TV for babies?
lisa5201
member
Do your babies/kids watch TV?
I'm a little flabbergasted by recent FB posts by friends that allow their babies to watch TV. I was taken aback when someone posted looking for a good channel to put on for her 4 month old. There were about a dozen or so responses from people giving her suggestions based on what their young children enjoyed. Not one person said that her DD was WAY too young to be watching TV. I'm not going to be that person, it's not really my business, but I was shocked that it was so casual. Another person just posted pics of her daughter watching Dora (at 6 months) and another who was extolling the virtues of the system in her car that allowed her son to watch TV on the go (9 months).
I really have taken the "no screen time until age two" seriously, and thought I wasn't alone, but I think I might be the "weird" one. I really don't want DD to ever watch TV, now, I know that's not possible , but I'd like to postpone it and limit it as much as possible. I can't even imagine turning the tube on for a 4 month old!
She has caught glimpses of TV if we are watching a program or a movie, I'm not a anti-tv nazi or anything, but I've never turned the TV on for her to watch. If I thought she was paying to much attention to something I was watching, I would turn it off.
Just wondering if I'm the only crazy person who "deprives" her kid of TV
Re: TV for babies?
I don't put the TV on for the baby, no, but when my mom watches her, she put on about 15 minutes of Sesame Street. I chalk it up along with the whole "grandma spoils you" idea -- later on I'm sure grandma will give her candy and let her stay up late, too.
Oh yeah, she totally watched the superbowl. We were over at a friend's house and she was fascinated.
I think that this is one of those potential mommy wars issues that truly doesn't need to be fought. I agree with you that you shouldn't say anything to your friend. Why should anyone care if she lets her baby watch tv? It's her decision and the "harm" that tv causes is negligible.
That said, we have a fairly strict no tv policy for my son in our house. He turns 2 years old next month and I'm thrilled that not only does he not watch tv, but is completely uninterested in it when it's on at my mom's or IL's house. If someone were to ask me about why we don't let him watch tv, I'd gladly tell them. But I'm not going to preach about it to people who don't care :-)
I don't sit DS in front of the TV. When I need a break I tend to turn music on and lay him on a blanket with his treasure basket (a basket full of household items that I change weekly) or some toys.
We also don't have TV channels though. We do have Netflix and DH and I will slowly work on watching a show, we are about to finish X-files
. We are not really TV people, but when we do watch out Netflix show we sometimes are playing with DS while we watch it. I'm ok if he catches glimpses, I just am not easy for him to actually sit down and watch TV...
But not a mommy war I'm very interested in getting into
I don't think a bit of TV here and there is going to melt DS's brain. I believe in limits, but I'm definitely not anti-TV...my major in undergrad was Film and Television and my grandfather worked in the TV industry and lobbied for children's and family programming and decency standards on the networks.
DS is super active and I'm the only one with him the majority of the time. If I'm getting really stressed and nothing else is entertaining him, I turn on the tv for a few minutes and let him watch a Sesame Street dvd or Blues Clues or something not too annoying. He's really only interested for at most 10 minutes, but he seems to enjoy the music and dances and claps his hands. It gives me a few moments to refuel.
I totally understand why some people don't want their kids to watch TV. On the other hand, although I think it's not a good idea, I understand what can lead some people to plop their kids in front of the TV too much. A little bit, in my opinion, is not a problem, but it's a slippery slope. TV becomes a problem when it is used as a substitute for interaction, and that is true not just for babies, but for children and adults.
*sigh* I get so tired of this sentiment. It is 100% inaccurate. Dr. Anderson's research shows that children regularly exposed to screened media before age 2 have a much higher chance of being diagnosed with ADD by age 5. I would hardly call that "negligible".
I was shocked by a recent scientific report that came out (I believe it was the report that caused the Baby Einstein DVD recalls) that showed that toddlers who watched education children's programs actually had delayed language skills when compared to children who did not watch the shows. There was an even greater gap between children who watched television programs intended to teach words and children whose parents were told to teach them those same words over the same period of time.
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Do you know which of the articles on the page you linked specifically addresses that? I'm curious to read about the study. (All the articles/chapters look interesting really, but I don't have that much time on my hands! lol) I always wonder in studies like that to what extent other environmental factors make a difference. A child isn't exposed to TV in a vacuum. I wonder how much the length of time or regularity makes a difference, interactions with caregivers, exposure to books and other toys, etc.
I'm interested to read these studies. Like I said above, I think the big problems arise when TV is used as a replacement for interaction. If parents expected their kids to learn words from TV and did nothing else to teach them, I think the repercussions are not surprising.
One of the main things I dislike about kids' tv is the marketing tied to it. The producers of the Baby Einstein and Your Baby Can Read series first convince you that your child needs to learn certain things by a certain age then they tell you that their products are the best way to teach them. I also hate that every show (even public television shows like Sesame Street) has character tie-ins for all sorts of toys, foods, bedding, etc. But that's not really a baby issue as much as an older kid issue.
Although, as I said earlier, I do let DS watch a bit of TV, I am obviously ambivalent about it in a lot of ways.
And as a result of studies like this, you have hysterical parents like my friend who stayed locked in a dark room with her baby for the first two months of her life because she was afraid of "flickering lights" giving her baby ADD.
She would call me and talk about how bored she was, but she couldn't have a TV on in the room her baby was in, because any exposure to television was going to rot her baby's brain. It was lunacy.
If my baby catches sight of the television or watches 15 minutes of Sesame Street once every few weeks when her grandmother watches her or watches the superbowl at 4 months old... she'll be just fine. I'm not making my kid ADD.
No, I would never say anything to anybody, not my business (unless it was someone who was watching DD and letting her watch excess TV).
I obviously feel strongly about it for my family, but I'm not out to convert anyone. Not trying to start a mommy war! I was just really surprised about how casually people were talking about infants watching TV. I have read lots of literature and the harm it can cause is certainly not negligible (there are thousands of studies), like I said though, i'm not out to convert anyone, I was just expressing how shocked I am that I seem to be in the minority when it comes to TV watching in our household.
If your fine with your baby watching TV than good for you. I'm not trying to scold you or anything, I am just surprised at how many people don't know/care/believe the "no screen time under two" recommendation
Seriously, if you think a legitimate study is the reason your friend is a complete and total lunatic than i'm not surprised you two are friends. Your friend is crazy because she's crazy, not because of a piece of research
This may not be entirely truthful. Research shows that watching TV actually changes the way your brain thinks/works. Now, whether or not you think that's a good thing or a bad thing is your own decision.
FWIW, we don't let LO watch TV. Mostly because we don't have a TV. That is our choice. While sometimes I miss it (usually during football season), I honestly think our lives are better for not having one. Not having a TV is what works for me and my family.
I watch TV 'cause I find it to be more interesting than you.
Oh look, something shiny!
What were you saying again?
LOL, TV is def. more interesting than I am
Dude, what is your problem?
My DD had extremely limited screen time until she was 2. If we were in a restaurant with TV's above the bar, I didn't shelter her from it. Once my DH and I both had the flu so I let her watch a movie while we suffered. When we traveled (and stayed in a hotel), I'd turn on a kids channel for a couple minutes while we were getting dressed to keep her quiet. That was it.
Once she turned 2, I allowed one 20-30 minute video every week or two. At age three it had morphed to one one hour video once a week and at age 4 it had morphed to one movie per week (averaging 1.5 hours). She's almost 5 and we have tried to be a little more flexible (because she was really fixated on it being "Friday so she could watch her show") so we're trying to mix it up a little. She watches TV 1-3 times per week.
We do turn the news on for a few minutes during breakfast so we can catch the headlines/weather/traffic, so DS might catch a glimpse of that, but we're sticking with the limited screen time thing for him, too.
To each their own.
Whether or not you allow your infant to become king of the remote, he will still grow up to resent you in more ways than you could ever have imagined.
Moral of the story: Eat that chocolate cake, but don't end up like Mrs. Grape.
We were pretty hardcore on No TV until 2 for out first. I did use some youtube videos of garbage trucks when I desperately needing a minute to get my 2nd down in peace ( 15 months apart) but luckily I didn't even need that everyday.
Now my 2nd has been exposed more because of the older one and I can see the differences in them when it comes to TV. Sure some is personality but my oldest will often walk up and turn off the TV either A. when he's just over it or B. when I'm trying to con them into coming inside so I can start dinner
. The younger one on the other hand is always happy to plop in front of the TV and I hate that.
Let me present a "middle of the road" perspective on this one. I am a frequent AP lurker and have posted a couple of times. I wouldn't say that my parenting style is entirely AP but its not entirely anything else either and I can definitely relate to the use of many of the principles.
My DD, who is almost 3 watches television. She has from a young age. It used to be on all the time for my own purposes when I was home with her for the first year and sometime in there it began turning to less of my shows and more Children's programming. She knows who many of the characters are and can sing theme songs for many shows. I never did have a time limit on television watching. What I do is ensure that we have plenty of non TV, stimulating activities in our day. We paint, colour, do crafts, dress up, role play, have tea parties, go for walks, play at the park, build with blocks, attend play groups, she has a dance class etc. If in there is some TV watching, so be it. It tends to be on as background noise much of the time but usually we're engaged in other activities. But sometimes, she watches. She also has a few Elmo and Dora DVD's. She is a very bright, well behaved, well adjusted child with great social skills. Every morning we get up, have breakfast together, talk about our dreams (she pretends, I assume) and what we will do that day. Then, I have a shower and get ready for work and she watches Dora. After we get home at the end of the day, I made supper and usually the TV is on. Sometimes she watches, sometimes she colors or makes me a pretend supper at her kitchen. Then after that, we play together until bedtime. I have no idea how many hours of TV she watches per week. Some are more than others I would imagine. I realize there is a link between certain things like ADD and watching TV but I always wonder what other factors were involved. How much other stimulation and interaction do those other kids have, etc. My point is, I think for us, it has much less to do with how many minutes/hours per day of television are watched and how much other activity is going on. Obviously if you watch 5 hours of TV per day that does not leave time for much else so there is a link between the TV watching and the behavior that follows. Im not trying to preach for TV by any means. What I am trying to say is that parenting is all about balance and as long as you have that, your kids will be just fine.
Laface - I totally agree with you.
DD loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She could not care less about the actual program, but loves the opening song, the Toodle song, and the all too famous Hot Dog Song. She will stop what she is doing for the Hot Dog Song.
Also, people may want to flame me for this, but she loves Sex and the City. Something about the opening music and close ups of Carrie. Whatever. If she is screaming and the opening music (which is also all over the DVD) calms her down, I am all about it.
We usually have the TV on, and are TV people. But it doesn't keep us from doing other things. We listen to music, we read stories, play games, go for walks. I don't believe that TV will rot my child's brain.
*double sigh*
condescending much?
I've read a LOT of information about the correlation between ADD and tv watching. I have ADD so this is a really important topic to me and that's why for MY family we made the decision not to have our son watch tv. (But I will point out that every 5th person in the US supposedly has ADD, so it's really not all that earth shattering.)
When I said that the harm tv watching causes is negligible, I meant versus like not strapping your child into their carseat correctly or letting them play in traffic. As someone with ADD, I don't think that having ADD is that bad of a thing. Yes, I'd rather not have it and I'd certainly like for my son not to have it, but I'm not going to get all preachy at someone and lecture them on the evils of tv when they haven't asked for my advice.
If I had cancer and not watching tv would keep my friend's kid from having cancer, then yes, I'd do some preaching, but ADD is not worth being an asshat to my friends over.
Amen, sister!
I agree that unless someone asks for your advice re TV that it's not something that's worth getting involved over. I would never get involved unless there was some really extenuating circumstance
I absolutely think it's bad for babies and children to watch TV, but if you don't care what I think (and why would you, I'm some random stranger on a message board) then do whatever makes you happy
I think when you (bh) said negligible the pp (and I) took it to mean that the effects of TV were not worth worrying about. I disagree. While there are certainly worse things that you could do to your child than put on some Dora, I think it's incredibly well researched and well documented that TV can do a lot of damage to little brains. I appreciate that your experience with ADD was not that bad, but it's not something I want to risk (and neither do you obviously since your not letting your kid watch TV either). Also ADD is not my only concern with TV, there are several reasons, ADD is one of many
If you have ever read the studies (and there are lots of them) you will notice that (like breastfeeding) there is no way to have a control group. How do we know breastfeeding is healthier? You are comparing two babies that have different mothers/home lives/genetics ect... Yet there is a definitive pattern that emerges. It is the same with TV watching, you can try to control for certain things, children are going to have vastly different circumstances, yet a definitive pattern emerges. There really isn't any controversy about it, the literature is pretty clear cut. It's no good. The rec is NO screen time, not screen time in moderation (to me, having the TV on all day as background noise and my DD knowing the theme songs to all the popular children's shows is not moderation, but that's my judge-y side coming out
).
I'm happy to suggest reading rec's for anyone who is interested. I'm not trying to be preachy and/or self righteous. I'm sorry if that's how I'm coming off. I really could honestly care less what you do. I posted because I was just thrown off that I am one of the few who actually follow the no screen time rule in my friend group. Maybe i'm just naive, but I thought it was a no-brainer
If my baby catches sight of the television or watches 15 minutes of Sesame Street once every few weeks when her grandmother watches her or watches the superbowl at 4 months old... she'll be just fine. I'm not making my kid ADD
You are suggesting that the ADD study is bad because it turned your friend into a lunatic, right? Your exact words "as a result of studies like these..." then you go on to explain how your friend locked herself and her baby in a dark closet ("lunacy")
Should scientists not publish research findings because of fanatics that will not apply their findings to real life?
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you meant by your post...? I interpreted it as you knocking the study because it made your friend behave like a crazy person, which is completely absurd
You also don't think (despite research to the contrary) that your not "making your (my) kid ADD". I seriously hope not, but I don't think that's something you can know or assert with any possible certainty
The fact that there is no control group is exactly why correlational studies do not prove causation. There could be something else about babies/kids that watch TV that make them have ADD and other issues. Perhaps they are more likely to be brought up by parents who suffer from ADD and thats why there is a relationship. Maybe they all have parents with lower educational achievement. Not saying that either of these is the case but the only way to know for sure that A causes B would be an experiment where all variables were controlled for which would be highly unethical. This is not my opinion, this is the nature of the scientific methods used in research. I know that there is definite change is brain activity but that is while TV is being watched and again, the circumstances of those families could play a role as well as a number of other things. And what kind of change is experienced when the TV is off and other forms of engagement are used is a question.
Also, if knowing some song lyrics means that there is no moderation, there is no such thing. Any idea how fast kids pick up song lyrics? My kid can pick up any song after hearing it twice and I hardly think that twice is overexposure to anything.
Im curious about where the no screen time rule comes from? I've honestly never heard it (perhaps an american vs. Canadian thing?) I think I saw something about the AAP? Is that it? I know that they also endorse pacifier use and advise against co-sleeping (or at least they did at one point because it was in one of the billion baby books I read while pregnant with DD) which many here use, and rightly so, because it is what is best for their babies. This is just pure ignorance because I've never heard of no screen until age 2 and Im thinking that this, along with a lot of other recommendations, is more of a individual thing rather than a blanket statement to be made.
You can skew the research to make it fit into your parenting, but the scientific data and the people who interpret it have made a very definite conclusion that TV viewing is bad for babies and young children. Clear cut, black and white. I would possibly agree with you if there was only one study, but there are literally hundreds. How can you comment on the methodology of the research if you haven't read it? Your ignorance of the AAP's rec's coupled with your anecdotal "evidence" suggests that you don't really know much about the subject. I wasn't starting this thread to debate, but I'm certainly not going to argue about the research with someone who hasn't read the research!
If your fine with your TV watching, then great! I'm not policing anyone. Your idea of moderation and my idea of moderation are obviously very, very different. I was referring to the fact that you stated that the TV was on all day as background, as well as the fact that your kid knows the theme song to a bunch of kids programs. That would not be okay in my household, it would be excessive to me, but if that's moderation for you, and you are happy with it, then I really have no judgement
Here are some reading recs that break down the research if your interested
"In Defense of Childhood" Specifically chapter 7 details studies going back to the 1960's
"Nuture Shock" has a chapter devoted to very recent findings on children and screen time. It breaks down the methodology of the studies very specifically and how controls were done for affluence, race, and region
"The Bilingual Edge" details specifically second language based material and children
"Into the Minds Of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children from Birth to Age Five" another excellent read, this really goes into very specific brain functioning
Sometimes I eat chocolate, even though it makes me fat
I religiously watch the real housewives of Beverly hills/new jersey even though it makes me dumb (very highbrow of me, I know)
I don't think there is no wiggle room. I'm not going to freak out if my kid catches a snippet of Sportscenter with her dad or some Lifetime movie of the week with Grandma. I don't think a little TV will disable someone for life
I'm just shocked about how flippant my group of FB friends are with scheduling TV time for very young infants. I think if a baby catches some TV in the course of life, then so be it, but I would never put DD in front of the tube on a repetitive basis for her to watch a program (before two years, and even then, we'll see). You might think that's weird of me, I thought I was pretty normal, but I am learning that there is at least some debate among mom's about it. I really didn't honestly realize it was something that people did
You really need to relax.
Here's the problem I have with this "debate". I'm not trying to tell you that what you are doing is wrong. I am presenting an alternative perspective. Your saying you don't care what an internet stranger does with her child but it seems that you do because you keep finding ways to make what I am doing wrong even though I am not telling you that what you are doing is wrong. If no screen time works for you, that's fantastic and I know your DD will not suffer for it. All I am saying is neither will mine.
I am not skewing scientific research. When you read any body of research you have to look at the limitations, which every paper should have a section on that. One of the limitations of correlational research happens to be that it only determines that "what" and not the "why" so I am just saying that Im not necessarily going to fry my kids brain with TV because there could, and likely are, other factors at play here.
Lastly, I was asking about where the recommendation comes from so that you could enlighten me. I would not know the AAP guidelines for things because as I pointed out, I am not American. I just think it's good common sense to know that I shouldn't plop my kid in front of a TV 24/7. I am sure the CPS has position papers on these things but I don't read them all because I think that with the help of our doctor and my common sense, "parenting from my guts" approach to things, we'll be just fine.
How could you not realize that people put their babies in front of the tv when there are DVDs made specifically for babies?
I let my boys watch a baby einstein dvd here and there at 4 months old. I know, gasp!!! It helps us get through bathtime without leaving one or two cry while we tend to the one in the bath. I do not think it's a big deal. They are happy. I am happy. I think what really matters is that you love your kids and nurture them.
In fact here is a pic of them watching the DVD that I posted on FB! I figured people were probably judging when I posted it but oh well, I thought they looked super cute...
Ruby_Tuesday, no judging here. I have so much respect for a mama of multiples, I can't even imagine. That pic is absolutely adorable BTW.
I did keep the tv on when DS was little while I nursed, which seemed to be constantly in those days. I would watch the Today Show and Family Feud and sitcoms and such. I never put a program on geared toward children. When I started noticing that he was actually paying attention, I stopped leaving the tv on during his awake time, and now if I want background noise, I put on music.
Recently, like in the past 2 months, I have started putting on a Baby Signing Time dvd for him which he does like. He only watches this maybe once a week. I sign with DS all day long, but I am hoping to reinforce his sign language skills with the dvd and he likes the songs and the kids in the video. He has also watched bits and pieces of "Life", a documentary about animals.
We read and do activities all day long, and though I do believe in the no tv before 2 rule to an extent, I know that he enjoys the singing, signing, and animals these videos show.
I flipping love TV. Jo gets to watch Arthur every day before dinner so I can clean up. We were very anti TV until she was around 18 months and then I realized I hadn't read a decent study where it found 20 minutes of TV a day = death.
Dr. Anderson profits from Dora and all the other programs he's "advised" on (and still gets cheques from). So I trust him the same way I trust a disney princess.
Do what you want to do but unless you have 0 TV in your household, I doubt your child is going to be immune to the deadly rays of the TV.
My kid loves books and blocks and toys and Dora and Arthur. I'm not scared of Sesame Street.
Amen sister friend. Your baby isn't 2 months old. Believe me, you need to chill out. I sat around in a panicked haze of books and studies when JO was that age too. Then I took a deep breath, a long walk and realized my gut worked better without all the nonsensical rantings of people trying to scare me.
I LOL at Dr. Anderson. He makes a LOT of money on those programs he "advises" on while telling people not to watch them. Its cute.
This. I, of course, am still just another mother of toddlers, but TV isn't what gives them ADD and behavioral issues. Not talking to them, sticking them in daycare at 8 weeks, a lack of discipline from caregivers and handing them over to the recess-free educational system at 4 is what gives them behavioral issues, if we're being honest.
My girls watch TV. Not a lot, maybe an hour or so a day. Sometimes more, sometimes nothing at all. My 4-year-old is incredibly well-spoken, well-behaved and polite. My 2-year-old is...2. I don't blame it on TV - I call a spade a spade and recognize that her age is what it is. We balance TV and media with reading aloud, silly songs, playdoh, board games, playdates, arts and crafts, and above all, STABILITY. My kids know what to expect from day to day and their security of their routine is what helps us avoid behavior issues, not the absence of Dora and Elmo.
Hello lover.