Getting hard to watch TV

[ike]

I have to be very careful as to what i watch on TV , my wife gets so involved with what we watch that she actually thinks she is in the program and that its real life , But i had to laugh just now, we are watching the Sunderland v Newcastle cup game and she wants to know if she is called on as a sub , can she wear her long coat as it looks cold [ there are some things you just have to laugh at or you would go totally mad ]

 

[Kevinl]

I take it she wasn't!!!
K

 

[Jacaranda16]

Oh bless. I too have the very same problem and yes I have to monitor the what we watch and even when you think it's ok, it's not. Funny at times but if you don't take it seriously they get very angry. Unfortunately it means I never get to watch any serious/interesting programmes and end up going to bed very early. What can we do?

 

[northumbrian_k]

The Black Cats might have done better if she had been called on. It is bizarre what a person with dementia will say when they watch television. My wife had met everyone and been to every single place that was featured. Programmes that I could recite the script for (having watched them so many times) she would claim never to have seen before. It's hard but good that you can still find some humour in it.

 

[Grable]

It's true that some things just have you giggling, isn't it, Ike.

 

[Neveradullday!]

If anyone had told me beforehand someone could think the people on the telly could see them and were even in the room, I wouldn't have believed it! Now I've seen it with my own eyes.
The strangest so far has to be a stand up row with Janet Street Porter on Loose Women - I kid you not!

Mind you, find the right programmes and TV can be a positive. My mum loves watching GB News, and Would I Lie to You was a boon over Christmas.

 

[Grable]

An acquaintance of mine used to mistake the video of the entrance to the block of flats as the TV. She often complained that the programmes were really tedious these days - a whole hour staring at one vase of flowers, for example!

 

[sdmhred]

Thanks for sharing that story @ike

Love it!

 

[Chizz]

My OH can no longer follow the plots of programmes, but if the programme is familiar eg, Death in Paradise, Murder she Wrote, etc then she'll watch because she seems to recognise some of the characters/actors. Sometimes she'll heckle the tv with sounds, gradually getting louder (probably because they don't respond to her), and the sometimes, on a chat show, she'd like to join in and says "Excuse me" gradually getting more often as they won't let her speak (even though she can't really).
Programmes with nice pictures, views etc are favourites - she enjoyed Planet Earth, Countryfile, gardening, etc.
I just choose the programmes, even if they are sometimes just for me, eg I watched Shetland but she couldn't remember what's happened and she doesn't like violence at all.
We just have to live with it as it is!

 

[hillyjay]

I often have to pause things we’re watching to do a quick explanation of what’s happening or who a person is. I don’t know why I bother because he insists he’s seen most programmes before anyway. On the other hand if I put something on we’ve really seen before - in the vague hope it might be easier for him?? - he has no memory whatsoever of any of this , he tells me. Gee, it gets boring watching something that we just watched a couple of nights ago.

 

[Grannie G]

We were watching Come Dine with Me.

It was a particularly rowdy group and my husband said `Let's eat on our own tonight. Not with them.`

That`s when I decided I needed to monitor what he watched.

 

[ZZ]

For me, everything I try and watch with him he says "we've seen this before" even if it has only just come out. When I gently try and explain that we can't have as it has only just come out, he gets cross - of course first rule of thumb never correct them, but it is so hard not to when you just want to try and watch telly with them.

 

[Cardinal]

For me, everything I try and watch with him he says "we've seen this before" even if it has only just come out. When I gently try and explain that we can't have as it has only just come out, he gets cross - of course first rule of thumb never correct them, but it is so hard not to when you just want to try and watch telly with them.

My husband does the same. All shows are repeats in his mind.

 

[scotlass]

I'm beginning to think Bradley Walsh and the cast of the chase live in our spare room, it's on every day...for hours...

 

[hillyjay]

My husband does the same. All shows are repeats in his mind.

Here too, everything even, as you say, new ones that have just come out, he’s seen before and moans about the number of repeats😀 Like you I’ve tried pointing out that it’s new (I should know better by now) but to no avail, he’s definitely seen it and gets annoyed because I’ve disagreed. I usually get round it by saying, ‘ah, you must have seen it but I haven’t yet..’
Talk about walking on eggshells.

 

[Jacaranda16]

I'm beginning to think Bradley Walsh and the cast of the chase live in our spare room, it's on every day...for hours...

Oh I love it!

 

[Jacaranda16]

Here too, everything even, as you say, new ones that have just come out, he’s seen before and moans about the number of repeats😀 Like you I’ve tried pointing out that it’s new (I should know better by now) but to no avail, he’s definitely seen it and gets annoyed because I’ve disagreed. I usually get round it by saying, ‘ah, you must have seen it but I haven’t yet..’
Talk about walking on eggshells.

Exactly the same with me. Seen everything and bored with it all. Can't watch anything to do with murder/infidelity/thrillers are too difficult and yes, brings them all into our conversations. It's exhausting and I'm going to bed earlier and earlier.....! What's the alternative?

 

[hillyjay]

I’m supposed to ‘find something to watch tonight’ on TV. I trawl though everything I can think of, main channels, things I’ve recorded, Netflix and so on, but nothing appeals to him. I’ve learnt not to give him choices as he can’t make choices now. I say, ‘what about this, .lets watch this ..’ . He pulls a face. Says, ‘is there anything else?’ I’m fed up with being entertainments secretary in addition to everything else. Yes, bed is my ‘me’ time but there’s a limit as to how early i can go up otherwise I’d end up being wide awake at some stupidly early hour of the morning..
I‘d like to hear of an alternative too!

 

[Pollywobble]

Reading this thread made me smile! I've had to ban the news! He used to be SO laid back about life, but now panics about news items. So there's war all around us (news about Gaza), we're going to get flooded (reports about the weather recently), we're all going to get a new disease(Covid updates) etc. When comedies are on he asks me what's funny! 🙄

 

[hillyjay]

Don‘t even think of watching films that contain flashbacks!