TV

LisaLisa1980

I know the majority of ppl here are against TV before the age of 2, but I'm curious on your thoughts on this.....we've discovered that DS responds well to music, it seems to calm him down. I've been putting it on my phone and playing it if he gets fussy and I do sing a lot to him.

So this evening my H says let's play music on the TV via YouTube to which DS was watching. Do you still think this is bad for him to look at if we're interacting with him @ the same time?

(DS likes the song "you gotta be" by des'ree incase you wanna that with your babies)

HML5382

I personally don't think it's a big deal. I play music through my apple tv and it plays a screen saver of nature pictures while the music is on. DD likes to watch the pictures. She also likes to watch lightbulbs, the blinking lights on her jumperoo, fireworks, or anything else bright and colorful, so I don't really see the difference.

LisaLisa1980

So what's so bad about TV then? I haven't read much about it.

zbeesma86

DD watches TV. Not all day, but in the am after breakfast during play time she does. and half the time she doesn't really pay attention. More back ground noise!

RibbitGrl930

The TV is on almost all the time here. Sometimes something is truly being watched, others it's just for background. Jake's bouncy chair does face the TV, but he doesn't end up spending more than 30 minutes in it at a time, and even that is extreme. When we hold him, we're usually feeding, cuddling, or having face-to-face interaction. At this age, I don't think letting them watch a little TV is harmful, especially if some of those chunks are in the interest of the grown-ups getting ready for the day or having a small time-out.

youenjoymyself

Music is great for their little brains! We sing a lot to DD, too. I personally don't let her watch TV, and I don't think I'd let her watch the iPad either. That's just me though.

pinottoparenthood

For the OP, since you said you haven't read much about it...

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/health/19babies.html?_r=0

https://www2.aap.org/pressroom/mediaunder2.pdf

I turn off the TV during the day while my son is awake. DS and I just watch our shows on the DVR 

after we put the baby to bed. It's really not a big deal.

rjeller32

LisaLisa1980 said:

So what's so bad about TV then? I haven't read much about it.

It melts your brain.

Not really. It is just unnecessary. Their little brains are developing and absorbing everything around them, and setting them in front of a tv enables them to just "shut off" so to speak and just zone out. This can cause issues with development mentally, which can result in your child falling behind. We allow DD1 to watch so much a day, but under 2 she was very rarely drooling over a screen.

Although it seems like a great way to get a quick break, it's just has no educational benefits, and can cause disinterest in a yearning to explore and develop.

PipSqueak0313

I have also heard that because it changes so much.....and shows are interrupted for commercials, even the 30 minute shows......it causes kids to have issues with their ability to pay atttention.

VPGIRL06

Honestly, I originally had super strong feelings about her NOT watching TV.  But, I know when my husbands watching her and a games on that if she's being fussy he'll bounce her on his knee while watching a game-and I'm sure she's looking at the TV.  However, even though her jumper will face TV if it's on, she might yell and coo at the TV but hardly pays attention.

I don't know, I guess there's so much to worry about that her being exposed to a little TV doesn't bug me. That being said, I actually never have the TV on during the day because I personally don't watch TV-i'm more of a reader! 

SidraJedi

We're in the no TV before 2 camp (to the PP who wants to know why, I would say Google it, that's what I did) but I would play music for my daughter if she liked it. She seems to be indifferent to music that is not being sung by me unless she hates it. I'm not a huge fan of watching music videos on youtube but if I was I might watch one with her every once in a while if DD liked it.
We have a record player and play music from that. If I play 70's and 80's funk or electronica on the record player she cries. If I play Heart or CCR or the Beatles or Radiohead on the record player she is calm and we clean up (she is the ergo) or play on the floor or whatever it is we are doing.
DH and I watch netflix and youtube but not TV and not so much now that DD is here and alert. As it is she might watch the screen for a second if I am trying to watch something but then she gets bored and wants to do something like having me stand her up or talk to her in the mirror or something else. I can't really watch anything unless she is napping or asleep or DH has her. She just isn't into TV so it is really easy for me to enforce my no TV before 2 plans!