tv

[Izzybaby2008]

i have my 10 month old daughter watch veggie tales she loves them but i only put them on when i have to really clean house so she wont cry Is this a wrong thing because i dont want to screw up her developement its not like a let her watch it every day olny mon and fri thats when i clean the house good like spring cleaning i need advice

[charliesmommy]

My 5 month old son watches Sesame Street every morning while his dad is in the shower. He loves music and the theme song is one of his favorite songs. We do not feel guilty about this at all. My hubby has a choice of either putting him in his crib and letting him cry for the 15 minutes it takes him to take a shower and get dressed or let him watch Sesame Street. He gets bored with his aquarium crib toy because he watches that while I'm in the shower. And let's face it, is he getting more out of Sesame Street or watching plastic fish move around?

If you're feeling guilty about letting your daughter watch TV you can try to give her plenty of toys in her playpen or put her in a saucer that has a lot of options. We have the Baby Einstien saucer and Charlie loves it.

If you're feeling guilty because you're not interacting with her because you're cleaning, don't. Kids should learn to entertain themselves.

[Pouncivil]

I plan on giving my child the pleasure of Fraggle Rock to occupy her while i go cook dinner...Tv is ok if its moderated, only bad if you use the tv instead of quality time together in my humble opinion. ((i honestly don't own a tv but will be using DVD's, that way time and content are moderated fully ^_^))

don't beat yourself up ^_^

[lrbizeebee]

There's also That's Bingzy! Busy Building Self-Esteem book & CD. The songs on the CD are uplifting and great for character building, even at an early age. The kids love it! You can buy it on Amazon, or you can go to the website www.bingnote.com for more information.

[reagansmom]

You might want to take a look at thyis Time article...it's about tv for babies under 2.


http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1650352,00.html?cnn=yes

[ra11en]

I don't think there is anything wrong with it. I wish I could get my 18mo old to be interested in TV just for a few minutes a day, but she couldn't care less about it no matter what we put on.

Seriously, in moderation it should be fine. Isn't that true about everything these days?? I really don't think you have anything to feel guilty about. My mom employed the TV as her baby sitter for the four of us kids, and I turned out better than okay - graduated HS, then onto college graduating summa cum laude, great job in a highly respected corporation, etc. My other siblings turned out pretty well too. :)

As a mom, do what works for you. We have plenty to feel guilty about, scratch this one off.

[jaskarjam]

I agree that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing. I mean, it's not like you're substituting t.v. for parenting. There are so many great educational programs for children these days. Aside from playing with my daughter and trying to make a learning experience out of everything possible, I too will sometimes give her a DVD to watch. When she was younger Baby Einstein's Favorite Places was a big hit and now at 2 1/2 she loves Curious George (now you understand the avatar, lol). Of course you could always opt for the idea of giving her an assortment of learning toys like mentioned previously. Even the simplest thing like tupperware will keep them busy. Another trick I use is to let her help me. She has her own little talking broom and she sweeps when I sweep:) I let her help me unload the dishwasher and through that she learned the names of everything (forks,cups,spoons, etc.) So you can get creative in different ways, get them involved & make cleaning "fun". ;)

[shannabrownallen]

I think that the article, and subsequent study, that has been linked to this post is misleading. All the talk about how damaging television is for children is really addressing a much larger issue. The cases that are being referenced are extremes, instances where tv is a substitute for human interaction. I think that you would get the same results if the child was merely left alone, tv or no tv, without any parental involvement. Of course children learn and develop more when they are playing as opposed to watching tv, but tv in moderation is not going to stunt a childs development. In your case, you are essentially using an interactive toy to entertain your child in a case when you can not be there to do it yourself. Do not feel guilty about this, there are so many studies done in our society that it has just gotten ridiculous! People can run a study to prove or disprove anything that they want. I really don't think this particular study really has any merit; seriously the parents who are putting their child in front of the tv, and subsequently neglecting their care, long enough for them to have developmental problems really have bigger issues. I don't think that the average parent, especially readers on this site, have anything to worry about. Bottom line play with your kids, teach them what you can and when you need a break, take it. You will do more harm by getting frustrated and becoming a frazzled mom because you cannot step away from your child than you would if you turned the tv on for a half an hour a day. You are a mom, just the fact that you posted this tells me that you care about the well being of your child, trust that you know what is best. Not every "study" is right. And how often do they disprove their own studies anyway?? I mean does wine cure or cause cancer- it depends on the week!