech is what you'd expect at 3yo so I'm not worrying about it. He only watches PP DVDs as apparently consistency is good for the under 3s and I'm very strict about him not seeing adverts but he's picked up loads from it.