A mum's guide to summer holiday sanity? Stick the kids in front of the TV

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes when I heard one of the Tiger Mums from my son's school talking about their summer holiday schedule.

While her precious daughter will be mastering her serve with a former Wimbledon pro and brushing up her Spanish in Seville, my three (Charlie, 8, Edward, 5 and Jemima, 3) will mostly be watching TV, making homemade play-doh and eating Pom Bears.

That’s not to say they won’t fit in a bit of tennis and football, too, but as a working-from-home mum with a precarious income, six weeks without childcare is a very long time.

My work schedule is even more erratic and busy at this time of year (when all the full-time staff journalists are away) so my brood often have to occupy themselves over the summer holidays. This invariably involves copious amounts of CBeebies - and I refuse to feel bad about it.

I am aware that this hands-off approach to parenting will be seriously frowned upon by some of the helicopter mums I know. Some don’t even own TVs at all. But I'm clearly not the only one using the box as babysitter: a recent survey by uSwitch.com showed that children will collectively spend over six days glued to the screen this summer.

Almost a fifth (18 per cent) of the parents questioned said their children would rather watch TV than attend an activity club, with Peppa Pig, Horrid Henry, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Fireman Sam and In The Night Garden the most popular options for under-sevens.

So what, I say? My children are all exhausted by the end of term and their little batteries need recharging. They are generally watching educational programmes aimed specifically at developing minds. It’s not as if I've stuck them in front of The Shining or Nightmare on Elm Street.

My eight-year old son learned how to count through watching Thomas and Friends and has developed a profound interest in Tudor Kings and Queens as a result of his love for Horrible Histories. 

In particular, their catchy pop tunes (recent covers include Blur’s Parklife, dubbed Court Life, and The Smiths’ This Charming Man, about the life and times of Charles Dickens) are inspired.

And my younger children have gleaned all manner of things, from the flight path of a boomerang, to the importance of going to the dentist, from watching Peppa Pig. 

Dr Genevieve von Lob, author of Five Deep Breaths: The Power of Mindful Parenting warns excessive screen time can prevent children from learning how to entertain themselves and connect with others, and that they need to learn to cope without constant stimulation.

But the right programme can, she adds, help expand children’s minds, show them positive role models, relieve stress, promote family bonding (when you curl up on the sofa together) and spark learning and curiosity.

"What parent doesn't let their children watch telly over the summer holidays as a way of keeping them entertained, out of mischief and for a moments peace?” asks Dr Von Lob.

“With parental supervision and healthy viewing habits, there are many positive benefits."

As with most things, everything in moderation, then. Excuse me while I switch on to help my children switch off, guilt-free.

This article was originally published in July 2017.