Infants and Television

My daughter had really bad colic and cried when ever I left the room around this age. One day when I needed a break my husband was holding her and she was screaming at the top of her lungs he was flipping through channels and Wow Wow Wubbzy came on. She instantly stopped crying once she heard the music! We think she liked the colors and shapes and music. She also loved to watch her brother play guitar hero and would dance to the music.
Today, she is 11 1/2 months old, we let her watch tv in the morning (Super Why on PBS) while she is cuddling with daddy on the couch and half of a wonderpets at night before bed, also cuddle time with daddy. I am able to get ready in the morning twice as fast and can get everything ready for bed at night instead of having a melt down.
We do not normally just put her in front of the TV and the shows that she is watching we interact with her while she is watching them. (unless mommy has to go potty!) She is ahead in her most developmental areas and loves her books more than tv!
I do not think that an infant watching a little TV is going to do anything bad to them unless they are parked in front of it all day... The only thing is that it should not be a babysitter but that also goes for older kids and video games....

A 4 month old baby does not have a place in front of the tv. There are tons of studies linking tv watching in infants to adhd as well as other problems. Babies need human interaction. They have nothing to gain, only things to loose.

Worst thing for your child is to let your child watch television ! If you have heard this, then you already KNOW it is not healthy or productive for your child and it should be eliminated. Too many parents make the t.v. a substitute babysitter - really sad. Here are a few articles you should read on the subject which will provide you all the details WHY watching T.V. is extremely bad for your infants/children:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/1...

http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_...

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/09/27/the-debi...

http://www.studyworld.com/newsite/ReportEssay/socialissue...

http://world.std.com/~jlr/comment/tv_impact.htm

http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/

I think that study showed problems because those children were left to watch TV instead of interacting with parents. Children under 2 are growing and developing so fast that they can't risk missing out on the learning experiences by sitting idle in front of the TV. My daughter loved to watch Elmo, and my son loved to watch Baby Einstein, so I watched it with them and talked to them about it during the show. Even when they were super young and too young to talk back, let alone understand.

My opinion is that as long as you are interacting at the same time, they are not any worse off than if it were a book in front of them that you were talking about. Also, an occasional show alone so you can get dinner made, or a shower, will not hurt them.

My daughter, now 8 is more than a full grade ahead academically, so it didn't stunt her at all. I have found though that she does not zone into the TV like other kids do. She can watch while being aware of everything around her and interacts with others about what she is watching. I think it is because we taught her from the beginning that tv is a social time. I know it will drive people nuts when they watch movies with her, but I prefer that to the zombie children hypnotized by the boob tube.

Personally myself, I believe that children under 2 don't need to watch television. They have no concept of what the box is used for. There are other ways to keep your infant occupied without having to use the television. I have a 6 1/2 yr old who hardly watches TV. We only watch TV in the afternoon, when we are watching a movie together or on the weekends. I try to encourage him to use his imagination and do other constructive things. A little TV here and there isn't going to hurt a child, as long as we parents remember to teach our children that there are other things in life.

I think most of the research says it doesn't make them smarter, but it doesn't hurt either. Don't beat yourself up over it, but try and keep it limited and have lots of interactive play with him. I'm sure once he starts moving he'll be more interested in getting into trouble!

E.
http://www.babysignswithelizabeth.blogspot.com

It is my understanding that television is a problem at that age not so much because it exists, but rather because, while it is on, nothing else exists. Your son doesn't get language exposure from tv, for example, and time watching tv reduces the exposure he gets from you.

It seems like, if you really want tv to be a part of his life, you can address this by participating with him - talk to him about what he is seeing, and encourage him to respond to it. If you use it so you can get a shower or whatnot - well, maybe that limited exposure makes no difference.

On the other hand, what do you need tv for with a four month old at all? I'm guessing that, if it weren't available, he'd be just as happy watching you do chores, or playing with some more interactive toy?

According to my child's doctor, watching TV during the first 2 years changes the way synapses form between the neurons in your baby's brain and thus will change the way your child is able to process things for the rest of his/her life. My child's doctor says we should allow no TV until after age 2, and then it is ok in moderation from 2 on wards (the brain is not growing and developing as rapidly after age two, and that is why this age is the point recommended by most doctors).

I have an almost 8 month old who has only seen TV a couple times in her life. Yes, she does like it, but the only time she sees it is at other people's homes. Myself and my babysitter do not show her TV at all. My husband and I are not big TV watchers anyway (our TV gets no channels, we just watch movies on occasion) so this is not a huge lifestyle change for us. I will say that I was raised to not watch TV (we just watched our local basketball team games and the occasional movie growing up) and I feel that I have a fuller, richer life because I do not waste several hours a day staring at a screen. I spend a tom of time reading with my daughter (she had a clear favorite book by 2 months of age) and she turns the pages her self and started doing that at 5 months of age. We go to the librabry because I can't afford to buy a ton of books, but we like to have fresh reading material. I also spend a ton of time outside when it is not too wet (although we also go on walks in the rain) and we go swimming frequently. We need more children who are interested in the real world, rather than TV and cyberspace, and that starts with the example we set as parents.

Good luck!

I would agree with the mom who suggested finding a baby carrier that suits your body and comfort level-sling, ergo, mobi-wrap, front pack, back-pack (appropriate for a 5 month old), whatever. I wore my two kids around in a "hands free" way quite a bit throughout the day and it made it more possible to get done all I needed to get done. I'd listen to music and talk to them about what I was doing all day. It was like a running commentary. They were very content to be near me, moving around, and going places. It kept me from feeling trapped and unproductive.

We have one small TV in the house (covered up by a tapestry when not in use) and the kids (now 7 and 11)watch about 1 hour a week. They find plenty of other things to do. Also, starting TV now just sets you up for lots of future TV battles. It also becomes easier for you to use it as a baby-sitter (which we all need sometime-don't get me wrong). I think it is good to teach them how to entertain themselves and not rely on a TV to do it for them as they get older.

PS I was a TV addict as a kid-upwards of 8 hours in a day in the summer. I look back now and think about how much of my childhood was wasted in front of a screen.

He really should be interacting with you and anyone else in your household instead of a television. If he's just interested in watching the colors and shapes (which it probably is), try puppets. He's engages with a real person, but still has the stimulation.

My limited experience is that my 2 year old doesn't watch tv. Never really has. Early on, we didn't have it on if she was awake. Now, we have it on sometimes, but she doesn't really pay it too much attention. If there's an animal on, she'll sometimes talk about it, but that's about it. She's exceptionally verbal (and that's not just parent bias, she really is), signs quite well, and is a very active and enthusiastic kid. She loves books and plays indepentently very well. I feel like that's mostly our parenting style, but the fact that we were interacting with her instead of having her watch tv probably had a lot to do with how she is now.

We're trying to do it again with our infant (who also likes to watch if it's on). We turn it off and take it as a cue that she's interested in interacting with us. Works well in our household! :)

While not a die-hard no tv watching person with my children, I didn't really let them watch anything until they were preschooler and only one show, with me there, once in a while like Mr. Rogers.
Children should be playing and exploring both inside and outside. TV isn't good for infants. They will learn more by spending time with mom & dad.
They have no way of processing the images they see on the screen just like my mom who has Alzheimer's can. My mom keeps thinking commercials and fantasy shows are real. Imagine what that does to an infant.

It's true that TV is not good for infants. I have a 6 months old and I know sometimes the day just seems too long because there's not much babies can do to entertain themselves. But he is perfectly happy just laying on the blanket and playing with his little teether toys and rattles. I change him from the blanket on the floor to our big size bed in the bedroom ( when I need to fold the laundry for example ) then to the playpen in the kitchen, then swing or his little chair. Just make it fun for him and change the positions a lot and try to read him some baby book instead of TV, babies L. to look at the pictures. YOu can even get those soft baby books and he can hold it himself. Good luck !

The American Academy of Pediatrics states recommends NO TV for children under the age of 2. Television is contrary to what babies should be doing--exploring the world right in front of them. I hear a lot of arguments in favor of educational tv for infants and toddlers: please believe me, all tv teaches our children in that time is HOW to watch television. The rest of it is largely beyond their understanding at an early age.

That said, we waited until my son was nearly two before introducing a very mild video, Hap Palmer's "Baby Songs". He is also enamored with a very mellow concert video (he loves music), and has since been exposed to Mr.Rogers (at 2 1/2 y.o.) We chose these videos because of our son's L. of music, the slow pace, and the appropriateness of the language and actions of the characters/people involved. We are sparing and usually use this as entertainment when only one parent is around and they are taking a shower; Daddy and Kiddo have a little Jam Session with their guitars and drums with the concert video in the evening--they L. doing this together while I'm making dinner or cleaning up.

TV isn't the absolute worst thing in the world, but using it sparingly is wise.Only when my son is sick is the tv more often, and then it's well worth the $1 to pick up Mr. Rogers at the video store.

Please read more about this subject, and consider that there are hundreds of concerned parents, teachers and professionals that work with children who are working hard to try to undo the damage that tv works in our children. It infects their dramatic play, their imagination, their conversations (my sister would pay thousands to have her oldest just STOP talking constantly about Star Wars...and he hasn't even seen it!). It's a constant concern for preschool teachers like myself. Far more good can come from floor time with rattles and toys to kick/play with, shapes to see in his surroundings, patterns of light and dark...your child's world is far more fascinating and better to learn from than tv will be at any age!

I would also agree that TV for a 4-month old is probably not appropriate, as infants do need human interaction and sensory activities to help them learn about their environment. Have you considered using a sling to carry your baby around while you get your chores done? Babies typically L. to see what mom is doing and especially to be nuzzled close to M.. This could be an alternative to TV watching if you are needing to get some things done. Good for you for recognizing that TV is not good for infants and wanting to make some changes.

I watch about 2 hours of television/movies a day when my husband is out to sea, and my two year old has been watching with me since she was very small. I haven't seen any problems. Right now, she finds tv mesmerising, but not so much that she won't respond to me. I haven't seen any problems with attention span yet, but most two year olds don't have much attention span, so I can't comment on that.

I think all things in moderation. I don't watch a lot of tv, and I don't put things on just for her entertainment so I can go do something else, so we haven't had a problem.

Yee gads. Turn it off totally at this age. It is overload on their senses and contributes to hyperactivity, anger, throwing things around, and ADD. Your child needs stimulation with the hands, smell, movement. Use as much nature as you can and spend as much time as you can outdoors with your little one to stir the imagination and instill peace within that will serve your little one for a lifetime. P.S. I work with children in a daycare place and can tell who watches alot of TV, a little and none at all.

I have a 2 year old, and I read Mothering magazine and there is an article that I can send you about how France has banned television for children below the age of 2 years. I can send it to you if you email me. Also, I am a teacher and I see GRAND differences with language and learning development, creativity and innovation with students who watch a LOT of TV versus students who don't. Send me an email for that article if you are interested.

Alice,

When my 6 year old was an infant we got the Baby Einstein videos and he loved them. Despite the hoopla around the advertising claims right now, they have lots of different colors and interesting things that he loved. They were a great investment for us. Fast forward a few years to when my daughter was born and old enough to possibly enjoy them. She still won't watch them and she'd 2 1/2. The longest she sat for a Baby Einstein was 5 minutes. She's a goer and doer and get into everything. She would rather watch the PBS cartoons that I let my son watch.

Yes, I'm TV freak, sort of, and don't like most of the cartoons offered to young children, I think they're too violent and vastly inappropriate for any age.

Hope this helps,
Melissa

I personally think 4 months old is pretty young to be watching TV, but I'm not anti-TV for kids. I think the previous post about TV being worst thing for a kid is totally off-base - there are way worse thing you can do to your kid then turn on the TV for a short bit. The only way I can take a shower during the day without my 18-month-old crying for me at the bathroom door is to turn on a cartoon for her to watch. I've read lots of the research on TVs and kids, and a lot of it is skewed. Of course if you let your 5-year-old watch violent TV shows, they will be more violent. But if they're watching Wonder Pets, they won't learn violent behavior there. Also, a lot of parents use TV as a babysitter for hours on end, so then it becomes an issue of neglect and lack of social stimulation. My opinion - if kids are watching age-appropriate shows (ones that don't model poor behavior), and parents limit how much they watch, I think it's perfectly fine.

Good for you for changing your habits and getting your baby away from the TV! I'm not a die-hard "no TV" person, but finding the ways to avoid it have improved my connection with my six month old.
When I first came home with her from the hospital, I frequently breastfed while watching TV. She quickly picked up on the light show of the screen and would become entranced as well. After recovering from the C-Section, we moved the comfy chair I use for feeding from the TV room into her nursery. I really didn't feel comfortable with the amount of TV I was watching as I would frequently stay in front of the television even after she was done eating. Now with the chair in the other room, I read a book while she eats and can put it down and move on with my day when she's done.
We still have some time in front of the TV together, but I don't leave my baby in front of it while doing other things. My husband and I came to the consensus that the TV was not a babysitter, but it could be one of many things that we do as a family. It's not a perfect or ideal solution, but it's the reality of my family.

We all know that it is best to have human interaction, we all also know that sometimes during the day there are things you just have to get done. I think tv, in moderation, is fine for kids. My son would sit in his bouncer (so he could jump, turn and play rather then just watch) and I would put on something like Elmo or baby Einstein. I knew it was not gong to teach him anything, but at least I could get the dishes done!!

All the studies will show you that t.v. and children don't mix well. I heard early on in my daughter's life - your face is the best t.v. she can watch. You will make your daughter so happy to just let her look at you, make faces, talk to her, read to her. T.V. should not be in a 4 month old's life. My daughter is now 6 years old and she doesn't watch t.v. everyday and when she does it is only for an hour. She reads, writes and entertains herself on a daily basis. She never watched Einstein videos and she is one of the top students in her class.