How much TV do you allow?

[a mommy]

I'm just wondering how much TV everyone allows for their children.  Currently our 9 month old isn't allowed any TV, as I saw somewhere that it is recommended children under 2 don't watch any at all.  However, I was thinking of using some educational programs to help him learn.  I am also a bit worried that by not allowing him to see any now, he will go overboard when he is older, and want to watch it all the time.  Also, do you consider computer use as TV time?

[waterdreamer]

I allow more tv then I like to admit. Sometimes I need it to get some stuff done around the house. However I don't allow computer time, i think that he will spend most of his life on the computer so why start him so early

[DadDude]

Lately we got rid of cable & we live in a semi-rural area where we can't (easily) get any broadcast signal...so we are limited to DVDs.  We watch almost nothing with our 3-year-old.  We've been in this situation for the last several months.  We don't miss the boob tube one bit.

[ruthflores]

My daughter watches ONLY signing time for 30 min or so. Monday through Friday. Ocasionally sundays. Lately she has been watching Elmo. She likes it too much so I am not letting her watch for a while. Do whatever you think is appropiate for your child.

[cyndec]

My 17 month old son has not watched TV at all, although he enjoys his slideshows on the computer for about 5-10 minutes a day. We've been to restaurants where TVs are on and to relatives' homes where animated shows/videos are playing, and I'm EXTREMELY happy that they have never caused him to "zone" out in wonder. He looks at it a few seconds, and then heads toward whatever independent play he's most used to.
I know children's personalities differ, but I like to believe that what I've set as a standard at home is what he considers "normal" and so he's not feeling like anything's missing.
FYI...my husband and I don't watch television until after he's in bed, so he has never seen mom and dad enthralled by it either.
I'm not dead-set against his watching TV...but I read the same thing you did...that their brain's "wiring" at this stage is just too complex, fast, and important...and research results are still sorta out (dubious) when determining the effects of TV on the baby brain. *shrug* I just figure he's got the rest of his life to watch a show here and there...why start so early? Besides, not havin' the TV as a babysitter, keeps me on my toes and from gettin' lazy.

[nhockaday]

Here's an old thread that may be helpful http://forum.brillkids.com/coffee-corner/do-you-allow-your-kids-to-watch-tv/ There are several other TV discussions if you search for them.

I have always been against my son watching TV. He watches one learning video a day, which is about 20-30 minutes. Everything else we do is on the computer, and I don't think the computer can be compared to the TV. If you are letting your child watch high quality educational material, than I see no problem. It's different if you are letting them watch cartoons. My son has learned so much from watching his DVDs.

[sarahjean]

We allow a 30 minute educational video maybe once or twice a week while I attempt to cook or clean unhindered. Lily also watches a couple of videos from  sciencewithme.com or starfall.com on occasion . She also likes to play on kneebouncers.com. In total, on average, maybe 15-20 min/day maximum tv and computer.

I know this may seem like a lot, but it doesn't seem to be hindering her at all. At 8 months she knows her colours, shapes, animals, numbers, and about 30 other random objects. She also speaks about 15 words ("bum" when she needs changing, "more" when we aren't spoon feeding her fast enough, "cat" or "kitty" cat when we see one, etc.).

While I don't advocate constant tv, I know I watched as a young child and was still speaking every word I'd ever heard by two, and certainly had no negative long term effects.

I think as long as you balance lots of interaction with television time, you should be okay!

[PY]

My 19 months old is allow to watch 20 minutes of YBCR a day and 10 minutes of chinese little pim or signing time.

[reei]

Recently I read this book "taking care the eyesight of your 3 year old". when i read the chapeter about television, I thought it would warned about letting kids watching tv too early, surprisingly it says, that watching tv for less than an hour a day is actually good for the eyesight. theory is that. the eyes are growing until they are 6 years old to be fully developed. the eyes need stimulation to works.. well and develop, like going outdoors, looking at things that interest them.. something that can get their attention and tv is good in that sense. if hardly go out or see anything interesting enough for one to concentrate or hold the kids attentions, their eyes might under developed.

[tobias8]

A lot depends on your definition of TV.  I really don't let my son watch any TV shows, but this doesn't include the DVD's from YBCR, language DVDs, tweedlewink DVDs, music lesson DVD's, etc.  I guess the point is that it all depends on the content.  I don't feel the current programming on TV, in general, is conducive to infant/toddler education.  That's why I'll stick with those DVD's in which I have some control over the content.

[LDSMom]

I'll be brave and let everyone know that my son watches TV for an hour or so in the morning with his dad while I'm working (I work full time at home) He usually watches Disney or Sprout.  I used to put on his educational dvd's each morning but Dad is sick of hearing them play so I put on some variety now.  When my son wakes up from his nap we snuggle and watch YBCR or little pim, then go play for a while and sometimes before bed I'll put on a program if I'm trying to get dinner ready for him.   My son is 2 now, so I guess "technically"  TV is ok, but honestly he's been watching it well over a year now. I don't let him watch adult TV or TV with commercials.

I have a relative who doesn't have a TV in the home. Their child 3 1/2 yrs is allowed to watch TV cartoons like Curious George from the computer and DVD's like Cars.  When the TV is on at someone else's house, he is glued to it. It's like a treat, so he watches it like crazy. He also gets scared very easily by the "badies" in the shows. He can also sit and play for hours by himself in independent play. My son probably couldn't do that.  I dont know that you could call either situation better than the other. Every household is different, every child is different. I've long given up feeling guilty about the entire TV thing. 

Good luck to everyone!

[Isabeau]

My son used to watch DVDs (never TV, but different movies or shows on DVD which generally amounts to the same, I think, except that I have a bit more control over what comes on) for many of the same reasons that people mentioned above -- when I was trying to get this or that done.  Eventually I cut it down to one DVD a day.  Then I cut it out altogether.  I just found that he was asking to watch constantly, and I got sick of saying "lets do this instead..." that I just cut them out completely.  I was surprised that aside from a day or two of asking, the transition was pretty easy. AND OH MY what a difference in our days -- it's wonderful.  That being said, at the same time I also fill that time with activities, so it involves a lot more planning and prep and being active and present in his day.  I didn't even allow him to watch that much before, but somehow it has made a great difference. 

He still loves movies and we do have a "family movie time" once every couple of weeks where we pick a movie and all watch together over pizza.  It's special.  he's also allowed to watch cartoons on TV if we're in a hotel room, travelling.  He loves that.

One note -- I just read a book that examined some studies about TV watching in kids -- it was trying to determine how TV watching affected small kids' behavior.  Specifically, what TYPE of TV watching was worst for the child in terms of causing aggressive/violent behavior.  The results were interesting -- it seems that children who were watching educational program (I guess like Franklin, Clifford the Big Red Dog, or Arthur -- that kind of stuff) were behaving very aggressively towards playmates.  They broke it down and determined that it resulted from the structure of many of these shows -- they spend 90% of the show creating and framing a problem -- illustrating a bad behavior -- and only 10% of the time resolving it (learning the moral, figuring out that the previous behavior was unacceptable, nasty, mean, wrong, unkind, etc.).  Kids don't think in terms of the WHOLE, their minds break it down into parts, so they see 9 parts of aggressive behavior for every one part of pro-social behavior, and they emulate all of them.  Watching these shows makes their behavior as violent (or maybe more, I can't remember) than someone watching Power Rangers.  Interesting, no?!?  Just something to look for in the types of shows that you are allowing, if you are concerned about some aggressive behavior or wondering where it might come from.  I had noticed the 90%/10% breakdown of kids TV shows/books in the past and had always sort of wondered about that...

[Krista G]

No more than 1 hour per day, unless it is a movie.  But we never watch cable.  We watch movies as a family a few times per week and the younger kids watch something educational when they need to, maybe twice per week.  Television, or rather, educational videos, can be a great entertainer and teacher during busy moments for moms.

[ed]

A lot depends on your definition of TV.  I really don't let my son watch any TV shows, but this doesn't include the DVD's from YBCR, language DVDs, tweedlewink DVDs, music lesson DVD's, etc.  I guess the point is that it all depends on the content.  I don't feel the current programming on TV, in general, is conducive to infant/toddler education.  That's why I'll stick with those DVD's in which I have some control over the content.

the same for me: no tv only educational dvd's (and one time news for me and 20 min. of soap not every day...)but together it's quite much: I'm using more audio then videos (everytime when we are playing we are listening or Pimsleur French, English course or some stories and sometimes Little Pim, YBCR Brainy Baby.
ed.

[luckylucy]

My 18 month old loves TV and her educational shows.  She watches about an average of 45 minutes a day.  When I ask "do you want to watch your French show?"  She hears the word "show" and runs from the kitchen into the living room, catapults herself onto the sofa and then just stares at the TV waiting for it go on.  She watches for about 15 minutes then she might get off the sofa and go into the other room to play by herself.   But she loves YBCR, French Little Pim, French Dora the Explorer, and Blues Clues on Noggin and a couple other shows on Noggin.  We also put on Paradigm (I think that's what it's called) which is a 24 hour live music station that shows all live concerts.  So sometimes the Beatles are on, sometimes Alicia Keys is on, etc.  She loves it.  She stands real close to the TV and dances around dropp'n like it's hot.  My husband and I dance with her.   I think when I can't play with her and she's bored with her toys, some TV can be stimulation for her eyes, her brain, it makes her laugh, and she sees things she wouldn't see in our normal daily routine.   I think TV done minimally and discriminatingly can be stimulating, not harmful.

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