[lunarmagic]

We have apparently been a little too relaxed about TV here since I got pregnant... between my exhaustion and the need to get homework/client projects done here and there I've been relying on Elmo too much. It used to be Super Why and Sesame Street but now? Elmo. ELMO. You see we don't have TV, we have Netflix. Instant shows, fast forwarding, the whole deal. And she knows it. There is no, "Sorry you are stuck watching this." She knows we're lying and will keep insisting ELMO until we fast forward to Elmo's World.

On one hand it's really nice to give myself a break so I can get something done. And she's happy and quiet.

On the other hand I am getting really tired of the whining and tantrums that she is doing when I refuse to turn it on. The sobbing is ridiculous.

In an ideal world I'd just turn on the TV for a little bit, let her watch while I did one thing, and then turn it off and spend the rest of the day doing other stuff. But apparently that only works if I get out of the house. We do a lot of outings - to the mall, to gymnastics, to friends' playdates. Something every single day (usually). Because at home she is bored, and bored means ELMO.

Please save me from the insanity. Any suggestions other than going cold turkey TV is "broken"?

[momoftwins]

No advice here. I fully utilize my TV!

[Brookem]

Violet watches one sesame street episode every morning. One. When it's over she says "uh oh!!"

For almost one glorious hour I can make breakfast, send emails, make a call, etc.

Here is my advice: use your hour WISELY. It's hard to say no to the second episode but if you stick to your guns ahe will cave. Im thinking even if you retrain her and get her to one show you will want to let her watch it more when the new baby is here so maybe ficus in the forward/rewind issue. That would drive me bonkers! Especially with a little baby. I teach Violet "all gone" in many facets (I started it to get her to understand the concept so I could stop bfing some day IN THIS LIFE) and I do it with the remote sometimes. I take out the batteries and tell her it isn't working. Bwahahahaha! Good luck

[BeckyM]

Here we just have over the air channels (no cable, no satellite service), so Mark knows Elmo may not be on when he's watching TV. We sometimes turn on PBS after he eats his dinner and it's usually Super W or Martha Speaks. Weekends, he can sometimes watch Elmo, but we don't tend to have the TV on that much anyway. BUT if DH or MIL pulls out the computer or her IPad, all bets are off, and he immediately hugs you and says over & over & over, Elmo please. Little stinker knows how to be so sweet & charming.

I really like taking the batteries out of the remote suggestion.

[-erin-]

Originally Posted by BeckyM

Here we just have over the air channels (no cable, no satellite service), so Mark knows Elmo may not be on when he's watching TV. We sometimes turn on PBS after he eats his dinner and it's usually Super W or Martha Speaks. Weekends, he can sometimes watch Elmo, but we don't tend to have the TV on that much anyway. BUT if DH or MIL pulls out the computer or her IPad, all bets are off, and he immediately hugs you and says over & over & over, Elmo please. Little stinker knows how to be so sweet & charming.

I really like taking the batteries out of the remote suggestion.

I'm amazed at the Elmo obsession and how it develops. Juliet was never interested in TV much until a couple weeks ago, now she is constantly asking for Elmo! (uh-oh) One day we were in the potty while Elmo's world came on the Sesame street we were watching, so when we got back to the room I rewound it so she could see Elmo... but I'm thinking I shouldn't keep up that habit I used to keep the tv on all the time because she didn't really watch it, but now I'm trying to turn it off, or only have it on the "toddler tunes" channel for music.

[edgeofelise]

Eliza and I were in the bathroom yesterday morning and she heard Sesame Street come on. She gasped and said, "Abby! ELMO! Bye!" and tore into the living room. Baby crack.

I say you start having set times when the TV is on, and stop doing the on-demand fast-forwarding. Make the best use you can out of that time, and then turn it off. It's going to suck until she accepts that, but like Brookem said, if you stick to your guns (we use "all done" here a lot, too!) she'll get used to it. Which will probably be really useful when Ember arrives.

[lunarmagic]

Yeah, you're all right. I need to just set the times/rules and let her have her hissy fits. Ugghhh I hate the tantrums. I've always turned on the TV when we wake up mostly for my sake because I need time to wake up and get moving. I just want it to be for one show though - not four.

[mimilareaux]

Same issue here... Except it's with Dora! Addison is a daycare during the day, so no TV time there (thank goodness). But as soon as we hit the door in the evenings, she is asking for "DD" (her nickname for Dora).

It's possible we will need a TV intervention as well... But after a nice long day in the office, it's nice for a few minutes of peace.

[gingerrae]

We have a set time that the TV is on and then it goes off or I turn music channel on and Elijah has just come to deal with it. A couple months ago he was throwing fits when it was time to turn the TV off and I would just say "no more TV. All done" Then I would try and distract him with toys and stuff or I would tell him to just go to his room and play if he didn't listen I would put him there.

[survey77777]

Hmmm...I think this should all be a good warning for me. G is just starting to pay attention to the tv for longer stretches of time. It used to be just a quick glance or a dance when a good tune came on. You have all provided me with a glimpse into our future I fear. The few times he has really wanted a show, I find that some music does the best job of distraction.

[lunarmagic]

It really is amazing how fast it all came on. At first she was just happy when it came on and with me being pregnant and so very sick I really appreciated the distraction. But the constantly asking for it and freaking out when I say no... not okay, not okay at all. She is OBSESSED with Elmo. She doesn't want to watch anything else. I really don't understand the Elmo thing. Why is he so dang interesting?!

anyways, the first TV-less day today, other than a short 15 minutes this morning when she woke up and 15 minutes before bed. We definitely like having the morning wake-up period and I don't mind her watching Elmo once before bed. But I just kept saying, "No TV" whenever she asked. She was not happy. This evening she was very sulky, almost like a teenager would be... she was sobbing over every single thing. (Meanwhile I was trying to get some homework done before a deadline and DH was attempting to distract her with food... with varying degrees of success/failure. Mostly she was wailing "Mama!!" constantly.)

But then after dinner she actually played with her doll with me and some other little things. So yay. Hopefully in a few days she'll figure out this new schedule.

Oh, side effect however: I am SO BORED. entertaining a toddler is 2 minutes of hysterical laughter to every 13 minutes of staring at the wall cross-eyed with boredom as you either hold something for them, do something repeatedly for them, or just sit and supervise (but don't dare walk away).