A few minutes of tv . I am now an arch-criminal

Well I think we re pretty unanimous on this !! Mine actually have watched a lot of wildlife stuff and some programmes on bbc about bodies ( it sex stuff) as well as children’s programmes And have learned a lot .

I am 73 and now it is school holidays I am on the rota for looking after grandchildren. During term time I collect from 3 different schools 3 afternoons a week and cook tea for them all on Mondays. This week I have between 2-4 grandchildren for 4 days this week. On Monday I took 2 to a wildlife centre, today it is 3 to the cinema, tomorrow, 1 to the cinema and Saturday, 2 to soft play. Even days spent indoors are a constant stream of getting drinks, wiping bottoms, cooking meals, clearing up glue and glitter and tidying up. It's exhausting so I can fully understand why you needed to sit down for a while and I hope you told his parents that. I love my grandchildren and enjoy my time with them but I am getting older but that isn't taken into consideration.

maddyone

lemongrove

How lucky they are to have childcare ( free!) for several days a week.
Be firm with your DD and say you are older now and it’s hard work ( there’s a reason 70 olds don’t have toddlers)!
If you need some quiet sit down time she will have to agree that he/she can have some suitable children’s tv time.If not then you cannot continue to do this for her.
Why is everyone so afraid of what their AC say these days?
Our children still see us as the Mum they grew up with and are thoughtless sometimes.

Yes, this, as lemon says.

I’m with lemongrove
At 70 yrs of age a toddler 3 days a week is tough, I would be tearing my hair out and if my DD had complained I would have told her where to go.
If they don’t like Grandmas rules then they should find someone else to do it, they sound very inflexible, which doesn’t bode well for the future.

Good thinking vegansrock that should concentrate their minds.

Personally I prefer watching a film with DGD to watching endless 10 minute cartoons with endless ads.

You can’t relax for a minute with little ones and if they don’t have a nap than it’s full on the whole day. A bit of Teletubbies or Hey Duggee gets a bit of sit down and cuddle time and maybe a minute to go to the toilet without an audience. I’d go with “sorry it’s all too much , I know you object to tv , but I can’t guarantee we are never going to watch it, especially if it’s a wet day, so do you want me to continue with as much childcare- shall I cut down to one day?”

The parents need to understand that watching appropriate television programmes with an adult is exactly the same as sharing a book; informed comment and discussion plus enjoyment.

Oh FGS a bit of TV is not going to hurt any child. I can remember plonking my children in front of the TV (Thomas the Tank and Postman Pat) regularly; my husband worked away and it was the only way I could get some peace to do a bit of housework or make their tea. It certainly never did them any harm - one has a 1st Class Honours degree and never watches TV and the other has a Masters and only ever watches sport! I agree with other posters who suggest that you should tell your DD that you get tired and need some down time, or if they are not happy with that, then you need to reduce your hours. I think you are marvellous to be doing 3 days childcare; I am younger than you and a real busybody and can't sit still - but 1 day a week with my 3 year old DGS exhausts me!

Everyone is very holy about TV and claiming only half an hour a day etc. ?
My grandchildren are with me for a week…. Without some quiet tv time I would be a wreck ! It’s not a crime and actually bbc has loads good stuff.

A bit of TV never hurt anyone as long as its not holly oaks or love island ?

lemongrove

How lucky they are to have childcare ( free!) for several days a week.
Be firm with your DD and say you are older now and it’s hard work ( there’s a reason 70 olds don’t have toddlers)!
If you need some quiet sit down time she will have to agree that he/she can have some suitable children’s tv time.If not then you cannot continue to do this for her.
Why is everyone so afraid of what their AC say these days?
Our children still see us as the Mum they grew up with and are thoughtless sometimes.

Yes, this, as lemon says.

I used to say "come and tell me a story".
Then, the second she started, I'd be snoring.
I only managed it a few times before she wised up.

My nephew and niece used to do that, "shall we see if she's awake".

Oh yes, awake, alert and raring to go!

It doesnt feel so mean when they're trying to prise your eyes open at 4.45am the next morning.

MissAdventure

I've never liked waking small (or even big) children up.
It seems so mean, when they just can't keep their eyes open.

Actually, if she'd had her dinner and it was later eg sixish, I didn't (I'm not a total meanie ?), so she could go straight to bed.

You have my sympathy MittensMum. My DH looked after 2 grandchildren 7.30-6pm every weekday from birth until I cut down work hours, then I helped 2 days. We often watched TV and sometimes they dozed off, but it was just after lunchtime so they didn’t sleep just before home time.
Our DC are grateful for what we did but I'm afraid in your situation I’d be asking for them to be picked up earlier.

I've never liked waking small (or even big) children up.
It seems so mean, when they just can't keep their eyes open.

Always thought it brutal to stop a child nodding off in the car.

Are you inferring that my rendering of Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream is brutal?

You could be right, I am fairly tone-deaf. ? ?????

As long as you don't let him watch Eastenders or Corrie, I can't see what the objection can be.
Oh, I think Emmerdale can be violent too.

nadateturbe I agree entirely. MittensMum your grandchilds’ parents sound like they have come down with a bad case of control freakery! They as like as not, read a book or two about how to “have it all” ie. a compliant/placid child and full time careers. These Gurus forget that unless the childmindng is professional and bespoke aka expensive, said child will mingle with others and develope their own little aspirations in this case watching television for a bit. Always thought it brutal to stop a child nodding off in the car. Of course it’s all the pressure to be dynamic and in control in all situations as a parent, that results in these outbursts. They won’t give themselves a day off (metaphorically) and become humourless and lack the stamina to deal with the @#£&*! that real life has a habit of throwing at us all. Smile knowingly to yourself Smitten a few short months down the line and they’l l be praising CBeebies to the high heavens and hopefully realise how churlish and mean they were to you in your own home. ??

I suppose you could insist on a replacement activity that your grandchild can and will do entirely alone.
Ask them for suggestions, and they'll probably say "oh just let them watch tv then".

I agree with NotSpaghetti on this one. If this is a hard and fast rule then ask your family to collect him earlier as you need a rest.
You need to negotiate the rules when he is with you MittensMum three days a week is a lot of child care for an older grandparent. They are lucky to have your help.

I can't say Kim19 because my DS and DIL don't have any hard and fast rules regarding sweets (or anything else) for their children that aren't common sense, so I don't have to consider it. If it was a case of one of the children having an allergy to something, then obviously "rules" would be followed very carefully; my DS had several allergies as a child and so I'm fine with dealing with food intolerances. But I'm lucky; none of my GC have any allergies and their parents attitude to child raising and parenthood is the same as mine.

Chewbacca, VERY interested in your response. If there was a rule of no sweets ever would that change in your house?

I don't understand there problem. i only ever let my kids watch BBC childrens tv and same with dgc. No adverts and less cartoons etc.
I would be more exhausted if i didn't have 10 mins with dgs on an afternoon i don't think AC know how tired we get constantly on the go.
You have my sympathy MittensMum.