Television

Teressa - posted on 03/30/2009

I try so hard to avoid letting her watch television -- I NEVER let the babies I nannied for watch tv! -- but there are some points in the day where I'm bored to tears and relent. She loves the Wonder Pets, which I don't mind because I love the music (and so does she!), and she really likes the Classical Baby shows from HBO, which I again love because of the music. I know they say tv before two is bad, but I watched WAY more tv than she does when I was a baby and I think I'm a pretty smart woman now! :) I learned to count in spanish from Sesame Street before I was two (in an English speaking household) so I can't help but think that not all tv is bad. If you're letting her watch baby oriented tv once in a while, its not going to kill her. The best idea is to watch it with her if you can -- talk to her about what you're watching, etc.

Carolyn - posted on 03/27/2009

My little fella is attracted to the same commercials every time the tune comes on! He is attracted to anything with lights on it or sound from it, even my iPod in its sound dock!

I don't like him to 'watch' TV but they're going to do it anyway right?

Heather - posted on 03/26/2009

I'm trying to keep the TV off for my son until he's a bit older, mostly because of the studies out there that talk about overstimulation, ADD/ADHD and lower literacy rates as a result of shows like Baby Einstein.  I get needing a break though, and I'm sure TV can provide a good 15-30 minutes to get some sanity back or just have some downtime.  I totally agree about needing background noise during the day to feel less alone, which is why I love music and the radio.  I put on Sandra Beech (an amazing Canadian singer from my own childhood) and Holden and I dance and sing to her, or just have her in the background keeping us company.  Also enjoyable are Raffi and Sharon, Lois and Bram.  I have yet to venture into the new music!  I also have talk radio on to mix things up and get some adult thoughts running thorugh my head now and again. 

Nikki - posted on 03/25/2009

My daughter turned 8 months on the 15th and could care less about the TV. Her 2 1/2 year old cousin has watched videos since she was about 4 months (that was our only saving grace in the car - and still is!), and even when her cousin is visiting and the kid shows are on, she still isn't the least bit interested. I wish she was a little more interested in DVDs as it would make trips go by easier! I keep trying but so far I haven't had any luck!

Alaina - posted on 03/25/2009

My daughter has always loved TV. Not sure if they understand what they see or if it's just the movement and bright colors and faces? I, like many of you, have the tv on all day because it makes me feel like I'm not alone. Sometimes it's just for the noise. She doesn't really pay attention to it. The only shows that really hold her attention is Sesame Street which she loves. I let her watch that just about every day in the morning. She likes sports shows that my husband watches when he's home....Nascar and football. But I turn it off sometimes during the day to read to her and I play with her and change it up a bit.

Shayna - posted on 03/12/2009

Alycia,

point taken.  I do have a tendency to be very blunt and that in addition to not being able to "speak",  my words can be taken as harsh and rude, for that I sincerely apologize.

Alycia - posted on 03/12/2009

I just don't think there's any reason to be rude about the subject; it's not being able to "not handle" someone disagreeing that's the issue...it's like with anything really if you're harsh with the way you go about distributing your opinion you will make others feel badly. And it's also not that we don't believe you either ...again it's great to SHARE information it's not so great to make others feel badly about their decisions. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with one another, it's simply about the attitude in which you go about doing it... that's all

Shayna - posted on 03/12/2009

I am not telling anyone how to raise their children and like I said, you can disagree with me all you want.

You don't have to believe me(which, btw itsn't me, it's AAP) and do whatever you think is good for your kids.

If you think there are benefits to putting a 7 mo old in front of TV, I would love to see it.  And Jennifer since you think that there are studies for everything, I would challenge  you or anyoen else to find one that suggests TV watching at such young age is good or beneficial in any way, shape or form.

It's not about  being harsh or critisizing anyone and there is nothing to be offended by.  If you can not handle someone disagreeing with you, then may be you shouldn't be posting your opinions in a public forum.

Ldoo - posted on 03/12/2009

You know what I think?

Puppies and kitties are adorable!

Who agrees?

:)

Jennifer - posted on 03/12/2009

That was a great response Tiffany! I totally agree with you! There are soooooooo many studies to support pretty much any opinion. And most of the time, the studies are wrong or it's just a correlational thing, not direct cause and effect. I was just reading about a new study that says early exposure to peanuts and other allergens might prevent future allergies to those things. But when I was pregnant, all the studies that had been done said do NOT give those things to your baby early because it might cause future allergies. So who's to know what is really right or wrong? I say just be informed. Be informed, and make the decision you feel is best for your baby. I think they warn parents about so many things because too many people do things in excess. But if you do things in moderation, and try to find an equal balance for everything, than you're doing a great job as a parent.   :)

Tiffany - posted on 03/12/2009

One thing I have learned through my university career is that you can find a study to assist with any argument... there are many conflicting studies about every topic one can imagine, and it is up to the individual to look at the facts in the study and form an educated opinion about whatever the topic is.  I was extremely paranoid about SIDS when my daughter was born and read every study I could get my hands on.  As a result my daughter has never slept with a blanket, stuffed animal, pillow or bumper pads, ans has a fan on in her room at all times.  I have some friends whose 11 month old has slept with sheets, blankets, a pillow, bumper pads, and multiple stuffed animals in his crib from a very early age and nothing has happened to him.  Just because the studies say that having those items in the crib may cause SIDS it doesn't mean it is going to happen.  I took the safest route possible because it helped me to sleep better at night!  The same goes for TV, you can read the studies and decide that you don't want to take any risks, or you can read the studies, be informed and make an educated decision as the parent knowing that no one else knows your child like you do, and therefore you are the best qualified person to make life decisions for them. 

With that being said... my daughter loves music videos from disney movies, I put them on and dance around the house with her... her favourites are 'That's How You Know' from Enchanted and 'The Circle of Life' from The Lion King... our computer is hooked up to our TV so I look up the clips on Youtube and play them for her!

Stephanie - posted on 03/12/2009

My twins love watching tv too! I leave the boomerang channel on most of the day. I enjoy listening to it too! Sometimes i put Baby Einstein on. At times the kids are really watching the tv and other times they busy trying to roll around the floor. The neagative thing is that sometimes my daughter gets distracted when drinking a bottle and keeps turning her head to see the tv.

Alycia - posted on 03/12/2009

Well in all honesty...everything put aside this is suppose to be about sharing and not criticizing other moms for their way of parenting...as if we don't already worry about every little mundane choice we make for out children everyday I don't think we need to come to a place like this and share our stories or advice to have others make harsh judgements on us or anyone for that matter; it's not about who's right or wrong or good or bad parents it's about sharing in a way that is comforting and not judgemental! Everybody's got an opinion and whether we agree or disagree nobody needs to feel bad about the opinion they hold! So Shayna doesn't do the TV thing for her own reasons and the others allow TV for their own reasons...AWESOME :D!

Shanna - posted on 03/12/2009

Thank you Alycia!

It's one thing if a parent is letting their child watch Television all day long or hours at a time to the point where the Television is taking up most of their day. I strongly dissagree that 30 minutes of Television here and there is going to result in ADD, ADHD or some other learning disability.

Alycia - posted on 03/12/2009

Honestly Shayna I found your comment about "No wonder we have so many children now days with all kinds of problems" to be highly offensive and a very inappropriate statement to make.



Obviously these videos are unhealthy in large amounts and has the potential to cause many issues if they are exposed constantly. There are numerous studies done...but once again studies. Like so many things in this world everyone and every child is different and responds differently to different stimuli. I don't think a small amount of television or having it on in the background at a decent level of sound is going to cause all these children with so many problems. So much in life is about parenting your children in a healthy manner, so as long as television is being parented properly I don't think it's a "problem" or the cause of "problems" the problems arise from parents and a lack of healthy parenting in monitoring children's television intake. Like I said before I am not a fan of television myself and I don't even have cable...but when it comes to kids I don't think it's the TV that's the problem causer it's the reflection of parenting. TV is just one of the many activities for children to par take in learning if it used that way! Many of the parents above are simply saying they allow their children to watch small amounts of TV not that they watch TV all day...everything in variety and moderation the rest is about the parent and not the child when it comes to children with all these problems as you say!

Shanna - posted on 03/12/2009

I don't believe it...

I think now a days parents pay attention to how much television their kids watch. In my generation we watched tonnes of TV and We're all fine. ADD and ADHD and those things are found in these children today. They don't even know exactly where ADD and ADHD comes from. Kind of like Autism or Aspergers - they are trying to find answers for people when they themselves do not know. With ADD and ADHD they say it stems from marijuana use or alcohol in the womb or that it's something that goes wrong BEFORE birhth. My mom is a therapist and works with kinds with learning disabilities everyday, she has taken course after course for ADD, ADHD, FASD, Autism, Aspergers Syndrom and although she's no pro - she said that ADD and ADHD do NOT come from watching television, otherwise we weould all have it!. Also, ADD and ADHD is most commonly found in boys, along with Autism - they think it has something to do with a gene or something that only bouys have. So i highly doubt that 1 hour of television a day is going to do any harm

Shayna - posted on 03/12/2009

Megyn,

since you majored in psychology,  I am sure you are aware that very bright, constantly flickering images effect our brain.  The brain of 7 mo old is not even  close to being completely developed and is effected much more by those images than a brain of an adult.   I am sure you are also aware that the first 2 yrs of child's life is critical for their brain development

You can all disagree with me all you want, but even American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children uder the age of 2 do not watch ANY TV.

Again, since you majored in psychology, I am sure you've seen thisn

A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that watching videos as a toddler may lead to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, also called ADD in UK) in later life.

TV watching "rewires" an infant’s brain, says Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis lead researcher and director of the Child Health Institute at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Wash. The damage shows up at age 7 when children have difficulty paying attention in school.

"In contrast to the way real life unfolds and is experienced by young children, the pace of TV is greatly sped up." says Christakis. His research appears in the April 2004 issue of Pediatrics. Quick scene shifts of video images become "normal," to a baby "when in fact, it’s decidedly not normal or natural." Christakis says. Exposing a baby’s developing brain to videos may overstimulate it, causing permanent changes in developing neural pathways.

"Also in question is whether the insistent noise of television in the home may interfere with the development of ‘inner speech’ by which a child learns to think through problems and plans and restrain impulsive responding," wrote Jane Healy, psychologist and child brain expert in the magazine’s commentary.

I can post a whole bunch more of this, but if you mnd is made up, then it is probably no use.

Megyn - posted on 03/11/2009

Quoting Shayna:

Well, this is another subject where my opinion is completely different from all of you.  Except it's not just my opinion.  There are numerous studies that suggest that letting children watch TV, even educational videos at such early age is detremental to their brain development.  Of course they like it - all the sounds and colors.  But it doesn't mean it's good for them.

I am just shocked by the  number of people who have TV on all day long and let their 7-8 mo old watch it, even 1/2 hr a day.

No wonder we have so many children now days with all kinds of problems.

Shayna,

I'm aware of these studies as I majored in psychology. What you've failed to mention is that these studies are purely correlational, not cause and effect. While there may be attention or brain deficits in children who watch a certain amount of TV at a certain age, it does NOT mean that TV caused these problems.

Shanna - posted on 03/11/2009

Alyscia - I agree, sometimes when my daughter watches a bit of TV before bed, we watch it together and it's nice to cuddle with her and just relax for 30 mins.

Shanna - posted on 03/11/2009

I don't let my daughter sit in from of the TV all day. The TV is on all day but our day is spent playing, eating, going out...she watches TV for about 1 hour a day, if that! She will sit in front of the TV playing with her toys or with me and doesnt even notice the TV unless I put pn her cartoons. I do not believe that it does anything to their brain development. Did your parents let you watch TV? I know mine did and as far as I know there is nothing wrong with my brain development! Parents before us allowed their children to watch a lot more TV than we do today. I could see the harm in letting children watch it all day but 30 minutes here and there isn't going to affect them in my opinion

Christina - posted on 03/11/2009

Quoting Shayna:

Well, this is another subject where my opinion is completely different from all of you.  Except it's not just my opinion.  There are numerous studies that suggest that letting children watch TV, even educational videos at such early age is detremental to their brain development.  Of course they like it - all the sounds and colors.  But it doesn't mean it's good for them.

I am just shocked by the  number of people who have TV on all day long and let their 7-8 mo old watch it, even 1/2 hr a day.

No wonder we have so many children now days with all kinds of problems.

Ok this is my opinion on what you said.  I don't think that watching a little TV is bad.  It becomes a problem when there isn't enough other activities, one on one time, learning time, etc.  TV in itself doesn't cause the problems.  It's how much they watch it, what they are watching, how close they may be to the tv, and lack of other key developmental interaction.  TV shouldn't be a substitute to other things or 100% of learning.

Again this is just my opinion.  I hope I didn't offend anyone.

Mycah watches baby einstein occassionaly but at the same time I try to interact with him and the dvd and still do a lot of one on one activities and other learning without the tv involved.

Shayna - posted on 03/11/2009

Well, this is another subject where my opinion is completely different from all of you.  Except it's not just my opinion.  There are numerous studies that suggest that letting children watch TV, even educational videos at such early age is detremental to their brain development.  Of course they like it - all the sounds and colors.  But it doesn't mean it's good for them.

I am just shocked by the  number of people who have TV on all day long and let their 7-8 mo old watch it, even 1/2 hr a day.

No wonder we have so many children now days with all kinds of problems.

Alycia - posted on 03/11/2009

We don't have cable or anything because I'm not a big fan of TV it's very distracting! We have bought him videos on DVD or burned certain shows for him. I always have something in for him but I find he used to be very interested in it and now that he crawls and cruises he's more interested in stuff surrounding him and playing, but I find when he's bored of that or needs some down time there is nothing better than cuddling on the couch together and watching a show for some quiet time together. He also loves Jon and Kate plus 8, I have the seasons on DVD and he loves watching other kids and hearing baby noises and what not! I've heard too that it's bad for kids to watch a lot of TV at a young age; issues with ADD and what not but if it's on I feel like if they're interested they'll watch and if not it's nice background noise sometimes!

Megyn - posted on 03/11/2009

Well we've been trying to keep the TV off, but not for my little guy. It's so I can be more productive lol. When it is on, my guy seems to care less, but I'm also not watching baby shows.

Tracey - posted on 03/11/2009

We don't have our tv on very often at all. my little guy maybe gets 1/2hr every 3 days or so. When it is on he isn't that interested in it :) but every baby is different :) I have also read ( now this is only one article and  I don't take anything as right for everyone) that children under the age of 2 should have very limited tv time because it develops a short attention span. Who knows what is right and what is wrong to do in this world as long as your little one is happy and healthy :)

Shanna - posted on 03/11/2009

Aww, my daughter likes hockey lol She has also loved TV since very young - probably about 2 months.

Courtney - posted on 03/11/2009

My daughter loves to watch TV. She has since she was weeks old. We usually have our tv on but she doesn't pay attention to it all the time. Every now and then it will catch her attention. She likes to watch cartoons like Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry and Lilo and Stich. But she LOVES to watch football. lol.

Denise - posted on 03/11/2009

My t.v. is on all day long but the only time Ava watches is first thing in the morning. She loves Handy Manny, and Mickey Mouse. I also put in her DVD of Baby Babble which she is glued to. Sometimes when i need to get something done i will let her watch that a couple of times in a row!

Kara - posted on 03/11/2009

My lil Man loves T.v too!!! I let him watch it I don't care, he only pays attention to it when the songs come on (begginning and end of the shows!) The one show he watches every day where he watches the whole episode with a cookie is In The Night Garden, My fiance is home then and we sneak away for a smoke/ break!

Jennifer - posted on 03/11/2009

My daughter is the same way. We have our TV on quite a bit because we like to watch movies, and sometimes when one of us is home alone with the baby we leave the TV on so it doesn't feel like we're alone. She doesn't always pay attention to it, but if a Baby Einstein is on or something she is immediately glued to the TV. I always feel bad when we have the TV on around her. But most days we're so tired in the evening from work or taking care of the baby, all we want to do is relax and watch a movie. But she does have alot of 1 on 1 play time with us, and we read to her and give her lots of snuggles. So we balance it out.