Questions about TV watching vs. DVD watching

[christymc33]

DD is 6 months, and up until now we have avoided tv watching, except for the occasional glance. We do have the Baby Einstein series and dd seems only mildy interested so far. I have been trying to research tv and dvd watching and am overwhelmed with all of the info. For those of you who have researched this topic, how do you feel about DVD watching such as signing times, the wiggles etc. It seems to me that there are some fantastic, fun DVD's out there that I am excited to try, but am not sure if these are appropriate yet. What are your thoughts on this controversial subject? :-) Thanks in advance

[gatorsmom]

I haven't done any research on this topic but I have some person opinions on this (for what they are worth). I have a 2 year old son and was a nanny 10 years ago to 2 toddlers in France. The parents of the children I nannied for allowed their children to watch Disney movies (like Bambi, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, etc.) for a maximum of 2 hours per day, but not every day. And the only reason they would allow 2 hours was because generally that's how long the movies ran. Their 2 children are now aged 13 and 11 and the oldest is extremely intelligent (she's considered a genius) and the youngest is dyslexic. I don't think TV watching had anything to do with their mental development.

As for my own son, who is a bit delayed with his speech development, I allow him to watch only PBS programming (I HATE all the commercials on regular channels) or Disney movies. I've noticed him trying to count along with Sesame Street or dance and sing with Barney. I myself think that TV can be a fantastic tool and even occasional babysitter.

I have seen studies that say if you allow your children too much access to TV and not enough interaction with other children, then the TV sort of becomes their social experience which is bad.

I remember my son not being interested at all at 6 months or even 8 months, but give it a few more months and your daughter be hooked like the rest of us :).

[HannaAddict]

DVD's are really no different from TV watching according to the books/articles I've read and our pediatrician, and don't provide a real benefit. Even "educational" DVD's. (The Wriggles have sure made a TON of money though!) The Univ. of Washington has done a lot of work in this area and was actually surprised to find that showing even a high quality DVD featuring different languages did not have the same benefit as a baby hearing a person speaking the language in person. (This is a greatly abbreviated summary!) Same thing with the signing videos. We've held off completely and planned on having no tv at all until age 2, but I believe the new recomendation is to try and hold off to age 3. Maybe we'll make it, maybe we won't! One interesting book about babies and their learning process of language is The Scientist in the Crib, from the professors at the UW who are studying language acquisition.

But I know that it is really hard not to get a break and I think a video or DVD is okay to keep mom's sanity. That is a benefit I guess, albeit an indirect one.

My son has a great attention span and a much different personality than relatives children who do watch tv and videos. That could be just the way he is and probably is to a large extent. But I do think it helps that he doesn't watch tv or videos (and we were given an entire set of Baby Einstein DVD's that I should eBay or something). While not scientific, our friends whose son did not watch TV went on vacation with another couple and their son was exposed to TV and DVD's all week. They said he was a different little boy when they got home (not good) and it took awhile to wean him off. I'm sure though that whatever you decide won't make as a big a difference in the long run as having an concerned and loving parent like you are. An occassional DVD is so different than TV as a babysitter or just turning it on and not being concerned about its possible impact.

Kimberly
DS 3/18/04 (who might have seen Food Network at his sitters!)

[knaidel]

okay, well I am definetly the extremist over here. I will share with you what I have to say about this, and take it with a grain of salt.
We are a TV free family. By choice, not because we can't afford one! We don't own a TV. Not even one in our bedroom! We have a DVD player in the computer. Do you know how many DVDs I own? None. I recieved one Baby Einstein DVD as a gift and returned it. I have been TV free since I moved out of the college dorm into my own apartment and never bothered to buy one. Then I got "hooked" on not having one!
My extreme opinion: anything positive for children that can come from TV/DVDs can be replaced by a better alternative. For instance, if you want to watch the wiggles, well, then you can get a tape and dance and sing with your baby. A baby will enjoy singing and dancing with his mom over watching them on TV, KWIM? I think that there have been soooo many studies about the negative effects of TV, that it's just not worth it. Also, I'm sure that everyone knows that the AAP recommends kids not watch any TV until age 2.
I totally agree that a minimal amount of TV every day is probably not going to hurt anyone. It's just that I've seen that for most parents, it's really hard to limit it, especially when the kids are little, and you need some time to shower, make dinner, etc. And then the kids are asking for more!
Sometimes people say to me things like, "Oh, but videos are soooo educational." Well, that might be true....but I promise you, anything a big yellow bird can teach my kid, so can I! I would also like to point out that my parents were pre-schoolers before TVs were common, and my sister and I were pre-schoolers before VHS. All of us have master's degrees. So we managed. :)
Point being, I feel strongly that YOU can do a better job of entertaining your kid then the TV.
Disclaimer: I would theoretically buy an exercise DVD. I am also considering buying "Signing Times" or something and watching it myself- not when DS is in the room. I just don't think HE needs to be exposed to all the moving pictures.
A great book on the subject is "To Kindle A Soul." by Lawrence Keleman. It's aimed at a Jewish audience, but you can just ignore those parts.:)
I hope I didn't come across as too strong or mean. I am not in anyway judging moms who show DVDs to their kids, I just don't see a need for it.

[Joolsplus2]

I think if they baby likes watching a certain video or show, then sitting them down for 20 minutes at a time (once a day) is ok...it's not much different to watch baby einstein than it is to stare at a mobile or fishtank. Don't think you "have" to do it to make your kid smarter (*I* learned more foreign language from the original baby einstein video than my ds did!), but if it's a nice little break for both of you, then I think it's ok.

Our TV's basically been on since I became a SAHM, and my kids basically ignore it...while some kids will seem to be completely sucked into the tube and become semi-concious when it's on...I don't know if those are the kids for whom tv is a treat (so they are REALLY excited to get to watch a show) or if they have to have the tv turned off so that they will do something else.

I don't like the messages in the Disney movies, for the most part, so we don't really watch those(as if the Prince Charming theme isn't everywhere, anyway...sigh...)...Nick Jr Shows are very high quality (as long as you don't watch the commercials in between them, which I agree can be pretty bad), and the new Tickle U on cartoon network is awesome...and the Cable channel PBSKids is wonderful, of course...as is Noggin...

We have a TiVo, and that really helps take the power out of the TV... if I get any, "but I don't want to go to bed" complaints because something good is on, I can just record it, and promise they can watch it tomorrow, and they usually even forget about it! (of course, we're talking much older kids here!)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[samiam]

I strongly agree with Rachel and Kimberly. My ds is turning 2 this week and he's had very limited exposure to television. I do let him watch Sesame Street once or twice a week (typically while I'm showering) but that's the extent of his t.v. watching. I have another concern that wasn't mentioned. My dh is a couch potato and overweight - he'd be happy to watch t.v. all day if he could. I want my son to grow up active and healthy and to prefer playing outside than to sit inside watching the tube, you know?

[Jen841]

Our general rule is 1 show a day. Jude watches a Baby Einstein (World Animals or Neighborhood Animals) on the weekends, and Sesame Street during the week. An occassional Ralph's World or Wiggles (this DVD was hidden for 3 months) in the evening, but he has to dance with those and not sit and watch them.

I am kind of anit-TV, but it keeps me sane a bit. Sesame Street is on from 6-7 am, and Jude wakes normally b/n 6:15 and 7:00. SS allows us to shower and prepare for the day before going to the breakfast table. He loves to count with The Count, see Elmo,... I guess I consider it OK b/c that is how I grew up. His TV time is normally until 7am 7 days a week. The time we are not quite ready to face the world, or getting ready to face the world. I have to say I never pictured DH and I cuddled in bed with a 2 year old watching Sesame Street, but it is a special time as we discuss what they are doing on the show.

Confession, last night when Jude got home from daycare he wanted to play in the sandbox, but then changed his mind and wanted the Wiggles (came out of hiding.) I let him b/c I am 38 weeks pregnant and was not up for sitting around the sandbox. The whole getting up and down thing is harder each day. Selfish I know, but I did sit with him and sing the songs etc.

Bottomline- I think it is fine in moderation. My "approved" shows are Mister Rogers (he has never watched, but I have a few taped for a rainy day), Baby Einstein (how he learned many animals and we make the noises with each as the appear), Bob the Builder (My Grandfather's nickname, so a soft spot, but not DVD's, just know it is on Sundays at 9:00 (easy way to prep for 9:30 mass)), and Sesame Street. I am sure this will expand more when I am on leave learn more about what is out there. We replaced the Wiggles with Sesame Street b/c I find it more educational for him. I do try to make TV an interactive activity. Sitting staring at the boob tube is a pet-peeve.

I know he knows Barney. I think it is a rainy day thing for daycare. They maybe watch 1 video every 2-3 weeks?

[HannaAddict]

Rachel,
I didn't have a tv for several years growing up. It broke, my mom was a single parent and the resources just weren't there to fix it or buy a new one (before tv prices were so low they are basically disposable). It was actually a really good thing in hindsight. Then I didn't have one at all until a couple of years after college when my dad bought me one for a Christmas gift. I guess he couldn't believe I would willingly not have a TV! Our family thinks we are nuts never having cable and can't believe that Owen doesn't watch tv or videos. They constantly want to give us movies for him to watch. You would have thought we were putting him in a sensory deprivation unit, rather than the other way around (that he gets more personal attention and interaction).

We've talked about going totally tv-less, but having it off during the day has really cut down on my tv time (replaced by addiction to this bulletin board though!). We do watch DVD's almost every night though once my son is in bed, and are now working our way through some good HBO and FX television series. Maybe someday we will take the plunge and go totally tv-less. Hmmmm.

Kimberly
DS 3/18/04

[californiagirl]

We do own a TV. On the other hand, we watch DVDs on a laptop, because the screen is bigger -- and the TV has been unplugged since we used it to watch the Maya wrap video before DD was born, and she's about to be 18 months old. (It's not like this takes much willpower if your TV is 5" across, 20 years old, and you don't have cable.)

Much to DH's disgust, I do use DVDs as a bribe, mostly when he's out of town and she's sick and I need to either work or get her to sit still for a nebulizer treatment. Although shhh, don't tell him, when I bought a bunch of new Scholastic DVDs for this purpose we watched "Goodnight, Gorilla" and "Click Clack Moo" because I wanted to even though it was a sunny Saturday afternoon and she was feeling fine. I'm planning to haul them out on the airplane, too. Still and all, she doesn't see them every day or even every week, and she only sees things I'm willing to watch, which boils down to Scholastic DVDs (and not all the stories on all of those, because some of them annoy me), a signing DVD somebody sent us (not Signing Time) and Yellow Submarine. I don't believe they're educational; I class them in the same category as the jelly beans I feed her on descent in an airplane to help clear her ears.

The only advantage they have over TV is a "pause" button and no commercials, and that's only if you don't have Tivo.

[ribbit1019]

Very sensitive area for me. I hate that DD watches any T.V. but on average she watches 9 hours of T.V. a day. 8am to 7 p.m. with a 2 hour nap excluded. During which the T.V. is still on.

This is because my IL's and DH do not know where the off button is on the T.V. They feel it is o.k. to have it on all the time, even if no one is in the room to watch it. DH can't even manage a conversation or reading with out the T.V. on. No joke.

Recently DD's behavior has been getting worse. I feel that this is directly attributed to her T.V. watching, along with her increasing awareness and ability to communicate about what is going on around her. She is a much happier baby on the days we are home alone and the T.V. is turned off.

I have argued my point and research to MIL and DH to no avail. I have given up. Mostly because I feel that animosity between MIL/DH and I is more hurtful than the T.V.

DD will have no T.V. during the day when I become a SAHM. Probably only when DH is home and I can't convince him to do yard work or something else until she goes to bed at 7. I want him to spend time with her, but how can he do that when she is engrossed in re-runs Home Improvement?

That said I think after toddlerhood that limited T.V. is o.k. and hour or two maybe.

When I was a kid I watched 1 hour a day of T.V. I was allowed to pick which programs and then the T.V. went off.

Christy
Maddy born 06/09/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png
Little Peanut due 03/02/06
http://bd.lilypie.com/K8fum4/.png

[bunnisa]

I think I read somewhere that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children do not watch ANY television, movies, or internet movies until they are 2.

I think Montessori (?) recommends no television until the age of 10.

We, like the PP, are happily TV-free, and I really do see a major difference in my child compared to his tv watching cousins. He has a much better attention span, never gets bored, and has a great imagination. We also like the fact that he hasn't been "branded". When we see Ronald McDonald, he's just a clown. Spongebob is just a silly face.

To be perfectly honest, I don't know how people make the time to accomplish everything in their lives AND watch television. We are never bored and never at a loss of things to do. DS plays at the kitchen table while I empty the dishwasher, or out on the deck while I fold clothes or sort mail. If I desperately need a few minutes to myself, he plays in his child-proofed playroom.

Overall, we just seem to have a much better quality of life without the television. No one I know who's given it up has gone back. Hopefully this will become a more popular choice. It wasn't that long ago that people used to socialize with each other, instead of being cooped up inside at night with the television. I think TV has been really detrimental to our culture. Okay, off my soapbox now!

Bethany
mom to one and one on the way!
http://lilypie.com/days/060226/0/8/1/-6/.png
"And children are always a good thing, devoutly to be wished for and fiercely to be fought for."
-J. Torres

[babystuffbuff]

Disclaimer: I don't have kids yet, so you can ignore me if you like. :)

This is something I am really torn about. When I was young (up until I was about 10 or so) the only TV I was allowed to watch was PBS (plus one hour of cartoons on Saturday morning so my parents could sleep in!). My mom ran a daycare in my house until I was nine, and the TV was almost never on except for Sesame Street occasionally. My dad always watched the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (PBS) in the evenings, but even my parents watched very little commercial TV, and always when my sister and I were already in bed. We got a VCR when I was nine or ten and pretty much rented exclusively "classic" films (Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn -- still my favorites today!). I think I was a junior or senior in High School before we got cable (I am 24 now, if that helps anyone). My first real exposure to commercial TV was when my mom started working when my little sister started Kindergarten (I was in 4th grade) and I went to a neighbor's house after school. She also ran a daycare, but her TV was on a LOT.

Fast forward to now. My brother (five years old - big surprise for us!) is a TV junkie. :( It makes me so sad. He is an incredibly bright little boy (recently read his entire class list for kindergarten and the whole school lunch menu, including 'caesar salad') but from what I can see is way too in love with the TV. I know my parents try to limit his 'screen time' everyday (TV and computer) and sometimes he is good. But I have also seen him throw a FIT about turning it off, begging for just a little more, etc. I think some of that is probably a function of my parents' increased TV watching as well. I was in college when my brother was born and my sister was a busy high schooler/social butterfly, so they had kind of fallen into the habit since the house was so quiet.

I guess when I have kids I will try to be more like my parents were when I was little, and less like they are now, at least in regards to TV. I will try my best to stick by the AAP's "no TV until 2" advice, and severely limit it after that. Now if only I could get DH to stop reflexively turning it on as soon as he walks in the door.....

Sarah

[brittone2]

ITA w/ most of the PPs. DS is totally TV and video free. DH and I rarely watch TV at all and are actually giving our TV to my parents when they move into their new house. This will leave us w/ one small 13 incher where we may watch the rare movie.

Two GREAT books on the topic are The Plug In Drug by Marie Winn and Endangered Minds by Jane Healey. Consuming Kids by Susan Linn also contains some interesting info on the topic but isn't just about TV (our own Holli/holliam recommended this one to me and it was a great read).

Basically, the research shows that "educational" TV does nothing all that educational. It doesn't translate to any real gains. It essentially creates a "gloss of sophistication" in which kids appear to know a lot of "facts" but there isn't anything tangible behind it...they don't know how to apply it and don't truly understand it.

I grew up watching PBS, but IMHO it is totally different now. There are so many Sesame Street toys heavily marketed to kids for example. It wasn't like that in the 70s from what I can tell...I actually do think I had a small stuffed Bert and Ernie, but there wasn't this total Elmo-obsessed thing that so many kids have. and there weren't 7000 products with Bert and Ernie on them. Consuming Kids talks about the changes in PBS funding through the years and how their loss of funding has caused them to have to license products to make money, which is where the changes came in.
Similarly, that's my problem with videos. While they may be commercial-free, that doesn't translate to them not supporting commercialism. Many toys, snacks, clothing items, etc. are tied to Disney and other videos, so they do have an incentive to "hook" kids into the videos from a financial/marketing standpoint. So in my mind, it often isn't much different than watching commercials because it still breeds the "gimmes" in these kids. They want the books, the pajamas, the fruit snacks, the next video in the series, the toothpaste, the underwear, the toys...it is crazy IMHO.

Also, even if you exclude content, TV affects how the brain is programmed and it affects attention span IMHO.

The books I mentioned are really incredibly good reads if you can track them down at your library or book store.

I know not everyone understands or agrees, or chooses to be TV free, but this is why we are :) I'm surprised at how many TV/video free families responded :) Very cool.

[muskiesusan]

We do limit tv watching around here, but when it is needed, I prefer a DVD as I can control it better. When you watch tv, you have to be careful about DC seeing the ads for the next program and asking nonstop to watch one more show! Can you tell this is an issue?

It wasn't until Nick was probably 2.5 that he watched tv. Prior to that, he had little interest, and after that, it was mainly due to my pregnancy and after the baby was born. I will admit during this period he became very addicted and I had to step back and limit him. He does watch a little tv now mainly b/c my husband travels and Nick has never been able to play by himself (even before he watched tv, lol). So, if I need to devote time to getting the baby to sleep, he was always coming in and "helping." I also admit to needing a break for myself, lol. Alex, 16 months, has no current interest in the tv and will only look at it for a moment if it is on.

I also hate all the commercialization that goes along with the tv. The stuff is everywhere and on everything. Nick is aware of the different characters, but really doesn't know much about them (his friend told him about Spongebob, but he has never seen it). I have to admit, it is starting to be an issue as his friends are all imitating Star Wars or Spiderman, and Nick has no clue who these characters are. Somedays I feel like I am making him a freak amongst the preschool crowd, but not sure what to do about that!

Anyway, those are my random thoughts.


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[mudder17]

I would like DH and me to be more TV-free, but we're kind of addicted to our sci-fi shows, LOL. We are slowly trying to wean ourselves, though, by trying to ignore any new shows and waiting for our current shows to go off the air. In any case, the TV is off during the day when Kaya is awake, so she doesn't watch any live TV. Come to think of it, DH and I haven't watched live TV in a long time--when people mention current movies or ads, etc., we usually don't have any idea what they're talking about.

That said, we do allow Kaya ~30 minutes of her Signing Time DVD (one of the three volumes) in the morning, because it's been my way of getting an extra hour of sleep in the morning (I've had insomnia problems coupled with being sick this summer). So DH will let her watch Signing Times for 30 minutes (however long a volume is) while he gets started with work stuff, and then he'll feed her and let her play with her toys, etc., and then I'll take over. The rest of the day, I try to play with her around the house or I'll take her to the park or a play date. She seems to know that she can't watch anything the rest of the day because she's given up asking. And actually, some mornings, she'll only watch half the signing times before she's off to play with something else that is more interesting. :)

We might have waited until she was 2 to expose her to any DVDs at all, but honestly, we needed the break, even if it was a short one. I don't think it hurts her, though, since she seems quite able to play with herself or with other things the rest of the day and her attention span still seems pretty intact. At least I'm hoping we're not hurting her by starting her on the DVD so early! I guess time will tell. In any case, we're planning on the Signing Times being the limit for the foreseeable future and no live TV at all.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif , 18 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

[KentuckyRK]

I actually learned this last year during my child development class.

It is believed that there is a link between the increase in children being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD (notice I said "diagnosed and not actually "having") and the amount of television children watch during the earliest years of life. Though we may not necessarily think of television watching as an incredibly stimulating activity, it is indeed, very stimulating, and for a child, sometimes way too stimulating. The study showed that many children were actually simply unable to sit still during classes and sit still during reading time because they were too used to being overstimulated by the tv.

The class studies suggested that children not be introduced to any type of television until at least the age of three. Even Baby Einstein
The reasonings were;
- In infancy/before one year of age the child sees nothing but flashing lights and fast motions which would be compared to one of us sitting and staring at a strobe light, which, while amazing for a minute, gets to be too much too quickly. Problem is, babies can't turn away.
- Age 1-3 they may start recognizing shapes and people and voices, etc... but they cannot quite begin to put together scenes and stories so all they are seeing are characters moving and talking... again, confusing and over stimulating.

Though they really prefer you wait until children are much older (10 or 11) to introduce tv at all, they say that as long as you judge the shows to be slow and understandable (Dora the Explorer was one they recommended as well as Blues Clues) in the beginning they are okay. Shows like Spongebob, Scooby Doo, Power Rangers, as much as kids love them, they need to be much older to watch them.

The thing that they recommended most in the studies was to put away the videos until a much later age and encourage, encourage, encourage the books. Encourage the reading and the playing, and sing and dance with your baby using a CD rather than a DVD. They definitely beat those things into our heads A LOT :O)

So that's the info I learned.
Please don't think I'm saying don't ever show your babies the tv, or let your 2 year old watch a disney movie because trust me... I'm guilty! But I definitely looked at it a lot differently after taking the class and watching the videos from the studies... my kids won't be watching tv until they are at least 2... maybe 3

~Rachel

[squimp]

I think there are few benefits and many potential problems to watching DVDs. TV to me feels worse because of the rapid images and commercials. DD nearly never watches TV. She watches Signing Times maybe once a week. My goal was no TV before age 2, and we're pretty close to that.

I've noticed there's a positive feedback with video. The more she watches, the more she wants to watch. I saw that early on, and the only video she has seen is Signing Times. It scared me a little, so we've tried to be very conservative.

[sntm]

I totally agree about it being addictive. We are lately greatly restricting Jack's watching, to only a few minutes in the morning while DH showers and then one video on the weekends. We'll indulge for the upcoming plane trip, but otherwise, greatly cut back.

I wish we had never really introduced it, but sadly for two working parents who need a few moments to shower or chill, it is helpful. I think that there are no other real advantages to it, other than being a temp babysitter.

There are certainly ones with better content (We allow Disney (no commercials) and Signing Times, but no PBS since it has gotten so commercialized. Jack never comes in contact with the Disney products, other than bandaids, so no problem there.) But the content is only a fraction of why it is bad.

I grew up with TV on all the time, and it's been really hard to wean myself off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif[/img][/url]
Breastfeeding 2 years & counting

[Moneypenny]

DD (almost 13 months) watches maybe 1 Signing Time video a week and that's about it. Occassionally I will turn on a cooking show if I need 15 minutes so I can eat lunch, and DH (the SAHP) says he will sometimes turn on Sesame Street if she's particularly cranky and needs some distraction. I don't think she's ever watched anything for more than 10 minutes and that's just fine with us. The TV is normally not on during the day when she's awake.

While I do believe the studies saying tv watching in any form is not good for their brains, it is too overwhelming for me, too. I just believe that there is really nothing of value on a tv show or DVD for an infant or little kiddo, and I don't want her to see all those commercials and grow up feeling like she needs to have all this stuff, so we don't do it. As she gets older (like 3 or 4 years old), she'll be able to watch a movie or two a week if she wants.
Susan
mama to my cutie pie, Avery
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]
We made it to a year!

[hobokenmom]

Here is my opinion on this conversial subject. I think it's great if a family chooses to be TV or DVD free, but I honestly don't think it makes that much of difference in the end. There are so many other variables that have to do with a child's development and upbringing, and I truly believe that TV is not the evil thing that so many people make it out to be. Here are the results of my own small research study on this subject.

Last Christmas my three children (natives of Hoboken, NJ) spent a week with their four cousins who live in Boise, Idaho. I'll refer to each group of children as the NJ cousins or the ID cousins. The Boise cousins were 13, 10, 7, and 4. The NJ cousins were 7, 4 and 6 months (so he doesn't really count in this study).

The Boise cousins live in a TV-free home, and the NJ cousins watch plenty of TV and DVDs. The Boise cousins have a stay at home mom, as well as the NJ cousins. The Boise cousins have parents who have graduate degrees with at least one of their degrees from an Ivy League School. The NJ cousins have parents who also have graduate degrees with at least one of their degrees from an Ivy League School (so basically the same education level in both families).

Guess what? After spending a week together with both families, I would bet no one would be able to tell the difference between the TV-free cousins and the other NJ cousins. All of the kids had roughly the same patience level, attention span, intelligence, curiousity about the world, and general demeanor. Okay, maybe the NJ cousins had a little more knowledge of pop culture, but that's it.

I think parenting skills, genes, and the general home environment are SO much more important that whether or not your kid watches TV or not.

Sorry, just my opinion.

[wagner36]

We generally try to follow AAP recommendations with everything, and are usually more conservative (i.e. breastfeeding for a year, no peanuts until 3, etc.). But, I must say, we do let Charlie watch TV, so we've screwed up there.

But (here's where I try to justify it), we only have 1 TV, and it's in our basement. It is not a fixture in our home. When he does watch TV, it is no commercials. I really don't want him to learn about McDonald's (he currently thinks it is a playhouse for dogs) or sugary cereal or any other crap like that. We allow 1/2 hour on weekday (none on weekends) mornings so that I can shower and get ready for work while DH takes care of other stuff (like making my lunch). I must admit, though, that there are very occasional mornings where he wakes up at 4:30am and can't go back to sleep - on those days, he watches noggin until DH (I don't get out of bed that early) snoozes on the couch a bit more.

He currently likes Maisy.

[betsydenny]

For us DD's and our TV/DVD watching has gone in phases. She watched a little- 30/day at most from 8-11 months. Then I got pregnant with number 2 and had awful morning sickness for 3 months- so TV was the alternative to her watching me puke- (she did once see me throw up and I can assure you it was far more scarring than a few hours of Sesame Street) She watched more TV than I liked during that period but I was flattened so that was how it was. I also used the TV a lot when DS was born and nursing because it kept her entertained and not jealous of his time with me. She generally watched PBS, PBS videos (lots of Elmo), and then Noggin- Maisy, Oobi and such.

We do go away in the summer and there is no tv there so we are all tv free for two months a year which I use as my rationalization for more than an hour a day on some winter days when we are stuck in our 1100 sq foot apartment.

We work hard not to have DS and DD watch too much but I have found it a useful tool for both of them when they are driving me nuts and we can't get out or I am trying to make dinner.

I Tivo Sesame and now Dora or Blues Clues and we alternate them with the great Scholastic Book Videos that I love!

I hope that helps.
Betsy