March 2014 Moms

Hot Topic Tuesday: Screen Time

2

Re: Hot Topic Tuesday: Screen Time

  • Before DS was born I swore he would never watch tv until he was 2. Yea, that didn't happen we started to let him watch some tv around 15 months. We watch a show in the morning, he has a sippy of milk while I make breakfast. We usually are out of the house after breakfast for Stroller Strides and then play at the park or run errands. We come home for nap/lunch and then I have a few activities we do during the afternoon. Sometimes at home or we leave the house. If we are upstairs and I have laundry or some cleaning/organzing to do he plays in whatever room I am in. If he gets ancy then I may put some music or background show on the iPad- but he doesn't necessarily sit and watch. He always watches a show in the afternoon while I make dinner. I tried to have him with me in the kitchen but it became more work than I cared to deal with every night. If DH is home while I am prepping dinner then they are playing outside or downstairs. Some days we watch more then others and usually we watch a movie together on Sunday. I catch up on my shows during nap or bedtime. We only have one tv and don't have cable so if he watches tv it's only in the living room. I am very against tvs in children's rooms and also against him owning a tablet even the ones geared for kids before the age of 10. I don't know what I will think at 10- it will depend on his level of responsibility at that time. We have a Play Station but he doesn't play any games on there and I won't introduce them to him until he is at least 5 and age appropriate. He uses my phone on occasion- usually diaper changes if he is getting angry or if he is getting ancy at the store. I think this is one of those things that within reason is okay I also foresee our screen time going up at least in the last month of this pregnancy when things get a little harder.
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  • ellajune2012ellajune2012 member
    edited November 2013
    We only have one TV in the apartment and it's in the living room so everyone is going to have to agree on what to watch.

    That being said, DH is one of those "uses the TV as background noise" so it's on pretty much all the time. I guess we'll see.  I'm more concerned with what they'll be watching than how much. We're bad though... we usually watch TV while eating dinner in front of the coffee table... I think that might have to change. I watched waaay too much TV as a kid but dinners were always a no-interruptions zone (applies to TV, phones, etc). I like the idea of that but it means altering our current habits as much as our child's.
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    BFP with #1 (twins!) 11/18/2011 - missed m/c at 8weeks3days; d&c 1/19/2012; myomectomy to remove 18cm+,10cm & 5cm fibroids 4/2012; TTC again 7/2012; BFP #2 (twins) 11/13/2012; missed m/c at 7weeks;
    BFP #3: baby girl born 3/5/2014

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  • No, but as recent as 2009 there is research showing other damaging effects of screen time on youth. There is a correlation between behavioral disorders and an increase of screen time but causation has not been established.
    Do you know what the levels of screen time were?  I think most of the PP are talking about limiting screen time and I wonder is the causation was at very high levels.  Are we talking 20 minutes a day or 4 hours?


  • No, but as recent as 2009 there is research showing other damaging effects of screen time on youth. There is a correlation between behavioral disorders and an increase of screen time but causation has not been established.
    Do you know what the levels of screen time were?  I think most of the PP are talking about limiting screen time and I wonder is the causation was at very high levels.  Are we talking 20 minutes a day or 4 hours?


    I'm guessing the content is relevant, too... The article that @dotgirl2 posted talked about violent shows in particular, so I would think those would be more detrimental (assuming it is in fact detrimental). 

    Hopefully the commercial-free Mickey episodes aren't too violent.  Maybe they're just a gateway show though... 



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  • dotgirl2 said:


    lalaith50 said:

    I know I should "never say never" but I very very strongly want to avoid our kids watching ANY screen time, especially before the age of 2. I really believe that a huge part of the reason why there are so many ADD-type kids in our society is because of overstimulation from screens. Of all the things I do/don't want to do in raising children, this and breastfeeding are at the top, and hopefully things I will not break down on.

    FWIW, everything I've read about ADD/ADHD and screen time shows that studies are mixed, and doctors aren't sure if that is a cause. In fact, some doctors and researchers are not sure if screen time causes an increase in ADD/ADHD, or if kids with ADD/ADHD are more likely to sit still in front of screens. 

    This NYT articles does a good job summing it up: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/health/views/10klass.html


    In my (admittedly anecdotal) experience as someone with ADD, I think it's probably the latter. Sometimes people with ADD focus intensely on something easy/familiar/interesting as a way to cope with constant stimuli. I know when I'm reading or watching tv, DH more or less needs an air horn to get my attention. I think that's one of the things people don't realize about ADD, espcially in someone who isn't hyperactive.
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  • clo1982 said:
    kelley72 said:
    this is funny b/c I guess I've managed to snag a few bites on another topic but this topic is so very much not important to me bc I do what is best for my family and I don't see how your limits/restrictions affect me and mine... hmmm

     

    Obviously none of our decisions affect anyone else. These threads, as with all of the ones like it, are simply for people to state their perspective and argue their point as to why it is right for them and their family and why they believe what they believe. I have said before, you usually make good points (when you are actually making a point), but I don't know why you continue to say over and over again that basically people should mind their own business because your decisions don't affect them. It's pretty darn simple, if you don't want to share what you do or share your perspective, just don't comment.


    so you're calling me out telling me not to comment, how about just don't read my comments or don't comment on y comments.  Why do you care so much what I say. I am not telling anyone to mind their own business I thought it was funny that the topic several people wanted to comment on is of no interest to me.  I didn't ask you if you think it's funny that it doesn't interest me
  • Dd watches tv, but her attention span isn't long. I don't mind as long as it's not crap like spongebob.
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  • *has flame suit on*
    @FarmBoysWife :

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    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • Unfortunately.... Retail brings out the dumb.

    I think parenting has a TON to do with it. I don't think screen time is inherently bad. I think some parents just DGAF.

    Let's talk retail experience. I used to work in management for a very popular video game retailer. You can't sell an M (mature) rated game to a kid. But kids will bring Mom or grandma in and ask for the game thinking I wouldn't explain in DETAIL why Grand Theft Auto or God of War is rated the way it is.

    Now, sometimes Mom or grandma would hear sex, gun violence, guts and decapitation and refuse to buy it. But if I had a nickel for every time a parent or grandparent said to me "Well, it's JUST a game" or gave me a blank, mildly confused stare and held out their credit card while texting on their phone and their kid karate chopped a display.... I could have paid for my advertising degree up front in cash.

    Parents should be involved in screen time. They should be involved in their child's interests. They should watch the shows and the video games and talk to their kid about the plot and the lessons and how it relates to real life and imagination. They shouldn't buy a game without understanding what it will expose their kid to and then let the child play unsupervised. They shouldn't hand over the remote or the laptop or the iPad without watching what their kid gets into.

    It's not the screen's job to be a parent. And I say this as a person who loooooves screens.

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • @bunnyfungo I no longer work in the video game industry so I ain't gonna sass you for it. ;)

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • Wait.... Was that my opportunity to flame someone in our hot topic thread? Fuck. I missed it. 8-}

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • Screen time huh? As a ftm I haven't really thought much about the subject. I can say that I won't be putting LO in front of the TV to watch 'kids' shows until he/she is old enough to want to watch them...I wish I could find the article but I read a good one on how you should listen to the music you want (in the car) and watch the tv shows you want to, rather than driving yourself insane with kids shows, since little ones don't know the difference anyway.

    I'll for sure put some kind of limit on the hours/shows watched per day. My parents never put limits, but we were outdoorsy kids anyway. I think maybe an hour or so per night and a couple hours on weekends is reasonable, maybe a bit more when the weather is bad.

    As far as the computer, I plan to let the kids on it as soon as they are able so they learn how to use it well. so many jobs these days are based on computer skills! I will set limits on the amount of time on the machine every day, just like the tv, and probably have some sort of 'safe search' or parental controls in place to keep predators and adult sites at bay.

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  • @farmboyswife I completely agree with the sentiment. I did a presentation on the ethics of directing advertisements toward children when I was in school a couple of years ago. It's disgusting how media and corporations will sacrifice ethics to make a buck. And it undermines parents and makes their job even harder.

    But that's the world were live in: a media- and commercialism- saturated world. I'd love to see more regulations on what can and can't be aimed at children and what constitutes targeting them. Young kids don't have the capacity to tell the difference between someone selling them something versus teaching them something.

    Which is entirely why I hope that me and DH being very involved and savvy about the content that reaches our child will result in a responsible, savvy young person. Not a teenage dummy who doesn't understand how many dollars to hand over for a soda.

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • And if my kid reaches his/her teens and can't count dollars, I will smack them upside the head. But that's a whole other hot topic. :P

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • @FarmBoysWife and @SassyFlats - Are you talking about advertising specifically? Since we only have Amazon Prime there aren't any commercials, does that make screen time "better"? Or are you referring to things like product placement also?

    Product placement counts, but I admittedly have less of a problem with Captain America drinking a Coke than with Coke creating a commercial that is targeting kids and airing during Saturday morning cartoons.

    I'm not anti-advertising in general, but how it's done and what the product is have a huge affect on how I feel about it.

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • I also think the programing matters. Just because we can watch Ren and Stimpy (showing my age much?) without commercials doesn't mean I will let my kid watch that.

    Just because something is a cartoon or a video game does NOT mean it's appropriate. And just because a movie or show contains some violence doesn't mean it's entirely INAPPROPRIATE.

    Not every show my kid watches HAS to be inherently educational. Their education and what they take away from a show or game is up to me to communicate.

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • @FarmBoysWife I totally agree!

    Funny how we feel the same but have different methods of combatting that crap, eh?  8->

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • Lol. I'm the opposite of that. I'm the person that hands over $11 to pay for something that's $5.69 and the cashier can't figure out what the extra dollar is for. I want the 5, idiot!! Haha
    This is me too.
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    BFP with #1 (twins!) 11/18/2011 - missed m/c at 8weeks3days; d&c 1/19/2012; myomectomy to remove 18cm+,10cm & 5cm fibroids 4/2012; TTC again 7/2012; BFP #2 (twins) 11/13/2012; missed m/c at 7weeks;
    BFP #3: baby girl born 3/5/2014

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  • Poor Larry. WTF is this board made out of, anyway? Unicorn farts and kitten purrs?

    <3 SO MUCH LOVE. IT BURNSSSSSSSSS!

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • KariB509KariB509 member
    edited November 2013

    Yep, I'm a horrible mother and let my son watch tv a lot.  And needless to say, I'm sure my daughter will watch a lot of tv too.  I hate silience so the tv is on nearly all the time.  He also won't eat unless he's occupied so he watches tv at every meal.  Yep, flame me.  He mostly watches tv in the morning when I'm getting ready and in the evening when I'm cooking dinner.  I also let him watch violent shows and porn.  OK, just kidding about that one.  He watches Disney Junior or Nick Jr.

    Edited for spelling.

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  • It's funny, I have the radio (either NPR or NPR classical) on all the time while I'm puttering about the house (I like it for company, except when I'm reading) and no one has ever accused ME of rotting my/my kid's brain . . . I wonder what it's supposed to be about TV . . . ?
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  • @sassyflats This is why I'm 100% for the government parenting in regulations of what can and can't be developed for children. Most parents don't want to parent these days, They want a soft squishy baby or some sort of accessory. Children are so precious and little sponges and to me i observe most parents doing the easiest thing for them. This starts with the manifestation of phrases of "happy mom happy baby" which yes, I agree to a point. It's taken to far for to long. Sometimes as a parent you don't get to be happy and you have to sacrifice yourself and your happiness for your children. It's just what parents do. Again, I think tv should be one of those sacrifices.
    And then where do you draw the line with government regulation?  What about paid programming such as cable TV?  What about satellite radio?  And then that leads to the question should all bad things be regulated?  Soda for example?

    Government regulation is a slippery slope and I, for one, would rather regulate my child myself.  I will deal with the idiots out there as a result of too little regulation any day over having the government tell me what my child can and cannot watch in the privacy of my home.
  • @sassyflats This is why I'm 100% for the government parenting in regulations of what can and can't be developed for children. Most parents don't want to parent these days, They want a soft squishy baby or some sort of accessory. Children are so precious and little sponges and to me i observe most parents doing the easiest thing for them. This starts with the manifestation of phrases of "happy mom happy baby" which yes, I agree to a point. It's taken to far for to long. Sometimes as a parent you don't get to be happy and you have to sacrifice yourself and your happiness for your children. It's just what parents do. Again, I think tv should be one of those sacrifices.
    And then where do you draw the line with government regulation?  What about paid programming such as cable TV?  What about satellite radio?  And then that leads to the question should all bad things be regulated?  Soda for example?

    Government regulation is a slippery slope and I, for one, would rather regulate my child myself.  I will deal with the idiots out there as a result of too little regulation any day over having the government tell me what my child can and cannot watch in the privacy of my home.

    The soda comments always make me think of Parks and Rec.


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  • i didnt watch tv growing up we played outside. that being said. i dont think there is anything wrong turning on the tv when it is raining or to settle down before going to bed or to keep the kids occupied while you are trying to make dinner/get dressed. If it is nice outside i dont want my kids inside watching tv. I will limit their tv time when they get older but when they are kids i plan on turning it on so i can get ready for work or whatever else.

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  • I am going to stick with "Parents should parent their children and not leave it up to TV/video games/advertisers/government/what-have-you."

    But hey... I've always been a bit of a dreamer. 8->

    GREEN to PINK on 3.14.14 
  • What's awful about Nick Jr? :( DD loves Ni Hao Kai Lan and Tickety Toc. She will sit and watch those and dance with the opening songs. I think they're both cute, though the Tickety Toc twins and Kai Lan's tiger friend can be dicks sometimes lol.

    When I had morning sickness real bad we spent a lot of time on the couch, so I did see some shows with her that I was like "meh, could do without" like Miss Spider... they creep me the hell out. We've caught Yo Gabba Gabba a couple times, she'll watch that and play at the same time. 

    We do the 1 hour block of Kai Lan just about every morning so I can finish my breakfast and get some coffee in me. None or barely any on the weekends, and unless one of us is sick, none after lunch time/afternoon nap. It's just not on all the time, I'm fine with silence. DH and I pretty much only watch TV off the DVR anyway. 

    I watched a lot more TV when I was a kid/teen than DD is now, hell even more than *I* am now lol. 

    I do agree with being there with them while they watch. Sometimes DD is by herself if I HAVE to get something done, but she'll notice after a few minutes I'm not there and start calling for me. Then she pats the couch next to her and goes "Mommy?" and my heart melts so I have to go lol. TV time is the only time this kid cuddles.
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  • I dunno... while I consider myself one of the libbiest libs that ever libbed, I wouldn't want government stepping into the parent role by regulating tv.

    I'd be too afraid of what would happen if the likes of Michelle Bachmann or Rick Santorum were the ones making those regulations.

    Then you should so research about the gatekeepers who produce the things you watch. Michelle Bachman or even (gasp) Sarah Palin may look attractive to create and develop your kids programming then.
    I'm just saying I don't think the government would do any better. I doubt most politicians would have the kids in mind any more than the people that create the programming now do, especially since if they did end up regulating the programming they'd suddenly be getting a ton of donations from those same people.
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  • KariB509 said:

    Yep, I'm a horrible mother and let my son watch tv a lot.  And needless to say, I'm sure my daughter will watch a lot of tv too.  I hate silience so the tv is on nearly all the time.  He also won't eat unless he's occupied so he watches tv at every meal.  Yep, flame me.  He mostly watches tv in the morning when I'm getting ready and in the evening when I'm cooking dinner.  I also let him watch violent shows and porn.  OK, just kidding about that one.  He watches Disney Junior or Nick Jr.

    Edited for spelling.

    I only would say you're a bad mother for letting him watch nick jr. I think they have some awful stuff. (And I'm 100% kidding about the bad mom stuff, not the nick jr)

    (And yes I've been watching cartoons to see what I'm ok with potentially letting DS watch)
    I actually like Nick Jr shows better than Disney Jr. I think their shows are more educational, like Go Diego Go and Dora the Explorer (DS's favorites). I like that they ask questions to the viewer and not stupid questions like on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (like what Toodles tool they should use that doesn't even make sense in real life). DS is always yelling at the tv answering the questions (correctly too).

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  • KariB509 said:

    Yep, I'm a horrible mother and let my son watch tv a lot.  And needless to say, I'm sure my daughter will watch a lot of tv too.  I hate silience so the tv is on nearly all the time.  He also won't eat unless he's occupied so he watches tv at every meal.  Yep, flame me.  He mostly watches tv in the morning when I'm getting ready and in the evening when I'm cooking dinner.  I also let him watch violent shows and porn.  OK, just kidding about that one.  He watches Disney Junior or Nick Jr.

    Edited for spelling.

    I only would say you're a bad mother for letting him watch nick jr. I think they have some awful stuff. (And I'm 100% kidding about the bad mom stuff, not the nick jr) (And yes I've been watching cartoons to see what I'm ok with potentially letting DS watch)
    I actually like Nick Jr shows better than Disney Jr. I think their shows are more educational, like Go Diego Go and Dora the Explorer (DS's favorites). I like that they ask questions to the viewer and not stupid questions like on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (like what Toodles tool they should use that doesn't even make sense in real life). DS is always yelling at the tv answering the questions (correctly too).
    Dora and Diego give me headaches. We're right here, stop yelling lol
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  • Oh god. I dont have children yet, but I will wholeheartedly admit that I watch entirely too much television. And I'm talking bad tv, real housewives of NJ bad. Maybe I should start weening myself now...
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  • FTM question here: Moms who are against "using the TV as a babysitter," what DO you do to keep LO occupied while you're making dinner or whatever?

    I had wanted to avoid the TV-as-babysitter thing myself. But it sounds like that might be a tall order!
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  • I don't see our kid getting too much screen time. Especially since we live in the 1950s in my house :) - no cable no internet.
    This can all change if mg husband lets us get Internet for Christmas!
    Married 4-26-2011  Me 31 DH 28  
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  • FTM question here: Moms who are against "using the TV as a babysitter," what DO you do to keep LO occupied while you're making dinner or whatever? I had wanted to avoid the TV-as-babysitter thing myself. But it sounds like that might be a tall order!
    I don't have an answer either, but I'm imagining it can't be *that* hard... they had to deal with no tv for most of human history, right? :)
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  • FTM question here: Moms who are against "using the TV as a babysitter," what DO you do to keep LO occupied while you're making dinner or whatever? I had wanted to avoid the TV-as-babysitter thing myself. But it sounds like that might be a tall order!
    I am far from against using the TV as a babysitter - Micky Mouse let me take a shower this morning - but we have set times the girls can watch a show. I'm flexible on that a little, but if I need to get something done outside of those times the girls just entertain themselves playing dress up or "cooking" in their kitchen with me, or I set them up at the table with an activity that only needs to be semi-supervised. Coloring, play doh, I'll even let them paint while I do dishes or cook dinner because they're pretty awesome about following the "rules" of that kind of stuff. Sometimes they help me, like setting the table (just their unbreakable kid stuff) or trying to fold laundry. They have their own little cleaning set so they pretend to sweep, mop, etc. while I clean. A squirt bottle of water and a paper towel entertain them forever :)
    Mama to two sweet girls
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  • tv time is the best babysitter if you need to get some things done or take a break. I like being active and outside a lot though. So I'd wanna save the tv time for night and enjoy the day outside.
  • FTM question here: Moms who are against "using the TV as a babysitter," what DO you do to keep LO occupied while you're making dinner or whatever? I had wanted to avoid the TV-as-babysitter thing myself. But it sounds like that might be a tall order!

    Honestly @pepperedmoth I think that is another one of those sayings designed to make people feel bad about their decisions while justifying your own methods so I wouldn't worry about it if it isn't hours on end every day! You just do what you gotta do!
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  • katykatykatykatykatykaty member
    edited November 2013
    lalaith50 said:
    FTM question here: Moms who are against "using the TV as a babysitter," what DO you do to keep LO occupied while you're making dinner or whatever? I had wanted to avoid the TV-as-babysitter thing myself. But it sounds like that might be a tall order!
    I don't have an answer either, but I'm imagining it can't be *that* hard... they had to deal with no tv for most of human history, right? :)

    I actually think a lot of it depends on the layout of your house...  We don't have an "open" floor plan, so I can't see DD when I'm trying to cook unless she's in the kitchen with me. 

    It's pretty hard trying to chase around a toddler and cook dinner (and do a load of laundry, and feed the dogs, and put away the toys, etc.) at the same time right after I get home from work. 



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  • And since my brain is on all four cylinders this morning. @sassyflats have you read Neil Pastman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" it's and oldie, but it's where I really got turned off to having a tv in the house. The only reason we have cable is because my brother wants it. It wouldn't hurt me not to have it. @katykatykaty I think it's more about having something to occupy lo. DS has a small toy basket for when we are cooking. It's not all house layout :)
    Ha.  I must be putting the wrong toys into her toy baskets.



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