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Babies: 9 - 12 Months
mopsie
member
Am I the only one who doesn't have a problem letting LO watch TV?
mopsie
member
Clearly the TV is not a substitute for parenting, but I don't see the harm in letting a baby watch a few minutes of TV if they enjoy it or if it calms them down (or if you need a break to go to the bathroom or cook dinner). I'd rather have a happy baby watching Yo Gabba Gabba than one who's bored and unstimulated. We have plenty of activities outside the house (swimming, baby gym class, etc), and we play and read a lot, but there's just so much playing we can do in a day! Sometimes we both need a chance to wind down and relax with some TV. It irritates me when parents feel the need to facetiously "gasp!" or self-depricate when they "admit" to letting their LO watch a little TV. I've read plenty of articles that say there's no benefit to letting a baby under 1 watch TV (even educational TV), but there's also no harm done as long as you're providing a range of different stimuli so your LO can develop normally.
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Re: Am I the only one who doesn't have a problem letting LO watch TV?
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Comments like this are what annoy me. If you want to let her watch TV, fine. But don't try to pretend its because you don't want her to "grow up culurally oblivious." She's less than a year old. Its not like she's sitting around at play group discussing yo gabba gabba. I can see that argument if your LO was 5.
I don't get up in arms about TV, but its not something I think is good at this age for my LO. Have I caved? Yep. A couple of times. But its just my choice to not sit her in front of it yet routinely.
OK, I didn't actually mean that she is getting anything out of watching TV now. I was talking more in terms of generalities and meant it more for when she is older. I just don't plan to be the kind of parent that says "one hour of TV a week! And that's it!"
I didn't mean for the statement to be taken 100% literally. My bad, yo.
Dupe
my older ds watches cartoons so its on. My Lo doesn't pay one bit of attention to it. ONly sometimes if music is on he will start to dance.
Its no big deal people!! There are more important things to worry about in life.
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I think if you need the occupy them for a few minutes here and there, it's okay, but we still try to keep the TV off. During college football and hockey season, our TV is usually on so we can keep an eye on the games, but we are playing with the babies and doing other activities so they aren't watching the TV.
We did buy them portable DVD players for our plane ride a couple weeks ago, and those things were lifesavers - M was about to have a meltdown and I turned hers on (it had a cartoon DVD inside), and she watched it for about 15 minutes before falling asleep. In my mind, having her watch the DVD was a lot better than the full-on screaming tantrum that was about to ensue on a two-and-a-half hour flight full of strangers.
Not only do I let me kid watch TV (I work at home 4 hours a day--there is no way to avoid the help TV provides) but i also watch TV when she is around....**GASP**
I love the posts where people are so "anti-tv for LO" that they won't turn the TV until the baby goes to bed....really?
Reading is very important to me. I can't answer your question scientifically, but I will say that I try to read to DD as much as she will let me--whether it's from one of her books or whatever I am reading at the moment. If I can get her to love reading as much as I do, I feel like she will have a leg up when it's time to study and learn from books. That being said, I have a feeling DD will have her own laptop by kindergarten, so who knows how the majority of her school-based learning is going to be conducted.
And we watch spongebob somewhat regularly.
This is a good article that explains why real live interaction (aka reading) is important to language development versus watching tv.
https://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1650352,00.html
For the record, I don't care what anyone does with their kid with TV.
I didn't even see your FFFC... this was an independent debate
::runs off to read Pocky's FFFC::
If you want to let your baby watch TV that is totally up to you. I have never flamed anyone for that or judged someone. I choose not to let them watch tv and my teenagers are still on a limited schedule so it has worked well for us.
But don't kid yourself that it's educational. Everyone knows it's not. Baby Einstein had to pay millions in a settlement and there are enough studies out there for people to know that there is no educational value of TV for children under 2.
I actually don't care who lets their kids watch TV. It's the rationalizations and justifications that annoy me.
I read an article recently about how TV doesn't build language skills because kids don't interact with it. So if you are reading a book, your LO will interact with you, the book - they will grab your face or the book if they want you to repeat something or get excited, they will turn the pages, they will know what to expect when you read the same books over and over. My DS knows what pages have something to touch in touch and feel books, he will say boo when we get to the right page in Peek a Who, etc.
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We watch alot of of the sprout channel. My daughter will stop an watch a few mins here and there escpecially anything with singing. She will clap and rock or dance.
It doesn't bother me if he watches tv every now and then. In the mornings, I'll bring him into our room while DH gets ready for work and we watch Timmy Time on Disney. For some reason, he gets a kick out of thirty minutes of barnyard animals "baaaing" and quacking.
ETA: That's also pretty much the only time of day that the tv is on before he goes to bed.
I agree completely. My kid will sit there contently and play with toys, so I have no use for the tv when I'm in the bathroom or changing laundry or whatever. Actually, I don't think he would even sit there and watch a tv show. We YouTube music videos like The Wheels on the Bus while I cut his nails and he will barely sit for that 3 minutes.
Happy Birthday, little man. We love you so much!
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I really don't mean this to be snarky, but I thought you said you read the studies? The issue with TV is the constant flashing imagines. Its very different from a book.
Again, I don't judge people who use TV in moderation, its just not what I chose to do.
I'd rather have a happy baby watching Yo Gabba Gabba than one who's bored and unstimulated.
is this from my post earlier? does that mean that if riley isn't watching tv she's "bored and unstimulated"?
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I'm sure I'm going to come off judgy. We don't do tv. And it's HARD not to. I work at home and I've hired help to interact and watch my child when I could probably get away with just using the tv, and having extra money for a vacation. However, we sacrifice instead, and to hear parents brush it off like it's nothing is frustrating, and to compare watching tv with reading a book to your child is even more so.
It stifles imagination. Why imagine a butterfly flying around from a book when directors have already done that for you and put it to music? You say it's better for children to watch tv than to sit around bored. I say if children are bored without tv - that's an indication of a problem.
Looking for articles that state tv for infants is not only not educational but also harmful? Check out: https://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html
The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development
I'm going to go out on a limb and say she meant he would be bored and unstimulated if it weren't for the TV at the moment? But, I'm new here, so maybe not.
Oooh, I think we used to have that book when I was little. I remember that title, I'm going to have to look for it!
Happy Birthday, little man. We love you so much!
My favorite money saving tip: I've earned more than $300 in gift cards (Amazon, Starbucks, Southwest!) using SwagBucks for internet searching - and you can too! It's FREE and EASY!
Like I said, I've let her watch TV a few times (usually when we had a rough night or I"m sick). And honestly, I can see how working moms would use it more than I do (to get ready and such in the morning if nothing else works). I don't judge its use in moderation. But don't kid yourself that its doing something positive for their development.
And I'm still baffled by the comparision to reading.
And with that I'm out. I just heard the kid wake up ;D
I know it's not the worst thing in the world, but I've read about how it can possibly not be good for the brain before 2 years old. So I simply choose not to take the chance.
With DD#1, there was no TV until about 20 months, when her sister was born.
And for DD#2, who is 10 months old, there is no TV until about 2.
I have it on ALL the time, but if I catch her watching it, I redirect her to another activity.
That being said, I think my 2yo has learned a LOT from the two shows she watches, Caillou and Team Umi Zoomi, especially the latter. Shapes, patterns, etc.
But that HAS to be combined with parental involvement and doing the same activities on paper/books.
I'm getting ahead of the topic, though, cause we're not talking about toddlers.
Sorry.