CBeebies has extended its popular bedtime hour β rebranding it as βCBeebies Bedtimeβ β to run from 5.45pm until 7pm, rather than its former 6pm start. But parents arenβt happy about it.
The BBC kidsβ programme has added a new show to the slot βMoon & Meβ β a charmingly sleepy programme from the creators of βIn The Night Gardenβ, which will kick off at the earlier time of 5.45pm.
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The Bedtime slot involves gentle, slow-paced shows β the idea being that it winds kids down. Thereβs no action-packed βGo Jettersβ-style explosions and high-octane adventures, just ever such a lot of pleasantness.
Routine is important and a lot of households integrate βBedtime Hourβ into their childrenβs nighttime routine (the clue is in the name really) β so the change has caused some parents to be pretty upset. Livid, in fact.
Right.
Parenting is tough, and changes can sometimes feel like challenges, but part of me canβt help but think this is the biggest non-problem ever. It still goes until 7pm. The end of it β the bit where your child goes to sleep β is at the same time as ever it was. The only difference is that βBedtime Hourββ this free thing given to you and your child every day β is 15 minutes longer. Thatβs all that has changed.
Theyβre not saying children should be going to bed at 5.45pm β just as when it started at 6pm, they werenβt expecting children to be going to bed at the beginning of the programme.
The most straightforward solution is turning the TV on at 6pm like parents did before and having a completely unchanged experience. Problem solved. You can do the same thing as you did before.
If CBeebies had reduced it to βBedtime Half-Hourβ, Iβd understand why parents would get angry. If they cancelled it entirely and ran an βEmbarrassing Bodiesβ compilation then yeah, that would be a case for a strongly-worded letter and a rethink.
But this, this is nothing, nothing at all.