Do you let your baby watch TV?

I know that the Amer. Assoc of Pediatrics says no tv until 2 years old. DH and I are trying to keep Sarah from watching TV until she's one, and then maybe an hour a day (Sesame Street or Blues Clues or something)

Our family members (some have young children, some don't) roll their eyes and make fun of us that we are too overprotective. Are we really in the minority?

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Cassidy is almost 6 months and she watches TV. I don't sit her in front of it all day, but she'll usually watch Sesame Street and BLues' Clues and once in a while Barney...depends on the day, really

Message edited 6/15/2005 7:27:11 AM.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Kiera loves looking at tv. She's 8 months old. She actually loves Dora the Explorer and totally interacts with the tv. If we're at a store and she sees Dora on a toy she goes nuts "talking" to her.

We don't leave her by herself watching tv. We will sit and talk to her about what she's watching. In total she probably gets a little more than an hour a day of tv.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

My son has watched baby einstein since he was a month or so old. When I am home I try to avoid the TV because when grandmas are watching him they usually have the tv on with Dora, Blues Clues, Sesame or Oobi.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Nick LOVES the tv and he is 9 months old...he does watch a lot, but ONLY Baby Einstein videos. We have not shown him any cartoons yet....mostly because he loves those videos so much! He probably watches 2-3 30 minute videos per day, and when he is in the car he watches too.

Message edited 6/15/2005 7:59:55 AM.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Kevin is 4 months and has been watching baby einstein since 1-2 months and loves it. I try to only put him there when I need to do things like cook dinner. Today, I let him try out Sesame Street. I turned it on and he got very curious and seemed to want to see it. I try not to put him in front of the tv everyday or very long either. I am not against tv but I don't want him addicted to it at a young age.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Claire watches about 3 30 minute Baby Einstein videos a day, someone is always with her talking to her about it, but she LOVES them. I put them on when I have to do something (get ready in the morning, cook, clean) I haven't tried any cartoons yet, because she loves the videos so much! She has been watching them since 2-3 months old, she is 6 months now

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Andrew has been watching Baby Einstein dvds and television since around 3 1/2 months. Usually just one dvd a day and then he'll catch a few pbs shows if my husband (who watches him) needs to get something done during the day.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Mallory is almost 5 months, she does not watch TV, Jordan who is 4 is allowed to watch one show in the morning when he wakes up (usually Sesame Street) and maybe twice a week he watches one of his tapes at night (usually Thomas the Tank or Blues Clues). We read ALOT of books, we have weekly visits to the library...

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Caiden started watching TV around 4-5 months old. Sesame Street and stuff like that. We were only letting him up until recently watch educational shows. We have digital TV through Time Warner (We live in NC) and they have a channel called Noggin. It's like preschool on TV. It's geared towards toddlers. It's a Nick Jr channel. He loves the shows on there. He's always loved Sesame Street, but for a while he was into Monsters Inc. and now it's Shrek. So far these are really the only non educating shows we've let him watch. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I wouldn't let him watch anything like Spongebob. It's not educating. JMO!

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Jenna has been watching Einstein videos since she was about 2 months old-she LOVES them and it gives me a little time to do what I need to do (cook, get dressed, etc...) She is now into Sesame Street and Dora but it's really only on crappy days that she watches them-if it's nice out we are usually out and about.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Michael just turned 6 months - we started the Baby Einstein videos when he was about 2 months old. He watches 1 video a day - when something has to be done... I'm not a sit your kid in front the TV type of mom - I feel that there should be set times for TV - TV is a privilege and kids should know that, IMO - as a kid we had set times, the TV was never on ALL DAY. My niece is in front of the TV constantly... it irks me to no end.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Wow, we are in the minority! But at least now I know that most people aren't just plopping them in front of the tv and walking away. That gives me something to think about. Thanks for the responses!

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Ava is in the midst of teething and the ONLY thing that calms her down is the Baby Einstein videos so I let her watch 2 of them and she gets to watch Dora in the morning so she gets about 1.5 hours of TV a day. However, when its nice out and she isn't a maniac we go out shopping or walking. She loves being outside.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Andrew is only allowed to watch Sesame street for 1 hour a day and not everyday.I would say about 3x a week. Our ped freaked us out about the ADHD. My girlfriends son has ADHD and I sometimes wonder if was because of the TV, he had a DVD player iand TV in his room when he was a couple of months old. Yes, did learn alot from Various education programs, but one has to wonder.............

BTW: Andrew is 14 months and we've been doing since he was about 6 months old. Also, he is not VERY interested in the TV even with Elmo on! He rather play,play, play, and Play! Especially with his ball and his "Lala" our dog Lola.

Message edited 6/15/2005 11:56:48 AM.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Yes Anthony watches TV. I dont know what age we let him start watching but it was before the 1 year mark. Esp in the winter or on a rainy day!
But only a few episodes of Blues clues or his leap frog DVD that teaches the alphabet
We started him first on sesame street

Message edited 6/15/2005 1:04:47 PM.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

Marissa is going to be 10 months old and she has been watching tv for quite sometime I started her off with the baby einstien dvd's and she loved them and I always have noggin, disney, kids 13, or Nickelodien on and she will sit there for a bit and watch it and then play and watcch certain shows. She will pull herself up and dance with the wiggles, laugh with Elmo and is glued to barney. I also have some dvd's and I will put them on as well and she will dit and watch them as she plays with her toys.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

No TV in our house. I feel so bad at times, its not that I forbid it, we just get so busy with other things that the TV actually never goes on in my house until I flip it on to watch the 6 p.m. news while he eats dinner and I cook ours.

Andrew did watch a few Einstein videos when he was younger, but we havn't watched them in awhile. He even has some of his favorite Elmo DVD's but we haven't watched them yet either. He can play for hours with his Little People's garage and firehouse with cars and trucks, so I don't see the need to let him watch TV.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

I'd say for the most part, no. Gabriella really has no interest in TV and videos. Maybe when she first started teething I'd turn it on to see and she liked it ( a little) but now she can't be bothered with TV. I'm not against TV, but personally, I have lines drawn of how much and when. She's really in to music, so occasionally I turn on Noggin when they have the sing alongs at the top of the hours. We sing and dance and then she's off and playing again.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

My son is 6 months old and he watches one Baby Einstein video a day (sometimes 2)...Its usually when i need to get some things done like cook, or make the bed and brush my teeth! He has only started showing interest in them for the past month or so...

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

I forgot to mention Andrew LOVES music!!! We have nursery rhymes and various kids music on most of the time. He even has his own CD collection in our Truck!!!!

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

I think it depends on the child and parent.
Im not one yet so I sont comment on my beliefs, but I know my nephew is now 5 and has watched TV since he was about 3 motnhs old. He memorized Shrek at 1 and 1/2. He was talking a lot earlier then a lot of kids. Hes in an advanced school for gifted kids.
i dont think the shows he watched made him this smart, but he was advanced and things like Blues Clues helped him because he wasnt getting enough mental stimulation otherwise.

I know my sister talked to the Dr. about it too...because he was really addicted to his shows at such a young age.

It goes to show everyone is different. He plays video games and has since about 2 and 1/2. She asked the Dr. about that too and he said it was ok due to how much he was getting out of it. HE mastered all the kids games on PS by the time he was 3.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

I'm not sure what we're going to do with our son in terms of watching TV. Probably some educational shows and baby Einstein every once and a while once he's at least a few months old.
I do know a couple who have a daughter that is 20 months old and she still hasn't spoken. They sit her in front of the TV by herself for hours at a time and I often wonder if the lack of attention from her parents is the cause of her not speaking. I certainly wouldn't plop my child in front of the TV all day long like that, but that's just me.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

YES, since about 3-4 weeks we watched the einstein dvds and continuing now

she is going to be ten months old tuesday

Message edited 6/18/2005 2:42:46 PM.

Re: Do you let your baby watch TV?

James watches Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues and baseball....(FH is a Yankee fan and I am a Met fan...so baseball is always on somewhere in the house.)