TV time

[hawkeye1315]

I'm not sure if I should be giving my LO of 8.5mths any TV time.  Is TV potentially to much stimulation?  If not, what would be a reasonable amount of time for my LO?  Can anyone share their experiences? 

TIA

[Karin3]

We watch Sesame Street in the mornings, so Mimi watches about 30min - 1hr per day in the morning.  She sits on my lap while we watch and I sing & dance with her.  I try to make her TV time kind of interactive with me so I'm not using it as a babysitter.  KWIM?  Sometimes we'll also watch Baby Einstein. 

It doesn't seem to overstimulate her.  Sometimes, if dh has football on all day... it gets to be a bit much... but I think part of that is because of his reactions more so then the TV. 

[tstasko]

My dd never got TV time at that age, unless it was to clip her nails  or if she was just really really fussy.  It was only a couple times a month really.
Now that she is over a year she may get a BE video once a week.
However, I am not a SAHM, we have a nanny so it is much easier for me to say that.  If I was a SAHM I would probably do a 20 minute BE video a couple times a week.  I personally don't intend on doing ANY regular TV for a long time.  I think it's too stimulating and too addicting.  I like the BE videos because they don't flash from one picture to the next every couple of seconds.
DH will put on football every now and then when she's around - she could care less, and he always pauses (TiVo) or FF through the commercials.  If she starts to watch for more than a few seconds I have him turn it off (mean wife, I know). 
We;ll see though as she gets older!  I think as long as it's balanced w/lots of outdoor and creative playing time it's ok.  It's the poor kiddos who are in front of the tube for hours on end where it becomes an issue - JMO.
hth
Tari

[linfran]

We like watching Jakers on Sunday morning on BBC2  - there's nice stories and the pictures and sound aren't too much of a shock.

[maggieruth]

Ethan didn't watch much tv until i entered my third trimester tiredness (he was 18 months)... its kinda scary how quickly he picked up all the cbeebies stuff (within two episodes of the fimbles was waving his fingers like the "fimbling feeling"  ) so it does seem to be kind of addictive.
the big plus of the cbeebies channel is that there are no commercials except for their own shows.
if i had my choice, i probably would have gotten rid of the tv when we had kids, but my dh would have followed it wherever it went 

[xfionax]

Lucy is 9 months and the only time I put on the TV is when she is bored in her high chair. Then I let her watch a photo CD of herself, which she loves, and it keeps her still while I shovel in a few extra mouthfuls! I started doing it last week and it doesn't seem to over-stimulate her. But I'm definitely going to hold off a lot longer on her watching any programmes.

[Erin M]

The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend TV until age 2 and then no more than 2 hours a day.  Recently, I've read that they haven't found any evidence that it causes any serious damage to LOs as young as that as long as you watch it in small amounts and that parents make it interactive (ask questions, point things out, move around, etc).  My DD is 21 months and she didn't watch much TV until she was over a year -- the rise in her TV viewing coincided with my first trimester of my next pregnancy    We try not to watch much, as I'll agree with PP, it really is addicting - she knows what she wants to watch and asks for TV when it's off.  It's also really easy to leave it on and just let one show flow into the next (and so tempting because it gives you some down time to get stuff done or relax). 

[andibig]

Well if it was up to my DH he'd have the damn tv on 24hrs a day . personally when i'm looking after DD i limit TV to 30mins-1hr (lazytown and Backyardigans) and she doesn't miss it.

[Karin3]

Erin - I read that from the AAP also.  This thread got me thinking...

Sometimes dh will have the news on while Mimi is up and we just put a stop to that.  We're going to ONLY watch Sesame Street in the morning a few times a wk and then maybe an occasional UGA football game.  Every game they won this season, Mimi watched the kickoff, so dh is convinced that she gave them good luck. lol 

[jumblebox]

Your LO isn't really missing out, if he/she doesn't get TV time. I think it all depends on why you're considering it, and it depends a lot on the type of programming. It's really a personal decision.

A lot of people don't want their LOs to watch ANY TV, and I respect that. But I also don't think there's anything wrong with them watching something like Mr Rogers or Sesame Street. I grew up on all the PBS shows, and I still fondly remember Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, the Letter People (wish that was still on!). I'm convinced those show contributed to me reading at 2.5 yrs old.

Our DS is 8.5 mos, and he watches no more than 1 hr/day, no more than 30 mins at a time, and only PBS kids programs or his sing-along videos (we have one with live preschoolers singing & dancing, and an old muppet sing-along video). I'm a SAHM, so he gets PLENTY of mom time to balance it out.

As for your question about it being too stimulating... it depends on your LO, and what programming you choose.

[Erin M]

Karin, I do believe in not allowing Katie to see things like the news, as I don't want her exposed to the (sadly) violent content usually on the news, also I find you have to watch out what sort of commercials are on during programming -- that's why stations like PBS and Noggin are at least slightly better as they don't have commercials on during their shows. 

Oh, and I forgot you were one of my fellow Georgians, living in Athens it's hard to get away from those UGA football games.

[Marisa's Mom]

M wasn't watching much TV at 8 mos, but now she's 20 mos and ASKS for TV. Well, it's actually only The Wiggles, and an episode is really about 20 minutes long. It was ok for a while to watch one episode... but now after it's done, she wants/asks for more! And then she goes into a tantrum if she doesn't get it. What do you guys do in this kind of situation?

[Deb_in_oz]

Alex watched BE videos from about 6-8 mo (i really can't remember) and it was always with me so i was talking to her and showing her what the things were... she said her first non mama/dada words at 10 mo and had a huge vocab by 18 mo. I think she responds really well to visual and audio learning and absorbs things from it so in her case i think it was good for her. at under a year she had 1 x BE a day max and then it grew to 2 x BE from about 12-18mo (when i was pG with dd2).  she learned her shapes in a matter of a few sessions with BE Newton and learned all about the seasons within 1-2 sessions with BE Monet.

Liv is a 2nd child so whether i planned for her to watch stuff or not, it is there. she has watched less BE and more Dora and Sesame street etc and been explosed to it everfy day and you know what - she will watch sometimes for 5 min and other times for 20 min or more, but she is not too fussed. she will play and come and go from the TV.  she will ask for BE orthe wiggles or dora but after a few min will walk away 

i never have the news on or commercial TV in front of her b/c you have no control over what images appear (too many fires, tsunami / tornadoes, etc) which can scare them.

just my 2 cents but i don't think it is harmful in moderation and with parental guidance and supervision (the problems really start when they are watchign it indiscriminantly all day long or age-inappropriate stuff) IMO. it can be highly educational and work WITH books and other means of teaching your lo and lots of fun for all if you join in dancing to the wiggles etc 

[Erin M]

Marie - I generally give warnings -- "After Sesame Street (or Wiggles) are over, then TV is all done" - and then when it's over, turn it off and don't turn it back on.  Sometimes we'll ask her if she can turn the TV off for us which she'll often do.  Then once we turn the TV off, we give her something else to do, often going outside which is one of her favorites, or I'll play with a certain toy with her, go to a different room, really anything to distract.  If it's that big of a problem, perhaps avoid TV all together for a week or so until she becomes less focused on it.  TBH, we're going to probably do that after Christmas, since we've been watching WAY too much lately with the new baby and all the Christmas craziness.

[M2W]

I was ANTI - TV until I realized that at times it is a safe place for your child to be when you can't supervise them...IE: while I'm in the shower, it's TV TIME.

I have read articles that 90% of parents either are unaware of, lie about, or feel too guilty to admit the amount of tv their children watch.

I will admit honestly I am a reformed TV hater. There are days when my son watches way more Barney, Jakers, Rolie Polie Olie then I'd like to admit, but I try to offset those days with what I call "park hopping" days. For example: recently DH & I were having to move a ton of furniture into our newly remodeled end of the house...this is not a safe place for Weston to be underfoot. So I "Plugged him in" and then the next day we went park hopping...visited 3 different parks and basically wore him out until he started to say "Home" LOL

I don't do this often, but when it does happen this is how I deal with it.

Basically Weston will get a program (babyfirst channel, sprout channel, or a DVD) (prefer no commercials) while I shower...because I know he'll sit there still plugged in for the time I'm away...otherwise I might come back to a disaster...he has been known to lift and FLIP our heavy wooden coffee table over! Climb up and dance on the table, etc...when no one is looking. He's very busy and can't really be left totally alone for 30 minutes, unless BARNEY is babysitting.