Babies and television?

[indimom]

Mine watched cartoons before two, no language issues here. My kids talked early and never shut up.
I really do think it relates more to "how much" time is spent in different areas: tv watching, playing with parents, etc., etc.

On the flip side, my DH's cousin realized something was wrong with her son at a very early age BECAUSE he showed NO interest in the brightly colored cartoon antics on the TV screen.
Took him into an eye doctor and the poor baby was so far-sighted he was essentially blind. They ordered his first pair of glasses and the doctor warned mom that he probably would balk at wearing them.
Nope. Poor baby was so happy with what he could now see, he cried when they took them off for naps and bedtime.
All because mom tried to get him to watch television.
(And for the record, he's five now, very smart and very verbal! )

[RMulieri]

They go back and forth on this issue so much..Same with diets and exercise..Take it with a grain of salt..I am a mom of 1 that also works outside the home.My nearest family is 3 hrs away.So yes I let my daughter at that age watch a little tv..She is soon to be 8 very active outdoors and gets very good grades.I don't think I damaged her by letting her watch Sesame Street or the Wiggles for a little bit

[powellrj]

They have been debating this one for years. There is a huge difference between someone who lets a little one watch some TV so they can get something done and someone who lets the little one sit in front of the TV all day.

FWIW, my middle DS was a huge TV lover growing up. He didn't just passively watch, he really watched and studied and now he is a T-com major in college!

[brightspark]

I'm also a first time mum and DS is now just over 3 years old. I have read so much and question every decision I make. He didn't watch TV until he was nearly a year and dropped his morning nap. When he did that I had to do something to keep him going through that really tired phase... He does watch quite a lot of TV now (although under 2 hours a day) often because that is the only thing that gets him to sit down and just relax when he's very tired...

Personally I believe he's learnt LOADS from TV esp Mickey Mouse and Special Agent Oso. A lot of maths and about sizes and shapes from Mickey, and useful things from saving power and water to how to how to make a friend from Oso...

As long as your child is also doing plenty of other things during the day, I don't think it's a problem.. and if it helps keep you sane, then it's also benefitting your child in that way too!

[PosadaGirl519]

Yeah. Every kid is different. Every parent is different. Every family is different. Both DH and I work full time but on opposite shifts so DD11m is with a sitter only 1 - 2 hours weekdays. My favorite time of day is at 6:30 - 7:30 when we snuggle in my bed in our pajamas and Good Luck Charlie is on Yes, the tv is on preschool programming during the day when we are in the living room to enjoy it with her. She also watches every Yankee game when her father is home with her. Mostly she crawls around playing with her toys and chasing the dog. She has always been very communicative. Now we can ask her what she needs when she is fussy and she'll tell us 'diater', 'num num', or she'll signal us that she wants to play.

TV is not affecting my child's development. She still eats, poops, and naps on a very regular schedule. We do not, however, let her have the remote control or our iPhones, but that is just our choices.

I find other parents to be so critical of each other over the stupidest things: co-sleeping, breast feeding, store bought baby food v home made, vaccines, disposable diapers, tv, etc... I say just follow your instincts. As long as your kid is out of obvious danger and everyone is happy, you are doing it right.

[mandynee22]

Originally Posted by miprender

I am a TV addict so yes my kids have watched TV since they were born and they do watch more than the 1 hr limit that is suggested

OP: I remember being a 1st time mom too but if you listen to all these studies it will drive you insane.

My TV is on pretty much all the time. I like the background noise. DD (12 next month) is a straight a and rarely b student and has never had any language issues- her vocabulary is quite advanced. DS (turned 5 last month) is a peer model in a special needs preschool- to be let in he kind of had to have a patient demeanor and a decent vocabulary as that's kind of why he's there. My one year old...is a one year old but seems to be on target. There's my anectdata
(I'm a single mom, scraping by so none can be attributed to any kind of socio economic advantage)
It's just on... sometimes they (the older ones, the baby usually doesn't care) watch actively. Usually not. They are also outside a lot. And even my oldest is into pretend play (she's playing with the baby and her 11 year old friend with the step 2 kitchen as I type LOL) I think the problem is when you use it as a babysitter all the time. As long as there's a balance, my non professional opinion is that it's not a battle to worry about

[729tink]

I'm a first time mom too - DS is 3 months and I know that when he gets older I will be letting him watch TV. I work from home a few days a week and when the sitter isn't here I will need something to entertain him while I get my work done. I've realized in these short 3 months that as long as my kid is still breathing and generally happy at the end of the day then I did a pretty decent job. I can remember watching Mr. Roger's and Sesame Street everyday growing up and I think I turned alright!

[K and K's Mommy]

No t.v. for my oldest until 2. I tried to do that for my middle so my oldest only watched some DVDs during her morning nap. I think she did watch some before 2 though. When my third came along, the other two were in preschool or kindergarten so he didn't watch a lot until he was 2ish either.

[santa's surpriz]

I laugh bc I have basically raised my daughter on my own. Even when I was I was married DH was as useful as a golf ball. We did alot of Noggin, Baby Einstein and Dora. It was the only way I could shower, clean, and make dinner. DD has been in gifted learning since 1st grade. We had as much quality time as TV time, and maybe that is the issue-too much tv and not enough quality time. There needs to be a balance. Dd's imagination, communication, reading, and creative writing are beyond her years. She has always been very articulate and had a vast vocabulary.

When she was 1.5 she was OCD for Dora, Dh would often be preoccupied with something else and she would want his attention, she would grab his hand and say, "Vavamos Daddy!" Cracked me up every time. When I had to do something do something I would plan out my errands like a Dora show. For example, we go to the grocery, change the oil, and then we reach the park. It was relatable at her level and worked wonders for me. Now she had nightmares about Swiper, but that is another story altogether.

[AZMermaid]

My son is 13 months and never watches TV, but not by my choice! I have tried to turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and other stuff (Barney reruns) and he never watches for more than a minute. I am okay with that though. I guess I'd rather have him not into it, than too into it. In the last month, maybe he has started looking at the TV when we watch it, but it is more of "oooh a dog," okay, back to my shape sorter or whatever.

But, he also has no words yet- so it isn't like his lack of TV has made him a verbal genius. He babbles a lot and maybe says Mama and Dada. He understands them, but still just babbles them, so it is hard to tell if he means it or not. Same with dog and no! He has been about 3 months behind in his verbal skills since 6 months though. He just started pointing this week and rarely waves. But, he can climb ladders and do little pull ups on bars, so the Dr says for now, he is fine since he is progressing at the right rate, even if it is a little late.

[Aliceacc]

I think that this issue, like so much of parenting, is all about common sense.

My kids DID watch TV as infants. I would throw in a Baby Einstein tape while I took a shower or made dinner. It wasn't about the educational value, it was about the beautiful music I could listen to from another room, as opposed to something like Sesame Street or Barney. And they did their share of watching Sesame Street and Barney as well. Barney was a lifesaver in my house-- my youngest watched it every single afternoon at 3:30 while her brother and sister did their homework.

Like just about anything else, too much is not good. But, in moderation I think TV use is fine.

We were talking about this yesterday at work, and one of the other teachers had a great point. For young kids, "play" is hard work. It involves all their focus, their creativity, their imagination. Just like the rest of us, they deserve a little downtime every once in a while. So if listening to Beethoven (or even Barney) for 20 minutes provides them with a quick break, I'm OK with it. Isn't that what the rest of us do when we plop down in front of the TV at night?

It's all about moderation and common sense.