In the middle sidebar you’ll see a widget that has a video you can click. I get the widget and video content from Jungle Ad Network and earn a share based on impressions, not per click, just so you know. The current video has parenting experts and parents talking about how much TV their children DO watch, and how much they “SHOULD” watch.
The video includes information from the American Academy of Pediatricians, who recommend NO TV for children under two. I’m not a child psychologist, and I certainly can’t say what’s right for anyone else’s children, but in thinking back to our own family’s experiences with TV watching, I realized that the AAP would probably shake their head in dismay at our willingness to turn on the TV for our kids.
All three of my children were very interested in TV before they were even one year old. In fact, as I was thinking back while writing this post, I realized just how young each of them were, and how I have a very specific memory for each of them.
Ryan was around 10 months old, and because we lived in an un-airconditioned house at the time, he and I were sleeping in our living room on our pull-out couch. We woke up early one morning, and in an attempt to get just a few more minutes’ sleep, I turned on the TV, figuring PBS would be showing something educational that I wouldn’t feel guilty about.
It was Barney. And Ryan’s eyes popped open and he sat straight up and didn’t look away. I could have decided he would never watch it again, but I’ll be honest- when my kids show an interest in something, I encourage it. Even if it’s a creepy purple dinosaur and a bunch of over-managed stage kids. I was, however, successful in my attempt to never, EVER have “Caillou” on my TV.
Nathan was 7 months old when he was hospitalized with bronchiolitis. After two very scary days of breathing treatments and him mostly sleeping, he woke up on the third day much more alert. The TV in his hospital room was on, I had been watching CNN or something. I picked up the remote and started flipping, and it was Teletubbies.
PBS had struck again. Seeing my tiny son, who had been practically grey for the last two days, perk up and smile at the TV made me feel like the Teletubbies were shooting magic beams at him through the TV set. I certainly didn’t think his development was being stunted by watching it.
Kaitlyn was about 7 months old as well when commercials started airing on Nickelodeon for the new Laurie Berkner DVD “We Are The Laurie Berkner Band”. Every time it came on, she would stop moving and put down whatever she was chewing on and watch. It happened again and again. At 7 months old she knew she liked that music! Chris’ Mom passed away that summer, and we went upstate to pack up her house along with Chris’ sister and her family. We all went to Meijers to pick up snacks and things, and saw the “We Are The Laurie Berkner Band” DVD in the checkout lane. I couldn’t resist buying it.
Kaitlyn watched that DVD every day for months. It came with a CD that we listened to in the car, and when she had her finger slammed in the door and needed stitches, I sang her those songs in the emergency room. Someone can try to tell me that TV is not good for kids under 2, but I say, that’s not always the case.
What do you think? Did your kids watch TV before they were two?
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I had good intentions of limiting tv… but we are a tv loving family… so there was no avoiding it.
When Zoe was born she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and at 2 months old was put in a full body cast. We were VERY limited on things we could do (for her and for me). Let me tell you… on came that tv. First it was for me. I didn’t think Zoe would notice much at all. But… oddly enough she seemed to perk right up for soap operas. I think it was all of the close ups on faces and the dramatic looks. After realizing how alert she was towards the tv Playhouse Disney and Noggin and PBS Kids became our friends. Ever since then… there was no turning back.
Right now Zoe is 4 and Ana is 1. They are happily sitting with cheerio and juice cups and Zoe is counting in Spanish with Elmo. I have never seen the harm in letting kids watch tv. I think the issue is really WHAT the kids watch… not that they watch it.
Twitter: Table4Five
says:
Colleen, I absolutely agree with your last sentence, wish I had said that in the post! My husband and I taught our kids things like letters and numbers, but there’s no denying that what we taught them was reinforced by what they watched on TV.
My kids watched baby Einstein and signing time before they were two. We don’t have Cable so it is easy to limit their TV time. They are allowed one movie a day.
To my mind, kids shouldn’t watch TV more than 2-3 hours per day. More will be awfully bad for them. So be careful, don’t let them watch it too much.