Do your little ones watch tv?

Katie - posted on 01/10/2013

I'm a pediatric speech language pathologist and I"m just going to throw this out there: we have a whole new generation of kids who do not know how to play because they are constantly in front of a screen...tv, wii, ipad, smart phone, pc, gameboy whatever, it doesnt matter. And guess how/where language and speech development happens? YEP, through PLAY. The very very best thing you can do for your child is encourage, promote and PROVIDE a screen free childhood. So in that regard, please look at ALL the screens your child has access to and limit accordingly...and NONE for the two and under set. Katie Sullivan, M.S., SLP-CCC

Shelsea - posted on 08/19/2009

My son really loves Ni Hao Ki-Lan. i personally think its better than Dora. It teaches them a second language and it also teaches them issues they will really go through (sharing, lossing, copying each other) and it shows them how to handle it. he interacts so much with that show.

Alison - posted on 08/05/2009

My little girl loves Mickey Mouse, Tigger & Pooh, Imagination Movers and her favourite is Shrek

Melissa - posted on 08/01/2009

Marley has no interest in watching TV. And I have the TV on quite a bit. She's too busy playing, rearranging the cupboards, harassing the cats, etc.! I've tried to put on disney movies for her to watch, and she only cared about it when there was music on so she could dance!
She does however like to watch the Planet Earth DVDs we own. In particular, the ocean DVD! Who wouldn't like that?!?!?!!!!! I think the colors catch her attention.

Christina - posted on 07/31/2009

We found PBS Sprout and love it. The night time show is part of our routine and it was what led us to have an interest in signing. The host "Nina" was doing the sign for the word "numbers" one night and both my husband and I noticed Liam making the sign. We have DVR so we rewound and observed again and sure enough....Liam was doing sign language :) Liam also happily brushes his teeth when the "Star" character sings the song "Brusha Brusha Brusha..." to get ready for bed.



We monitor the amount of time he watches and it's usually interactive because we talk to him about what's on the screen or dance with him to the music. In the morning when I shower, he has Sprout's morning show on to keep him company while he's safely in the pack 'n play, as my husband leaves for work before we're up and I'm alone.



Luckily he doesn't NEED the TV on and will happily play with his toys if the set is turned off.

Carri - posted on 06/17/2009

My son prefers listening to the radio and dancing around the house instead of TV. However, he does watch The Backyardigans, which I enjoy and so does my husband :) He also likes The Price is Right, LOL, mainly because of all the lights, bells, and the big wheel. Not to mention all the pretty models they have on there, he LOVES all ladies.

Desiree - posted on 06/17/2009

My son has no interest, so I don't usually turn it on. On the rare occasions I do, it's to watch Sesame Street. Even then, he doesn't pay attention, but I sing along and dance to encourage him. Sometimes he'll notice if Elmo is on the screen, but not really. Honestly (and I'm not trying to sound self-righteous or anything) I get to spend such little time with him as it is that I don't want the time we spend together to be in front of the television.

Kyla - posted on 06/14/2009

Yes both my boys watch tv. I just limit their time on watching it. They only watch Nic Jnr and PlayHouse Disney. Some times my eldest (4) is allowed to pick a dvd and watch that too.

I think it has helped my eldest with reading, counting, singing, dancing etc etc. My youngest (1) has only taken notice of it in the last few months and claps and dances along with it. I feel that there is nothing wrong with kids and tv....JUST limit the time and they wont rely on it. I am not a fan of them watching fighting/war tv shows/cartoon either. I'm not going to agree or disagree on whether is makes them smarter or not. Kids are all different and learn in all sorts of ways.

Morgan - posted on 06/14/2009

My kids watch television, for the baby the tv stays on Noggin. I dont really care for Yo Gabba Gabba (because the creatures look weird) or Franklin (because it's boring), so when those come on is when I can watch something. Now for my oldest, she can watch television and she usually watches what I watch, but there is one cartoon she used to watch that I felt was too old for her, they show it on Cartoon Network, it's called Total Drama Island. They deal with teenage issues, I can tolerate Hannah Montana and Suite Life better than that cartoon.

Lindsay - posted on 06/14/2009

We don't own a television. American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO tv for children under two. There is nothing my children can learn or gain from a television program that they can't experience more fully in the real world. We are very happy to be tv-free, and have so much time to do really fun things like nature walks, play dates, trips to the park & library, arts and crafts, dancing, bike riding, etc. Why waste time and negatively affect the brain by sitting in front of a glowing screen?

Crystal - posted on 06/11/2009

I try not to let my son watch too much TV but when he does mostly Tyler only watches Baby Einstein. If its anything else, its usually Dragon Tales, Word World or Blues Clues. It just seems to always be the best things that are on whenever I do decide to go look. I have heard alot of good things about The Backyardigans and do want to check it out though. Another show Ive heard kids really love is Yo Gabba Gabba.

Jerra - posted on 06/11/2009

We usually have the TV on...our daughter doesn't pay attention to it unless we put in the "Your Baby Can Read" dvds...and she is drawn to them. It is amazing! Cartoons do not interest her.

Crystal - posted on 06/03/2009

CNN) -- Watching television does not make babies smarter, according to a study released this week in the journal Pediatrics, adding to existing research that challenges the usefulness of baby educational videos and DVDs.Researchers from Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and Harvard Medical School reached this conclusion after monitoring more than 800 children from birth to 3 years of age.
"Contrary to parents' perceptions that TV viewing is beneficial to their children's brain development, we found no evidence of cognitive benefit from watching TV during the first two years of life," the authors wrote.
More at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/03/bab...

Samantha - posted on 06/03/2009

we haven't been watching so much tv but when we do it's dora, go diego go, and backyardigans...

Ashley - posted on 06/02/2009

my 13 month old can say just as many words, and watches sesame street religiously. I dont think its the books that help their vocabulary, all it takes is you talking to them like they understand you. People dont give babies enough credit and think they cant understand, when in reality they just cant reply.

Mel - posted on 06/02/2009

absolutely! except mine watches the aussie kids shows in the morning and in the arvo sesame st and play school she loves them. she sits in her pram for her feeds so she needs the tv to keep her entertained

Kat - posted on 06/01/2009

my 13months old LOVES hi-5.. Will watch the WHOLE show... Sometimes i actually have to sit him down as he just stands there watching it...

Crystal - posted on 06/01/2009

My daughter has never watched TV. I've read too many studies that for children under the age of 3 it is detrimental. We read books and she listens to storybooks on tape; she is 13 months and can say over 30 words!

Diane - posted on 05/31/2009

My daughter doesn't really watch TV. We don't keep it on during the day. If she does it would be something like Sesame Street.

Ashleigh - posted on 05/31/2009

My son loooves The Wiggles and Yo GaBa GaBa. My son gets very worked up/has a really strong personality, so if i turn those shows on he calms down and then after a couple of minutes, I turn it off. I hate that he watches tv, but with his temperment, i'll do anything to make him happy for a little bit!! hhaha

Jennifer - posted on 05/31/2009

My son is addicted to Baby Einstein. Seriously. Nothing else really catches his attention. He'll look at other cartoons for a few seconds, but the Baby E is where it's at. He will sit with me or my husband on the couch and watch an entire DVD without squirming. And he's an active baby. Baby E has been a calming and distracting tool in our house.

Melissa - posted on 05/30/2009

I let my son watch 'In the Night Garden' before bed. It is quite annoying but somehow helps to prepare him for bed. We say 'goodnight' to all the characters at the end of the show and off he goes to sleep.

I also let him watch Backyardigans, Pokoyo and Farzzle's World.

Sometimes the tv is on in the background and he just goes about playing with his toys anyway. He stops to watch for a few seconds and goes back to what he was doing.

Allison - posted on 05/29/2009

my son loves to watch PBS Sprout. they have alot of educational shows. there is calliou, barney, sesame street, and noddy. also he likes mickey mouse clubhouse on disney.

Amanda - posted on 05/29/2009

My daughter watches anything my two year old is watching which is normally Playschool or the wiggles, she loves dancing to any music that comes on. She is also facinated by Ollie (the seseme street character that is on foxtel- nick jr)

My eldest who is know 2 1/2 wasnt interested in tv at the age of 13/ 14 months and only started to show real interest towards the age of two.

Simona - posted on 05/28/2009

I agree! most cartoons are really annoying! My daughter mostly watches the Baby Einstein. And recently discovered Jane and the Dragon, it is for older kids but she loves the Dragon.