Babies Watching TV

Shayna - posted on 02/07/2009

Absolutely  no TV.  Here is an example of one of the articles on it.  I put on music (all kinds) and raido on for the kiddo to listen to.  I can  not come up with ONE good reason why a 7mo old needs to be watching TV.   I am a huge TV junkie, so it's not easy keeping it off, but I have to put my son's well being first before my habits.

While babies may be drawn to the movements and sounds coming from a television, research strongly suggests that television viewing is not healthy for children under the age of 2. A recent study confirms previous research showing that television watching can cause changes in brain wave patterns. Some scientists suggest that these changes may be the cause of attention deficit disorder or other learning and emotional problems later in childhood.



Another study has shown that infants learn to process emotions and decide what are appropriate emotions based on what they hear from others, whether from their parents having a pleasant discussion near the baby or from actors shouting and arguing on television in the next room.

While there are still many questions about the impact of television viewing on the brains, emotions, and communication skills of babies, the evidence is growing that it may interfere with healthy development, and it certainly doesn't seem to benefit babies, even so-called "educational" videos. It seems clear that direct social interactions and exploring safe toys offer a far healthier use of a baby’s waking hours, so when it comes to TV and video, it's safe to say that "the less, the better".

Jena - posted on 02/06/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

I've been struggling with this same issue!! I feel like such a bad Mom when my daughter is watching TV. During the week she is with me or my husband at work, in the evenings we usually have the TV on in the background. She plays and watches bits and pieces of it. But on the weekends lately the TV has been on non-stop. We don't just plop her in front of it or anything. She usually plays with her toys on the floor or we're holding her. But I've heard that even if they're playing and seem uninterested in the TV, it can make them not play as long. My daughter Loves the Baby Einstein movies!! She gets serious and stares at the screen. When something funny happens on the movie she laughs. And whenever animals are on the screen she reaches for them. It's super cute and she seems to enjoy them alot. I just don't want to rot her brain or anything. My husband and I get in bad fights because he wants to watch movies whether or not she is in the room and I don't want her watching movies with violence or yelling. He thinks she'll be fine and not care but it worries me!!

LOL. I know what you mean. I make sure the TV is off at 6 pm every night, no matter what, b/c her bed time routine starts at 7 pm. On the weekends my husband is always in the middle of watching a movie or something and he's like can't we keep it on? We have a TV in the bedroom where he could watch, but not as big as our TV in the living room, which is right by my daughter's room.

Jennifer - posted on 02/06/2009

I've been struggling with this same issue!! I feel like such a bad Mom when my daughter is watching TV. During the week she is with me or my husband at work, in the evenings we usually have the TV on in the background. She plays and watches bits and pieces of it. But on the weekends lately the TV has been on non-stop. We don't just plop her in front of it or anything. She usually plays with her toys on the floor or we're holding her. But I've heard that even if they're playing and seem uninterested in the TV, it can make them not play as long. My daughter Loves the Baby Einstein movies!! She gets serious and stares at the screen. When something funny happens on the movie she laughs. And whenever animals are on the screen she reaches for them. It's super cute and she seems to enjoy them alot. I just don't want to rot her brain or anything. My husband and I get in bad fights because he wants to watch movies whether or not she is in the room and I don't want her watching movies with violence or yelling. He thinks she'll be fine and not care but it worries me!!

Christina - posted on 02/05/2009

We let Mycah watch Baby Einstein.  He loves it and talks to it.  He gets very serious about it sometimes.  I like to lay him on the floor where he can barely see it and it encourages him to move around.  I usually work around him cleaning while he watches it.  I make sure he's a good distance away and its not for long periods.  Plus they are educational and geared towards him.  Although I have noticed he seems to stop playing when I'm watching something like CNN.  I think he likes the big faces on the screen.  Big faces is the only thing that catches his attention other than Baby Einstein.  I'm ok with some tv in moderation and if its appropriate and I don't think it will cause ADD if you monitor it appropriately.

That's my opinion anyway :o)

Jeanette - posted on 02/05/2009

i agree with Bethany also , i am home alone all day with david and i leave tv on for adult voices lol or i put it on a music station i know he likes .

as to what her mom says about all these things not being around when we were kids lol my mom says "  we were jumping around in the car no seat belts , riding bikes without helmets and playing in the streets with our friends etc .. and we are all highly productive people " now she laughs when i give my older kids " time out " lol

Jena - posted on 02/05/2009

You are probably right Bethany. I don't just leave her in front of the TV to be entertained by it or anything. I guess moderation is key!

Lauren - posted on 02/05/2009

I agree with Bethany.

Bethany - posted on 02/05/2009

I also stress about this issue!!! I have also heard about the ADD connection but I'm home alone with my son all day and I like having the TV on in the background and to watch certain things. Some times he does seem to be mesmerized and really interested on the screen. I've heard that it's the flashing images that are too stimulating so we actually don't watch cartoons very often- mostly just shows with real people in them (I know that sounds funny but I figure there's not a lot of difference between seeing a person on TV and someone actually in my livingroom). I also don't use TV just to entertain him since I figure he is already getting too much exposure. I think it's about balance...my mom keeps reminding me that a lot of these warnings (which, of course didn't exist when we were babies, haha!) are for the moms who do things to extreme...in this case plunking their child's excersaucer in front of the TV for hours on end.

Lauren - posted on 02/05/2009

I dont know about it causing ADD my two cousins that are 4 and half years and 9 months watch tv all the time and they seem  fine. I think its more of a worry that by allowing them at this age  to watch tv you get your kids into the rutine of it, and no one wants that lol. My 7 month old, Eli plays on his matts with his toys sometimes while i'm watching tv. He looks up every once and awhile but i think its more cuz of the sounds, he loves music.