He just wants to sit in front of it all the time. Particularly first thing in the morning, when we are flying around the house trying to get organised for school/work, and last thing at night when we want to get him in the bath and ready for bed. (Clever children, aren't they?)

Before I became a parent I had very fixed views about how much television I would allow any child of mine to watch.

I used to be very judgemental about parents who, in my opinion, seemed to dump their youngsters in front of the box for hours on end.

"I will never do that," I said.

And yet the other day I was horrified to discover that I had allowed Samuel to watch nearly THREE hours of TV in one day.

In part, this was due to the fact that it was a particularly rainy Saturday, and there was very little we could do outside other than get soaked.

I had offered Samuel the chance to do some painting, cooking and drawing – but there are, after all, only so many pictures of Spider-Man you can colour in!

Part of the reason he has become so interested in the television is because my husband and I decided to buy the Incredible Hulk box set.

In part, because we were/are so bored of watching Spider-Man 2 over and over again, and in part, because we really enjoyed the series, starring Bill Bixby, as children, so thought it would be something we could watch together as a family.

But this hasn't really happened because Samuel is not interested in the storyline in any way, all he wants to see is the "action bits" ie the parts where David Banner turns into the Hulk.

Yesterday morning he threw a complete temper tantrum when we asked him to turn the TV off and go upstairs to get dressed.

"I'm not getting dressed today," he said. "I just want to watch this."

"Well you can't," said a very patient husband, through gritted teeth.

"Now, go upstairs please."

"You can't make me," came the reply.

"I tell you what Samuel, if you don't go upstairs now and get dressed there will be no television for you for the rest of the day."

"I don't care, stupid Daddy."

"Right, that's it. No television."

"Argh!!!!!!"

Looking on the bright side at least we have found something which might actually be effective punishment when he has been really naughty.