How much TV do you let LO watch?

sarahns80 · April 2012

I never sit DS down to watch TV but I have an older toddler that has to watch her few shows a day and he ends up watching some of them while he's playing. I also have to confess to turning in the TV to feed him sometimes when he protests the high chair. So he kinda watches 30 min - 1 hour total maybe a day

TaraandRichforever · April 2012

None. But we have the tv on sometimes while she is in the room. But I dont just stick her in front of it to watch

BabyBoyNYC · April 2012

oh i always turn on PBS Kids when I give him a bottle, it keeps him still and gives me about like 7 minutes to something like wash a few dishes or EAT!

frogyie · April 2012

Our TV is on alot unfortunatly..(as back ground noise mostly... I have two dogs that would bark at every noise outside otherwise) but I don't put LO in front of the TV to watch it and I am always trying to engage him even if the TV is on. I keep it off unil lunch time when I am with LO but DH has it on a lot which I make a point to ask him to turn it off. I work 4 days a week so I don't have much control when I am not around.

Snapdragon750 · April 2012

None whatsoever, and that's on purpose. All of the evidence suggests that any TV before the age of 3 is not only not educational, but could be harmful to babies' development, even if it's just on in the background. But then, my husband and I both work from home, and I don't have any other children, so I have an easier time of avoiding it than most folks.

irene90405 · April 2012

When DS is sick I turn baby Einstein on for him so he would sit still for his nebulizer. I don't like doing it, but I feel that in this case the benefits (relief of congestion) out way the risks.

mrsjune25th · April 2012

None and we don't watch with her in the room.

march2008 · April 2012

None. We don't have cable, so I don't watch it and neither does she.

ams8099 · April 2012

Very little. Sometimes put on short Elmo clips from you tube, but that's only to occupy them for 5 minutes while I put together a meal

bluesapph · April 2012

Almost none. We only watch tv at night when he's in bed. A few times lately I have turned the tv on for a minute to distract him while I clip his nails, then off it goes again. We don't have a tv in the living room so that part is easy. I'm sure it will be a different story with #2.

frogyie · April 2012

I guess i don't get the mother of the year award. Sad

pam1005 · April 2012

We have it on for about 3 hours a day, but maybe more. DS watches shows when he does his breathing meds for his asthma, before nap, and after nap when I am getting the other kids up (in home daycare kiddos). I love knowing what's going on in the world, so I watch/listen to the news about twice a day. DD really will only pay attention to Dora if they are singing, but other than that I am not sure she really notices. Everything in moderation is fine IMO.

angiekillaire · April 2012

We watch TV here! He honestly doesn't pay too much attention to it most of the time. I usually turn him so his back is to the tv. He does watch maybe 15-20mins total a day. I read him a book and then watch about 5 mins of tv to get him to stay still and calm down so he'll sleep. How I see it is hes gonna see it eventually. I don't want him to see it very little and then be fixed to the tv every time its on when hes 3. It mostly background noise and he now doesn't much care about it. That's just how I feel. Don't feel bad at all. Its a personal choice. I don't use it as a babysitter and don't feel it will turn his brain to mush!

laurakaz13 · April 2012

None. But it's on occasionally when we're playing with her. She has no interest.

GirlLeastLikelyTo · April 2012

We watch quite a bit here - maybe two hours per day. He LOVES it. The 30 minutes that Thomas the Tank Engine is on is the only time I can do anything during the day. GOD BLESS TV!!!

AlyciaandRich · April 2012

It is on when he is in th room quite a bit. I make sure to turn it off when I am on the floor playing with him though. I will sit him in his exersaucer or pack n play with signing time on so I can shower sometimes. He loves that show.

LadyXaverian · April 2012

We have Sprout on quite a bit when we are home. The funny thing is, sometimes she walks over to the tv and hits the power button, turning it off lol. She mostly "watches" when the theme songs come on and then goes back to playing.

CarlaAndJames · April 2012

none. We try to avoid her sitting and looking at any kind of backlit screen, including computers and ipads. Hoping to keep it that way until she's 2. DH is a teacher and this was the parenting decision he was most adamant about.

daniella2727 · April 2012

Bad mom over here but probably a couple of times a week after she is done eating and getting her snack I will put on Yo Gabba Gabba. She will eat her snack and watch the whole 30 minutes while I clean up in the kitchen, do dishes etc.

Snapdragon750 · April 2012

angiekillaire:
We watch TV here! He honestly doesn't pay too much attention to it most of the time. I usually turn him so his back is to the tv. He does watch maybe 15-20mins total a day. I read him a book and then watch about 5 mins of tv to get him to stay still and calm down so he'll sleep. How I see it is hes gonna see it eventually. I don't want him to see it very little and then be fixed to the tv every time its on when hes 3. It mostly background noise and he now doesn't much care about it. That's just how I feel. Don't feel bad at all. Its a personal choice. I don't use it as a babysitter and don't feel it will turn his brain to mush!

You really should read the research on it. It's not about kids getting addicted to it and it's not about turning brains to mush. Early exposure to TV, especially the very frenetic shows geared toward babies and kids, seems to prepare their brains to expect that kind of stimulation for the rest of their life (it's a survival mechanism; they get used to all the extra noise and visuals or else they would be stressed out, but then they come to expect it). This is because babies' brains are in learning mode, adapting to the world in which they'll live all the time. So exposing a baby's developing brain to TV is not the same as introducing it to a 3 year old. Overstimulation like this early in life has been shown to cause hyperactivity and increased risk-taking behavior in lab rats, though the experiment hasn't and couldn't ethically be reproduced in children.

Yes it's a personal choice, but at least let it be an informed one.

molisar · April 2012

None. We've never had cable (we do get all the major networks) so we have never been big TV people. The only time our TV is on is after DS falls asleep and we might watch a movie. It's not really a 'we don't believe in TV for babies' thing, just more a lifestyle choice that we are passing onto DS.

autumnlala · April 2012

Good summary of the studies can be found here:

https://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/baby-health/infant-health/baby-tv.htm

We don't turn on the TV for our boys, but it's sometimes on when they're in the room and they are always craning to see it. Which we try to avoid, and we'll probably start watching it less with them around as they get older.

collyflower · April 2012

My older DD watches Sesame Street almost every day and younger DD is always on the floor playing at that time so she is definitely exposed to some tv. Also I personally watch the first 15-20 mins of the Today Show. I am comfortable with this choice... even after doing some research. For me, things arent so black and white when you have more than one kid.

Maryland Baby · April 2012

I don't really care what studies show if it's well balanced I don't see an issue with it. I can speak from personal experience my 5 yr old SD has grown up with the TV whenever she wanted even at day care and she couldn't care if we threw it out other than she likes snuggling up for family movie night at the weekend. She doesn't even watch the movie but she loves popcorn and spending quality time together! I will treat my DD the same way. I won't stop her watching it but I won't put her in from of it either. Because its on or not on she doesn't even pay any attention whatsoever when I put on PBS or einsteins she goes and does her own thing. I used to look after a 2 year old and all the parents had me do was play and teach and take him places and point blank refused the TV under any circumstances. When she finally under 'her' watch allowed him to watch one 30 min show he became utterly obsessed. He would ask me every ten minutes to watch TV and he would have a MELT DOWN! I am not with holding but I won't use it as a tool.

Personally I wouldn't feel guilty! If DD would watch a few minutes of TV so I could eat I would be glad! lol

sugarbear0524 · April 2012

We don't "let" DS watch any TV, as far as turning on a program just for him. It is on while he's in the room, but his toys are far more interesting to him than TV. He is 10 months old, and honestly, I don't think babies at his age have viewing preferences. I could be wrong about that, but DS doesn't seem to have any interest right now in what is on the screen.

angiekillaire · April 2012

And you're saying 15-20mins a day of tv (even up to an hour) will make my child expect this from his whole world? I totally don't buy that. And I also don't feel this type of test on rats, a much, much more simple minded and not nearly as intelligent animal, can convince me this will happen to my baby. Plus the rats are probably stuck in front of a tv 24 hours a day, not in moderation like I do with my child. And why you would assume that I haven't read the "studies" I'm not sure. There are also studies that say crying it would will make my child a drug addict. I chose to not believe everything I read and take it with a gain of salt!

Sacagawea · April 2012

First I have to say, that you can't shelter children from technology when we live in a very techie world. Second, I am a teacher of young children and honestly, kids these days respond to lessons with lots of bells and whistles because it is interesting and good teaching, and doesn't have anything to do with attention span or tv being watched from early on. Good teaching is engaging lessons, not boring lectures. Third, my DH is an aerospace engineer (aka rocket scientist) and I know for a fact (because she reminds me all the time) my MIL parked him in front of the tv from birth, yes birth to watch whatever the hell was on for hours at a time. Does he have some ADD tendencies? Sure, but he is wicked smart and successful, so IMO TV is not going to harm nor help your child's path in life, oh and to answer the OP question- LO watches about 20-30 minutes a day. I put it on around dinnertime when I need to make dinner and am exhausted from entertaining her all day. She watches Sesame Street or Baby Einstein and loves it!! Sometimes on the weekend when I sleep in, DH puts it on for her in the morning before I wake up to keep her quiet while I sleep a little more. Everything needs to be in moderation, IMO.

ladybug122 · April 2012

About 10-15 minutes of Dora everyday. She gets super excited about the intro song

Netty_3 · April 2012

Well, the tv is on sometimes while he's in the room, but not faced toward it and being played with in lieu of. However, i found out DH puts shows on for him in hte mornings while he gets ready.

I wish he didn't and he won't change, and I'm not there because I go to work earlier. I guess 30minutes.

LiLJ3SS13 · April 2012

my son doesnt even watch tv he just my stare at a commercial or dance if a song comes on i have the tv on all day just to have sound in my house but he never watches it.

i dont think its really good for kids to watch tv i mean im 18 and i still dont even watch that much but a little isnt gonna hurt them just make sure that its appropriate of course :]

M&M227 · April 2012

daniella2727:
Bad mom over here but probably a couple of times a week after she is done eating and getting her snack I will put on Yo Gabba Gabba. She will eat her snack and watch the whole 30 minutes while I clean up in the kitchen, do dishes etc.

sometimes Yo Gabba Gabba is the only way I can take a break. DD likes to be enterained 24 / 7. she doesn't crawl yet so wants to stand and be held, or walk around the house, look out the door, etc. I don't mind and I also play with her but mommy gets very tired by 5.

Also since she's not crawling yet we are trying to do lots of tummy and she tolerates it sooo much better with yo gabba gabba or super whyy on.

kimmyberly26 · April 2012

Hallelulah! I just wonder if the research mentioned that Kindergarten curriculum had to be adjusted because kids were more intelligent coming to school because of shows like sesame me street. It's all in parenting and what you let your kids watch. My DD watches a baby sign language video, baby Einstein and Sesame street and I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't let her watch Spongebob...but then again, my baby also doesn't crink her neck to see the TV if she is playing, she could care less if it is on. But if she did pay more attention and it took her away from her play time, then I would turn the TV off. This is my decision that I have to live with.

kas80 · April 2012

About a half hour a day. I fully intended to not have her watch any but my husband works very long hours and it's just me and her for up to 18 hours a day. Right now she's going through a separation anxiety stage so literally the only way I can get 10-15 min to myself a couple times a day is to put on Nick Jr. I used to beat myself up about it but sometimes you just have to do the best you can to keep everyone healthy and sane (including yourself). 10-15 minutes is about as long as any show keeps her attention.

Otherwise I don't have the tv on at all.

I'm not trying to be rude but for those who keep a tv on for background noise all day, why not just use the radio? Or an ipod dock or something?

kimmyberly26 · April 2012

Thumbs up sista!

Jaytee501 · April 2012

TaraandRichforever:
None. But we have the tv on sometimes while she is in the room. But I dont just stick her in front of it to watch

This.

Snapdragon750 · April 2012

Sorry but I lose all respect for anyone's argument if they seriously think anecdotal evidence ("My husband watched TV as a kid and he's totally a genius!") means anything.

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