Naughty Nanna.......but doing the best I can!

I am a great fan of Peppa Pig and Bing Bunny personally! My grandchildren watch them in moderation at their homes. They don't come here very often because of distance but I have several DVD's they ask for which I reserve for if they are poorly or if we have been out and they are tired. I think, as grandparents, we feel a huge responsibility looking after grandchildren as we don't have the 24/7, day to day instinct that we had with our own children plus the fact we are a little afraid of being held to task for doing the wrong thing!

When I used to stay with my grandparents I was spoilt in the nicest possible way. If I wanted beans on toast for lunch every day, I got beans on toast. It was the Fifties and afternoon pictures was the norm, you got the main film, a cartoon, a 'b' movie and Pathe news. Good value for your money. My GM and I went at least four times during my fortnight stay. I have never forgotten those happy days, I adored my grandparents and want the same for my DGDS . We have more time, we know that a bit of spoiling isn't going to harm them. Due to the fact that a lot of GPS like me have retired, so we give them our greatest gift, time.

Katek no guilt required! The main function of a Nanna is love and cuddles and creating happy memories.

Teacher11 if you are 'for real' you are giving teachers a bad name! A sick child is in need of very different care to a well child as a Nana and an experienced teacher will know. Read your post to DH and we both had a good giggle.

I think what you do in your own home with your children is entirely up to you teacher but surely anyone who is 'using'grandparents for free childcare has to turn a blind eye occasionally?
Obviously if your parents or in laws ignored basic safety or stuffed your children with sweets it would be different.
I dont have grandchildren but can see how exhausting it might be in your sixties to look after a young child all day especially if they are fractious . Lighten up
And incidentally my children watched v little TV when young and neither watches much now .Nor do I as it happens ,but I look forward one day to discovering Peppa pig et al.

When the gc are at my house they don't usually bother with TV or computers, they draw, paint cut and stick, build lego/duplo etc. if I am not too busy (in the mood) they bake or sew with supervision, however when they are obviously tired or ill, we cuddle up on the settee and watch TV, Shaun the Sheep is always a favourite, I have some cartoons etc recorded which entertain me as well, so this is not a tiresome ordeal.
I have found that they do become 'hypnotised' by TV, so that if I am at their house trying to get them ready for school, or to eat a meal, the TV has to go off. (I am more strict than son and Dil in this respect)

Tizliz apart from taking you to Specsavers, do your dogs know Crufts will be on??
If they are naughty you could show them the Dogs Trust ad or, indeed the Specsavers one with the shortsighted shepherd!!
Idea for a thread? TV progs for our pets?

I offer this for what it's worth. When my elder daughter was a baby, I read a book called "teach your baby to read" Remember it anyone? Fired upby this, wWe had flashcards all over the flat and she could read lots of words by the time she was two. After that she got a bit bored with the game. We read lots of books and also watched children's TV. When my second daughter was born, I was too busy to bother with trying to teach her to read. She kind of taught herself! (I always thought I neglected her a bit.) We did taske them out a lot to interesting places though, as long as they were free or cheap! Now grown up, they are both voracious readers, watch very little TV and area a terrific Mum and stepmum. So I wouldn't worry if I were you. If you love them they will turn out OK.

DGS like his Mother when she was small gets very high temperatures, he lies on the sofa with a towel wrapped icepack on the back of his neck and watches, Shrek, or one of the very old Disney movies, Sword in the Stone is a great favourite. He most certainly does not want to read, be read to, listen to stories or even be cuddled.
He is a very bright just turned 4 year old, who shocked his teachers by telling the time.
If he wants to watch TV when he is ill then so be it.

No guilt allowed! You are doing a great job. We often use 'the nanny in the corner' to give us a break when looking after the grandchildren, as I did when my three girls were young and we were busy doing necessary office-work, and the children's TV then was far inferior. They have all grown into intelligent, thoughtful young women so it couldn't have done them much harm.

Now on way home - tired but contented. Feel I have done my best, dgs is lots better, mummy and daddy are there for the weekend and I can go home to see DH who has been away. I've treated myself to a well deserved first class weekend upgrade, so currently sitting in comfy seat with my cuppa and a chocolate muffin (bad!) watching scenery go by. I shall sleep tonight!!

I think people have been a little harsh here and personally thought Teacher11 was just trying to offer some other suggestions - so I wouldn't want her to feel bad about all the negative comments. Obviously our grandchildren are exhausting and the days are very, very long with a sick child - but there are great storytapes that even tinies enjoy. Sometimes it's even easier to listen than to watch.

I wouldn't want Katek to feel bad either as we all do what is necessary to get through the day. And it is a fact that there is a lot of rubbish on daytime TV. It took quite a few postings for us to know that this was NOT what Katek meant, as she was playing pre-recorded TV shows which had been selected carefully. It is this careful selection that I think is important - and I think most people would agree on that, including Teacher11.

Teacher11 The kid is SICK! Are you always so po-faced? I always worry that I am prejudiced against teachers because I see them as know-it-alls who feel it necessary to put correct everyone, according to their rules....then someone like you comes along, and I feel so much better about my nasty mind!

I look after my DGC1,2,3&4 for four full days a week, if it wasn't for BBC CBeebies we wouldn't survive I'm sure, we watch programmes together having conversations about what is happening,lots of questions are asked and answered and lots of things learnt too! There are favourites that are watched and the TV is turned off when children are engrossed in play, sleeping and eating meals. Anyone whom has looked after children regularly,on their own, at our age, in this modern world will know that today's Children's TV is educational and fun to watch!!!!! Don't ever feel guilty for letting Grandchildren watch TV, on Nannies watch it's Nannie's rules!

I do not think people were being harsh to Teacher - she actually said that children are never too young for pre-reading activities! There is a need for parents to be given permission to lighten up and forget learning - children learn every day just by being involved in family life, it does not require effort - and yes, they learn from the TV too.

nannienet I am in awe of you..RESPECT. I hardly mange with my three youngest who 4,5 &7 when I have all three together especially when they were younger.

I do hope this thread doesn't turn many of you off teachers who on the whole are very sensible, caring people. Though I can fully understand why you feel cross when children's tv programmes are dismissed as rubbish and detrimental to language learning.
In my experience, children who are shovelled full of "learning"activities in the home often switch off at school because they've had an overload. Let them relax and have fun at home, and if that means some rationed TV viewing all well and good.
Katek started by saying the little boy was grumpy and argumentative because he was ill, so what he needed was some calm, stressfree time. This certainly wouldn't have been the moment to start teaching him monkey tricks.

As a former teacher, Early Years adviser and OFSTED inspector I would like to add my twopenneth!

A sick child needs to rest and relax to recuperate. Kids TV is fine.

My DGS2 has a highly developed vocab and creative mind as a result of his excitement about TV programmes. When swimming I am always a lost fish and he is Captain Barnacles or Peso coming to rescue me!
Two year olds will develop excellent language skills even if they watch TV as long as adults talk with them and hold conversations as they play/watch TV/look at books etc etc. Occasional TV/sofa days do no harm at all!

Play and talk is what creates lively learners. Too much structure too soon limits learning.

Retired teacher here too. Two year old GD and I watch television, we do the yoga with Waybaloo and we love signing with the very talented Justin on Something Special. She watches on her own sometimes when I'm making her lunch. Like most grans here we do a mixture of things. Enjoy your weekend Katec you've earned it.

I had my 6 year old {7 next month} this week, she was off school with a tummy bug, and she loves Stick Man, we watched this and she read the book at the same time whilst sitting at her little table in the sitting room eating her dinner! Big treat to not eat at the dining table.
Surely this is what we are here for, to love, care, cherish these Grandchildren of ours. And God forbid Spoil them occasionally. I'm bloody glad that TEACHER isn't my daughter in law.
Please excuse the swear word.

Well, as a former teacher myself, I'm not sure I'd agree that putting on Cds teaching numbers and letters will hit the spot with a poorly two-year-old. Would you listen to a CD teaching you Russian while you were suffering from 'flu? I bet you wouldn't. You'd want something distracting, soothing and entertaining.Sick children, like all of us, regress when feeling unwell.
No one is suggesting a diet of marshmallow and chips, but there are times when small children need comfort and a bit of gentle, distracting fun. If you are sometimes able to sit and watch with them, snuggling down together, and maybe chatting about and sharing what you're seeing now and then, there's nowt wrong with that - with the exception of offerings like 'Driller Killer' such like, naturally!

Whilst I sympathise in part with some of teacher's points, I think there's far too much emphasis these days on formal education for young children. For a small child, everything is new, everything is a natural learning experience in some way - you don't have to labour the point and make it a chore. By all means read with them and share books, but for the flippin' FUN of them, nothing more.
You're doing exactly the right thing for your little one, KateK. Ignore those who sniff in a holier-than-though manner and carry on doing what your instincts tell you.

I'm out of touch with today's programmes for children but I do remember looking after the DGSs when I was trying to recover from a hernia op.

I sat them in front of back to back episodes of 60 Minute Makeover.

Nobody died.

My daughter is a teacher.I babysit at times for her 3 children.They are allowed to do most things when they're with me and my daughter doesn't mind.
There are no concerns about language or any other developmental issues.its playtime and rest time when they want.
I'm not their teacher, I'm their Nan.

I think if we're expected to look after them, some bending of the "rules" is perfectly acceptable.

I absolutely agree with you!
My daughter is a teacher and knows her kids do more or less what they want when they come to me and she's OK with that
10 years ago now,she was panicking with her firstborn about how she couldn't get anything done,she had to stimulate him or her wouldn't be bright enough.what a load of tosh.and I'm afraid I said so.
I also said,he would have loads of teachers,he only has one mum.No one else can be his mum.
Be his mum and help him learn when he wants to.

I absolutely agree.The education of children is not a priority when the child is ill.
Try teaching me something when I'm ill!
When kids are well they are like sponges and soak up everything including stuff we would rather they didn't,but when they're ill they need cuddles,calm and quiet.
And this is from a nurse midwife,health visitor and mother,but I don't feel the need to have my job titles as my username.