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D.C. Area Babies
TV watching poll
Do you let your kids watch TV?
If so, how old are they? What do they watch (what shows/movies), and how much (how often/duration)?
If not, why not? And will that change as they get older?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: TV watching poll
No, not really.
J is two, which according to the AAP is official "OK to watch TV" time, but I just don't really want to use that as a form of entertainment yet. We do have it on sometimes if there's a game on or something, and the other day we watched about 5 minutes of Sesame Street. But he's not really into it yet, and I don't want to push.
We do let him watch YouTube videos, though--Parry Gripp, anyone?--when we're on long car trips and he's getting antsy. I have no idea why that's different than watching it on the actual TV in my mind, but it is . . .
TTC #2: BFP 12/17/11, m/c 1/7/12 and D&C 1/12/12
baby blog/cooking blog
I've discovered that M loves Yo Gabba Gabba, so sometimes I will let him watch half of an episode on a weekend (he doesn't have enough attention span to watch more than that). I'll also let him watch a couple of short YouTube videos while I cut his nails, because it's the only thing that keeps him from freaking out. He's 14 months. He already seems fascinated by the TV, so I'm trying not to let him watch it too often.
DH will let him watch much more TV than me. I usually have to ask him to turn off the TV when he's home.
Warner watched no tv at all before age 2. (other than when we went to visit family and they had a tv on, but he never had an interest in it) We did this because of the AAP recommendation and honestly, we just never missed having the tv on. There were always a lot of other things to do with him that seemed far more productive than watching tv. But this was an "easy" thing for us to do when he was in daycare full time.
Now that he's home with me most of the time, I do let him watch one cartoon in the morning so I can shower and get dressed. And then he sometimes watches another one in the evening while I'm making dinner....so about 40 minutes a day max. (back in July and August when I was nauseated all the time from morning sickness, he watched a LOT more...I didn't feel great about it, but it was a necessary evil.)
And he only watches shows that I download onto my computer/ipad or dvr'd for him--so far he has only watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Dora and Mr. Rogers (can I just tell you how much I love Mr. Rogers...so glad that Warner likes it) :-)
In the afternoons when I'm watching Sprout, I often turn on the TV. Mostly b/c I need to hear someone speak english & not gibberish! Sometimes Sprout watches for a few minutes but mostly he's just playing in the same room.
When he's had a particularly hard day, sometimes I turn on Sprout TV to try to entertain him & give my sanity a 10 minute break. This has only worked once or twice, though.
There's lots of stuff I stress about with him (good nutrition, foods grown with minimal pesticides/hormones/etc, safety in all things, reading to him everyday, etc.) but TV is the thing we've decided to let it be what it is. My husband was pretty anti-TV at first but then he realized he'd never get to watch things (he does most of his TV watching on the weekend) & has thus relaxed his policy of TV around Sprout. We do what we can to keep in stimulated & entertained in other ways, but if we need some TV on so we can either have a few minutes of sanity or keep him occupied long enough to cut his hair, we'll do it.
This was something I wasn't willing to fight DH about. He loves sharing some TV time with DD. DD went through a period where she would wake up in the middle of the night and want to play. That's when we started putting on videos in those middle of the night hours to try to get her to go calm back down. We only owned Kid Songs and the Wiggles and DD didn't like the Wiggles. I think she was 16 months at the time. Since then they go on occasionally, mostly when DH is watching her. If I am there the TV is generally off.
Before she was 2, she really would only watch 5 minutes and then go onto playing with something. Now that she is 2.5 she'll watch full episodes. We choose the shows, it's either PBS Kids or Barney, Backyardigans or Shaun the Sheep (DH introduced this and it is her favorite) from Netflix streaming. I am pretty sure she watched TV on occasion at daycare and I know they put on TV at naptime at pre-school since DD talks to me about the Magic School Bus. For Christmas I bought her a collection of storybooks that are adapted for TV. I'm excited about watching them. We do have a portable DVD player for the car that we use on long trips. These books on DVD and Disney movies are only shown then or when DD is sick. Like this past Monday when we watched Annie on Netflix. It's even better than I remembered it being btw.
At 9 months DS shows no interest in the TV. That would require him to slow down, and that boy only has one speed - go go go.
We didn't let DD#1 watch TV until she was 2 per the guidelines. However, I suspect it will be different for DD#2 (that we'll probably let her watch earlier).
Right now she probably watches on average of 30-45 minutes a day. Some days it's zero and some days it may be an hour. She watches TV for about 20 minutes at daycare each day because the DCP puts on the TV during pick-up time so she can answer the door and greet the parents. I try not to have her watch TV in the evenings on weeknights but sometimes we let her.
I believe in everything in moderation. Also, I look at the trade off. For example, on Sunday, I let her watch 2 Dora episodes (40 min) so that I could pack healthy picnic lunches and get everything ready to go to Butler's orchard for the afternoon. So, yes, she watched some TV but it afforded us the opportunity to do something educational and enriching as well as have a healthy lunch rather than the junk food they sell. I could've tried to watch her while doing this but it would've taken longer which then makes the day start to run into naptime which is a whole different issue. So, I just basically try to look at the whole picture and make the best decision I can.
As far as shows, we used to put on Sesame Street a lot but she really likes Dora so that is mainly what she watches now.
DS showed no interest until aobut 18 months then when i was pg, he got to watch more than I felt good to let him watch. I was very sick and with our house under unplanned renovations, you do what you gotta do. I lost that pg so I am no longer pg and even though the house is still a disaster, i have gone to all things in moderation...he loves bubble guppies and gets to watch 1-2 episodes a day so 40 minutes or so. When i take him to the gym, the TV is always on there and he will come in and out of the room and I am not a mom that restricts him from that....all things in moderation..as I shared a CC cookie with him after lunch today:-)
FWIW, I stay home, so I do plenty of interacting with him all day long
Yes, he started watching it more when I got PG with DD b/c I had terrible nausea in the 1st tri and it was an easy way to get some time to just lie in bed with him.
When he started watching TV, he was around 21 months old or so. He only liked calm, quiet shows like Blue's Clues and Kipper. He now watches Mickey Mouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Word World, and Dinosaur Train. (Not all at once or anything). He might watch 1-2 shows a day. More if it's raining and we're stuck inside or DD is having a rough day.
ETA: A major problem is that DD is completely fascinated by TV. DS used to watch his one show a day as he was eating breakfast in the morning--it was a good way to feed DD and get some things together for whatever we were doing for the day. However, now DD refuses to eat if the TV is on. She stretches every which way she can to be able to watch it, particularly if Mickey is on. I've started feeding her over by the fridge in the kitchen so that she can't see the tv.
Yes. DS is 3. Never more then two hours a day. Some days no tv. It depends how busy we are.
We limit what he can watch-Sesame Street, Curious George, Max and Ruby. We really try to keep it age appropriate.
He looooovvvves going to the movie theater.
We tend to have the TV on in the evening but DD never really watches anything. The only show that she has ever watched an entire episode of is Jake and the Neverland Pirates. She does like to cheer for whatever teams scores a touchdown when DH is watching football (much ti his dismay when it is the wrong team) and she loves to dance to the opening of Game Day.
My TV philosophy is moderation but right now she is far more interested in her play kitchen and coloring.
No, we don't let them watch TV at home. This is b/c 1) the AAP recommendatiosn and 2) even before the LOs, DH and I rarely had the TV on during the day unless it was a big news.
However, our in-home DCP does have a TV on for 15 minutes during her busiest drop-off time to help keep the kids entertained while parents come, so they see a tiny bit there 2-3x per week. The daycare I went to as a toddler/kid did the same thing and I came out normal, so I'm not too worried.
Our LO usually watches 1 20-30 min show per day. I have no problem with it -- everything in moderation. Some days she'll watch an extra show if she's up extra early or we're having a tough day, but otherwise, it's just one in the late afternoon. She likes Mickey Mouse, Elmo's World, and Curious George.
We've also recently just started Friday night movie night. She LOVES it. After dinner, we get in PJs and get ready for bed, then go down to our big TV in the basement, and watch about 30 min of a movie. She has a great time, and it's fun for the family to sit together. We'll probably alternate with family game night once she's a bit older. We've watched The Adventures of Pooh, Toy Story so far.
DD was never very interested in TV; we would leave the weather channel on to entertain her in the morning while we got ready. That was until my mother introduced her to the Wiggles, and now she's obsessed. I will let her watch tv in the morning when DH is on travel for about 30 minutes, but that's only a couple times a week. She will watch the Wiggles, Martha Speaks, Curious George, and she just started watching some Disney Junior show this morning about trains.
We let her watch a Wiggles DVD (75 minutes) on Monday in the car because we had a long drive (4 hours), and knew she would get really antsy. It worked well, but that's obviously only for long drives.
Unpopular opinion alert - Yes, I let DD watch TV - and did not follow the AAP rec of no TV before 2. DD has been watching TV since she was an infant. We don't use it as a babysitter.
While I agree with some of the TV recs for older kids, I kind of think their "No TV before 2" toddler recommendation is baseless bunk. I mean, here's part of what they say: "Don't do it! These early years are crucial in a child's development. The Academy is concerned about the impact of television programming intended for children younger than age two and how it could affect your child's development. Pediatricians strongly oppose targeted programming, especially when it's used to market toys, games, dolls, unhealthy food and other products to toddlers."
Most of the kid-specific programming (Sprout, Nick Jr) is actually pretty educational. It's not like the cartoons we used to watch as kids - with a zillion commercials for crap shoved in. She loves to watch the little owl and moose on Nick Jr, showing her different shapes and letters and stuff. She loves dancing to fresh beat band, and watching Dora.
We pretty much let her watch whenever she wants (if we're not watching something)... but, she's also interested in other things. We read, we sing, we draw, she plays with dolls, etc. She hasn't turned into a TV zombie yet. Everything she watches is toddler specific, unless its something on in the background.
I dated a guy once who didn't have a TV in his house until grad school. He turned into a zombie in front of a TV. He was kind of like the kids who never get junk food, but shove it in their face when they have access.
Also, I think anyone who thinks YouTube is any different than television is just kidding themselves!
I totally agree with this. I have a friend with older kids (elementary school aged) who allows her children "screen time" each day. I think they can have 30 min or an hour of screen time -- which could be TV, computer use, video games, etc. They get to choose what they want to do. To think watching Elmo on the computer is somehow different than watching it on the TV is silly!
This is kind of how I feel.
I mean, I watch a lot of TV now. Mostly it's cooking shows, History Channel (like, the actual history shows & not Pawn Stars or Ice Road Truckers), Discovery Channel & PBS. Because of this, I know a lot of random crap that is mostly useful for Trivial Pursuit but also comes in handy for some life situations.
We don't use it as a babysitter, but i don't really seem the harm.
Not really. We watch what we watch (which I've had to get on DH for some of his movie choices) but he never really sits there and watches.
When I watch TV in the daytime as my little break, it's HGTV or the Travel Channel. So I don't really see an issue if DS catches a little bit of Rick Steves' or Samantha Brown
The most he really does with TV is start dancing if he hears music he likes. Like on House Hunters International - he dances like crazy to the "decision making" music. I think it's hilarious.
As for kiddo TV? I don't even really know what stations to check. And the one time we did watch it, I thought I was going to lose it. So no kiddy stuff.
DD watches TV and has for a while. She turns 3 next week. We pretty much only watch Nick Jr when she's awake. Not that I'm against her watching something "not kid" but mainly because I'm too busy when she's awake to actually watch something for myself.
We usually do one show in the morning, sometimes two. Then when we get home in the afternoon, she watches another Nick Jr show and one last one before bed. Her faves are Fresh Beat Band, Dora, UmiZoomi, Bubble Guppies, Marths Speaks, etc.
Honestly, when the TV is on is the ONLY time she ever sits down and chills. Otherwise, she's go-go-go all the time, even when she's tired, which results in a crabby, whiny toddler.
And to chchchchia's point, my DH didn't watch very much TV as a kid (in fact, in the 10 years, we've been together, I have only seen the TV on at his parents house ONE time). He's 35 now and is transfixed by the TV.
weeeeeell, it's not totally baseless...here is a pretty good article that describes the studies that have been done and offers a good recommendation. Basically saying that tv isn't the devil, but it's something parents need to think about and not just park your kid in front of the tv endlessly (which, of course, you're not doing!)
https://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/826.html
I'm very interested in this because I was diagnosed with ADD when I was in HS and I watched a TON of tv when I was in elementary/middle school. I didn't watch much as a small child, but I was a latch-key kid when I was older and watched several hours of tv a day. It just makes me wonder...
Also, here is another article about a study that found a link between kids with high blood pressure and their tv watching habits:
https://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914450-1,00.html
Again, like many pp have said, tv is not SO terrible and fine in moderation. But I know from experience (especially when I was feeling so sick a couple months ago) it's a slippery slope that's easy to fall down--going from we're just going to watch one show, to oh, crap, he's been watching for 2 hours.
Kind of like "nesting"
lol, EXACTLY! ;-)
My older kids (8 and 7) are allowed to watch tv on the weekends mainly in the evening. They probably watch about an hour on Fri, Sat and Sun. They generally watch the Disney channel shows (Suite Life on Deck, Charlie something, Ant Farm).
We don't watch tv while they're up during the week. My oldest will fixate on the tv if it's on (regardless of what it is) and it's hard to get her to stop watching so we go with no tv.
My youngest, 2, may get a show or two during the day if I need to get stuff done around the house. He likes Thomas, Chuggington and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Yes. They are 2.5 and 14 months. We keep the TV off Mon-Thurs (I'm a SAHM), and they watch 1-2 hours on the weekend days.
I used to let them (when I say "them", it's really my 2.5 year old; the 14 month old just pays attention for 10 min or so) watch an hour a day, my oldest would constantly ask for it every day, and it became annoying. Now, by Tuesday, she forgets that it exists. I do love when the weekend rolls around and we can stop and let them sit in front of the TV for a little while. It's a nice break!
ETA: They watch PBS Sprout on demand. Sesame Street, Curious George, Clifford, and Barney. We watched Dora for a while, and DD loved it, but I hated the Swiper character, and didn't like that she thought it was funny to act like him and swipe things from everyone. Ugh.