# morning routine without tv



## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

I am trying to cut down on my DD's tv watching and most of it takes place in the morning, so I am looking to see what others do in the early morning with their children that doesn't involve tv. Right now DD wakes up around 7-7:30 and DH gets up with her and gets ready for work. She watches tv while he gets ready (showers, etc) and while I am still sleeping. She also eats breakfast in front of the tv. I get up when he leaves for work (I am soooo not a morning person). I eat my breakfast, check my email, shower, etc. I try to turn the tv off and get DD to play during this time but she is not big at independent play and I get really cranky if I have to play kitchen or whatever while I am trying to wake up/eat my cereal. She will also fight me pretty hard for another show and generally I am too tired to fight her back on it. The tv then goes off and we go out and do whatever we are going to that day (we go out pretty much every morning around 10ish).
Any advice appreciated!!
Thanks!


----------



## Holiztic (Oct 10, 2005)

Well, first I should say that we are a strictly no TV for kids household, and very little for adults (when DS is sleeping only), so DS doesn't have any experience with TV and therefore doesn't ask for it. That being said...

DS wakes up around 6:30 when DH is getting ready, I read to him in bed if he'll allow, or I'll get up and hug him (carry him) until DH is done showering, then DH and DS read while I make DH's lunch. Then DH leaves for work and DS helps me (not always helpful, of course) make the bed, straighten up and make breakfast. Then we eat together at the table and look out the window--watch the birds, etc. I do the dishes as quickly was I can (sometimes he'll play but mostly he just rearranges the silverware in the dishwasher) and then we get dressed for the day (I could shower daily but it dries me out so badly, so I shower every other day) DS plays in the top drawer in the vanity while I recite nursery rhymes (from the shower), sometimes he fusses, but he survives!

Once we are all ready for the day, we either go out or play together or read on the couch (and nurse).


----------



## zinemama (Feb 2, 2002)

Cut off the TV and believe you me, your dd will get great at independent play in not too long. I can sympathize with the current whininess, and there will probably be more before she figures out stuff to do on her own, but really, she will. We never had a TV and my boys entertained themselves at 3 while I did morning stuff.


----------



## hipumpkins (Jul 25, 2003)

Once it's just not an option life will fall into place...no necessarliy neatly but fall it will








In our hosue it is just not an option.
In the AM they wake play on their beds together (they share a room) once they start fighting I get up








They are allowed 20 min of computer time either before or after breakfast (But then again DD is 6 and I can't really let her and not him...life is easier for that 2nd kid )
Blocks are good to keep little ones busy...build up knock down. DS loves to crash his trucks into block buildings. DD does not like it when the buildings are hers


----------



## ecoteat (Mar 3, 2006)

We are a no tv household too, so I know our experience is different from yours, but dd wakes up around 7ish and I get up with her then. DH works from home and usually gets up earlier than us to get started on work, so I do all the morning stuff with dd, and then either I take her to preschool while I work in the afternoon or dh takes over and she's home with him. So once we are up, dd gets dressed right away and we go downstairs with me still in pj's. We make breakfast together while she stands in her learning tower. Some mornings she'd rather play with her dollhouse or harass the cat, but usually she "helps" me. When breakfast is ready, dh joins us and then goes back to work. DD and I clean up breakfast. Usually she plays while I do the dishes and whatever else I can manage to do in the kitchen as long as she is happily playing. Then we go upstairs and I get her settled in her room to play while I shower. Some mornings she wants to nurse mid-morning. Honestly, I don't know when dd would even watch tv in our mornings if we had one. She is pretty engaged in our routines. As for you, what part of your dh's morning routine could dd be a part of? Could they get dressed together? Can she play alone for the few minutes he is actually in the shower and then be with him as he gets dressed and stuff? I agree with a pp that turning off the tv is the best way to get a kid to play independently. Some favorites for solo play here are play-doh (with some supervision, usually in the learning tower while I'm cooking), blocks, dollhouse, a big pile of books, a doll with clothes and diapers to dress her with, the cat (when she's not being too rough). I think if you are going to really cut out morning tv, you are going to have to muster up some morning cheer (I know it's hard!) and find ways to engage dd in what you are doing too, at least until she develops some more skill in playing on her own.


----------



## Muminmamman (Jul 28, 2007)

*


----------



## sugarlumpkin (Dec 20, 2006)

We are a no tv household as well. Well, as Holiztic described, no tv for the little one and very little for adults (only when our son is sleeping).

Here's a typical morning for us:
All wake at 7-7:30. Play/cuddle in bed for a while. Daddy and son take a shower together in one bathroom while I take a shower in the other bathroom at the same time. I finish first (purposely) and complete my morning toilette, then get ds and get him dressed and brush his hair. Then we go downstairs while my partner gets dressed. While downstairs, ds stands on a chair at the counter while I microwave vegetarian sausages and make our (herbal) tea. While he eats the sausages (standing on the chair), I prepare our eggs and toast/cream of wheat/whatever. Sometimes he finishes the sausages before the rest of the meal is ready, and then he often cooks on his kitchen in the other room or plays with other toys, walking back and forth between the rooms to talk to me the whole time. My DH is usually downstairs at this point, and he prepares his coffee and packs up his stuff and talks to DS. He kisses us goodbye, then the meal is ready and DS and I sit at the table together and eat. Sometimes I look through cookbooks or at my laptop while we eat but mostly I interact with my son.

After breakfast (like 8:30 or 9:00) we play and get ready for whatever morning activity we have planned.





















And then we go do it!


----------



## Violet2 (Apr 26, 2007)

I watch a little bit of news in the morning and DD sees it, but doesn't really watch. I turn it off once I've seen the weather and a few news segments.

From there, we listen to music. I either play with DD or she putters on her own.

Where we have problems is the 'witching hour' of 3pm where I end up putting in a child dvd or watching PBS. Hopefully with the weather getting nicer we'll be able to go outside instead.

If you are not a morning person, what about starting the day with music? There are children's songs cds you could use. Or set up some kind of activity the night before so it's waiting for her and you don't have to think? What about a book on tape from the library? My DD is too young for that just yet but I can see doing that when she's older.

V


----------



## St. Margaret (May 19, 2006)

We do very occassional TV, but DD knows TV is for at night, not in the morning. We might watch a few kids youtube videos towards the end of the afternoon when she's getting really fried and so are well (22mo who stopped napping a while back!), or we might watch a DVR'd Jeopardy or something. And the few times she was feverishly sick we let her watch PBS and Signing Time all day







SO I think it's possible to do some TV but not have it in the morning routine. DD just knows morning is when she can say hello to all her toys she hasn't seen all night


----------



## alinajoy (Dec 9, 2006)

This is a challenge for us too! My DH doesn't think using TV as a "babysitter" is that big of a deal. I originally wanted to be tv-free and feel guilty every time she is sitting in front of it.

I don't have any good advice but I know how you feel!

Alina


----------



## Kaimamasan (Mar 7, 2009)

Ugh..me too. Not only is DS a big fan of TV, because of DVR, he thinks that he should be able to watch his precise choice of TV show at any time. My rule is no TV during the week, but on weekends, its pretty much a free for all. I am hoping that with the weather getting better, more outside play will help. I really wanted us to be TV free, but this is yet another example of my expectations of motherhood not matching the reality.


----------



## Alyantavid (Sep 10, 2004)

We just don't turn it on. Our mornings are a little rushed anyways because we have to be out of the house by 7:05 and that just doesn't leave much time for watching tv.


----------



## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

thanks everyone for the advice. I am hoping that as the weather gets warmer I can muster up some more energy to make this happen. I am fine with DD watching some tv, it used to be on only in the mornings and that was fine. But now she is starting to give up her nap, so I need a break sometimes in the afternoon too and then DH will frequently put on a show for her when he gets home instead of playing with her which annoys the crap out of me, but that is a different thread.
I see cooking breakfast as a theme here - cooking breakfast at our house consists of opening a box of cereal, pouring it and adding milk, sometimes a frozen waffle in the toaster. I don't like most hot breakfast foods and so I never cook breakfast. DH's morning routine consists of sleeping as late as humanly possible and then getting ready at breakneck speed to get out of the house! I am fine with DD watching about an hour of tv while he gets ready and I sleep, the extra sleep is totally worth it to me. I thought her sleeping through the night finally after 2.5 years would give me some more energy but that hasn't happened yet, but then again, before DD was born I used to call sleeping one of my hobbies!
As far as independent play for her goes, I have been waiting on that for three years now. Blocks = mommy build a princess house for me, playdoh = mommy make x,y or z for me. dollhouse = mommy make dolls talk for me. I often try to set her up in an activity for her to do herself, she chooses instead to whine at my feet because "I want you to play with meeeee!" I play with her all day long, so I like that bit of time to myself in the morning that tv brings. Keep the ideas coming though!


----------



## 2cutiekitties (Dec 3, 2006)

I read your original post .... and I dont see anything wrong with it. I am not a morning person either. I figure once the weather is warm, tv will dwindle down naturally.

Mine isnt tv, but waking up to a bottle request. Which requires me to awake before him and have breakfast prepared. But how can I do that when he needs to sleep next to me?

sigh. always something.


----------



## PiePie (Oct 2, 2006)

I make breakfast for myself (she usually doesn't want anything after a nurseathon) and get her outside asap. if it is raining, like today, we read and then go outside. she gets up and says "go go!"


----------

