Appropriate Age OK for Watching Tv/computer Screens

I was determined to wait on the TV watching for my son as well when he was born and quickly I realized that just wasn't possible to eliminate the ability for him to watch any TV. What I ended up doing was I had the TV on the youngest possible shows (sprout is awesome if you have it) and he liked the colors and the music. I would only allow him to be in front of the TV when I was making a bottle, had to use the bathroom, or something like that where it was really rough to hold him and do the task. He to this day loves TV but he will do anything while it is on and just looks if something sounds interesting. It is more of a background noise thing for him. I was also big on having the radio on.

My kids have always been around tv and are fine so far. My daughter is 4 1/2 and watches a movie at night and tv when she is with my parents and in-laws, but is a great kid and my son is a year old and will watch a little, but otherwise doesn't care. Only when it is fun, bright and fast moving. I know you are not supposed to let them watch until 2-3 years, and even then they really shouldn't watch tv, but I am more realistic... and I don't really tell the doctor. LOL

I agree - the AAP recommends absolutely no TV until 2, and even then after 2 no more than 1/2 hour per day. It's easy to get kids hooked on TV, and at this young age, it really provides no benefit for your child. Baby Einstien videos are a joke- your child will not be any smarter for watching them - in fact maybe the opposite! They're just trying to sucker you in!

Play with your son, teach him to play on his own, but putting him in a pack n play or in his room/crib for 10-15 minutes at a time - this will give you a break and really teach him to be creative and find things to do on his own, which you will appreciate as he gets older. Set aside time each day for your son to read books, have quiet time, play with certain toys, and run errands with you, and you'll do great! Right now, he really shouldn't be watching TV - that even means that you shouldn't be watching it when he's around - go play with him - it goes by too fast!

The American Academy of Pedatrics recommends NO TV FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 2 YEARS!!! The people that market cartoons and "Baby Einsteins" etc have done a brilliant job of marketing, but those things are totally unnecessary for babies (we all learned just fine without them). TRUE, babies will be fascinated by the colors, etc, but there is LOTS of research to show that kids watching TV and playing video games have poor attention in school, etc. (too much to list) b/c they don't know how to interact with the real world. Now I'm sure you will have many responses of "my kid watches TV and is very social and does just fine in school", but why take the risk? Especially at such a young age--kids should be PLAYING!! There are great NON-computerized toys out there--the "classic" toys. PLAY PLAY PLAY and have fun =) There is plenty of time later in life for TV!

The Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO TV for children under the age of 2 years. It leads to AD/HD and lowers their cognative skills. Between the ages of 2-4 I think the recommendation is about 30 minutes. Older than 4 years should watch less than 2 hours (that includes teens and probably adults) to promote more physical activity.

I would really recommend trying to keep him away from the TV for as long as possible. My oldest (now 12) didn't really know what TV was until he was about 2 or 3 because he was in daycare full time, although I think they did show some videos there. Even until about age 5 or 6 he was only allowed to watch PBS and thought TV "ended" at 10:00 a.m. and didn't realize there were channels other than PBS. Boy did that change with my younger son and it is one of my biggest regrets! By the time the little one came along I was a stay at home mom with two active, challenging boys. To get my shower in without showering at 5 a.m. and without them killing each other I let them watch TV while I got ready in the morning, although still just PBS. That turned into an awful morning TV habit. When the youngest was 3 he went to someone else's house and discovered the Nick Jr. channel and Cartoon Network. That made our problem worse. (My husband would never agree to get rid of cable TV because of ESPN and CNN.) The youngest is now 9 and I have been battling with him over TV all these years. I have it under control this year and I have noticed a big improvement in his behavior. So, from personal experience, the longer you can keep them away from the TV the better! Obviously, I know it is easier said than done. FYI, others have probably already said this, but TV and computer screens, especially after dinner, can really mess up their sleep. Even during our worst TV days we had a rule about no TV after dinner unless it was a sporting event for my husband or a special family movie night. Good luck!

Great question J.! What a hot topic. All the data seems to agree that kids really shouldn't watch tv until they're at least 2 and then as little as you can help after. My father's a 4K - 2nd grade principal and my mom, sister and cousin are elementary teachers and they can really tell by school age which kids spent more time in front of the tube. The flashing and quick movements really do have an effect on development and attention span. Not to even get started on all the ads - even public tv's sponsors have gotten more and more "commercial". Just because Baby Einstein and other companies gear things towards babies and toddlers doesn't mean it's good for them. They're trying to sell products after all.

As a pregnant (and morning/all day sick:) mom of an energetic 2.5 year old I truly sympathize with the temptation. When I'm getting supper ready or feeling especially queasy we do watch Curious George, Sesame Street or pop in a Scholastic video. But I try to keep it to half an hour, closely monitor content (how are the characters treating each other? is anything scary?) and check in every 10 minutes or so to ask questions. Not that he wouldn't watch more given the opportunity - but I realize that it's more of a convenience for me than all that beneficial to him. It helped that his Papa and I didn't watch tv until after he went to bed, so it wasn't something we had to re-train ourselves on as parents.

One thing we've done instead is to listen to music or books on album/tape/cd. It's still entertaining but uses more imagination/is more interactive than tv, which is really passive. And still engaging enough to give you a break when you need one. Sing along songs, counting rhymes, classic stories, some which have books to read along with. Every kid's different, but Finn's always loved being read to and now at 2.5 will sit for long periods reading to himself even without the audio (like right now as I'm checking email/writing this:)

Every family needs to decide what's best for them, but I figure he's got his whole life to watch tv, why start earlier than necessary? Good luck mama!

I think the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics)recommends waiting until your child is two for any screen time. If you can and want to do that, great.

On the side of reality, however, I know only a small handful of very very very conscientious parents who have done that, especially with 2nd, 3rd and so on children. I started with Baby Einstein with my baby once he could sit up so I could get dressed in the morning; he started watching movies after that (mostly because of lack of tv reception) and then programming at 3 1/2 because I was preg. w/ #2 and we'd moved to where we got tv w/ rabbit ears!

Do what you think is best, but watch your child: I know my oldest gets into a "zone" and has since he was little, and it always scared me a little--he seems too sucked into tv. My baby, who's been around tv a lot more than his brother, doesn't seem as phased by it...but he's only 1. Time will tell if we did it right or not!

Peds don't recommend tv to children under the age of 2yr. The reasoning behind this is because it interferes with your child's brain waves, takes time away from cognitive and social development, and it also has liks to attention control, aggressive behavior and poor cognitive development.
My best friend double majored in early childhood development and elem. ed. I asked her alot about this when I had my first child. Her response something to the point of ''why let your child sit in front of the tv when you can read to them?'' Point taken!
If you are looking to for something for him to do while you take a shower or get dressed a 15 minute session won't neccessarily harm him but, if you thinking of letting him watch tv because you think he likes it or because you think its good for him, you are mistaken. I always kept my pack n play up in the living room, I'd put my daughter in it with a few of her favorite toys while I showered or got stuff done around the house. Its safe, she was confined and it taught her to entertain herself. :) Google ''babies and tv'' or something similar, and you will find more info about it.

My DS is 13 months old and we are trying to stick with the "no TV under 2 years old". So far so good, as my DH and I don't watch much TV ourselves. I feel like it is an easy habit to get into, so the longer you can avoid it, the better.

J.,

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV before the age of two. Then limit screen time to 30 minutes a day for toddlers/preschoolers and 1-2 hours a day for school aged kids. I don't think it's an issue of your child hurting his eyes if you happen to have the evening news on when he is awake. The recommendation is because TV becomes a tempting babysitter and the next thing you know, a toddler spends hours sitting in front of the TV every day instead of playing because it's easier on mom.

I know moms who have a video or TV on all day, even playing the same video over and over. The child either eventually gets bored and tunes it out or becomes addicted and the parents are even serving meals in front of the TV. The kids lack maturity in social skills, motor skills and attentiveness and are rude and demanding of their parents when it comes to TV time. The parent say things like "My child HAS to watch (whatever) show everyday or they have a meltdown."

We keep our TV in the basement and hardly turn it on when the weather is nice. When it gets too cold to be out more than a few minutes a day, I let my kids watch a show while I fix dinner.

Sorry, I really think 7 months is way too young to be turning on a program specifically for a child. I would wait until the child is at least 2-3 and keep it limited and infrequent.

Good luck,
S.

This is a hot topic! My own personal opinion is that babies should not be watching any TV at all. But this is coming from a household at one far end of the spectrum: we go weeks, yes literally weeks, without turning our TV on. The TV's not a babysitter, and kids need to learn to occupy themselves. In a lot of households, the TV is just on all the time. People don't know how to cope with quiet--they need the TV on for "background noise".

I agree with the not letting the tv be a babysitter, and i think that most of the research done saying that tv interfears with infant brain waves is because it tends to be that children are given tv and only tv and not incouraged to have "creative" play. My son started watching the news everyday when he was a month old, and he started all on his own. He will look away at commmercials and he didnt like the sports report but he was very into the rest of it, In fact for a while i could only set him down if he had the news on, even if his dad was there to hold him he didnt want me to leave unless the news was there for company. It gave me a chance to make dinner or shower so i saw no problem with it. Most if his other time was spent playing on his own or with me. He is 7 months old and is developing fine. He crawls, he sits up he knows faces and voices, he knows his name and he says mama and daddy, he has not been harmed by tv.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for kids under 2 years old. Not many people follow that guideline, but that is what our pediatrician recommends.
S.

J.; its ok for them to watch tv, but just remember the tv is not a baby sitter, and sometimes its not about the tv itself that is bad, but what is on it, as well as computers, what they watch will affect them and their attitude they will copy what they see wether on humans or a tv, so just enjoy your little one and have a wonderful day . D. s

That is a personal parental decision. We started much earlier than most parents would agree with, because my son never slept and I needed to. We would put on Baby Einstein videos which were geared toward his age. (Baby Mozart was his favorite.)

And I can already hear some parents gasping. Most parents limit their kids' TV and computer time with a specific time limit for the day. I tend to just keep them too busy to watch TV so that they appreciate their screen time.

Do what you feel is right.

My daughter has been interested in certain shows since 5 months. I wouldn't call it "watching" TV though. She'll stop and watch when something catches her eye, then she moves on. There are some things I maintain though - I only let her watch Sesame Street, Barney, Mr. Rogers, and My Friends Tigger and Pooh. They are all educational and she has already learned a lot from them. She LOVES Sesame Street now so when I take a shower I put her in the playpen with Sesame Street on.

The one thing I cannot stress enough though is to make sure that the volume is LOW. Kids under 3 cannot tune out background noise like adults, so if the volume is high it upsets their concentration when trying to play or read a book themselves. You'll notice that their focus on a toy is terrible when the TV volume is high. So thorughout the day when we are playing I do have the TV on but I mute it. Then when she stops to watch a part of the show, I turn the volume on, then mute it again when she loses interest.

Make sure you know what she's watching and get involved with her by telling her what they are doing on the show. Kids love watching and immitating other kids - that's what make Sesame Street and Barney so great for them.

2 years. It erodes their attention span. Even though it seems like they are in "deep concentration", one actually enters a comatose state when viewing tv, so the "learning" isn't actually a quality level of learning. It is more of a thoughtless non-developing brainwave state, which stunts brain development.
It is really helpful to get the tv out of the main living space, then it stops being the center of attention or even a easy out for mom to turn on when she is busy. Children will learn to eventually self entertain, if they are given the opportunity.
My husband and I have one in the den and our bedroom.
We rarely ever watch it even, though we have a Dish.
The only time my daughter watches it is occasionally Mr Rogers or Curious George or on long trips with the pocket dish.
ps I've read: babies are better off watching relational things, even American idol (ha ha), over Baby Einstein, which is full of random disconnected items. I thought that was funny.

J.,
I was going to wait until my son was 2 years, but he became such a huge fan of Elmo from a few of his toys that I thought it would be fun for him to watch "Elmo's World" at the end of Sesame Street. We have a Tivo, so I 'tape' Sesame Street and sometimes fast forward to that part. I let him watch this for the first time when he was 18 months old, and he LOVES it! I know he's actually learning a few things, because he's obsessed with counting (and he's only 20 months old!) We've worked on this with him a little, but he really gets a lot from the show. It's also a calming time for him, since he no longer takes a morning nap. I don't look at this as the worst thing ever. I let him watch one episode, then the TV's off for the rest of the day. I think 7 months is really too young for your son to get anything out of TV. He's better off being entertained by music or interactive toys he can reach and touch. Once he really starts speaking, he might be able to get something out of educational programming like Sesame Street. I don't think you have to wait until the magical age of 2, but you should be aware that too much TV has been linked with attention problems in later life. Use TV very rarely as an educational tool or as a break for you! Your kids will be better off and better able to entertain themselves.
Amy

If he likes to watch put in something that's not over stimulating: Baby Einstein videos.

i know that the people in charge say NO tv for kids under 2, but its up to you. i certainly wouldnt let a baby watch tv for longer than 30 minutes or so, but the colors, lights and sounds are whats catching your baby's eyes.... not simply the fact that its a tv. so you could get some toys that have lights, sounds and pictures, and it would be the same effect, without the 'boob tube' connection :P
my son watched a movie or two a day. i try to make myself involved in what hes watching, asking questions, talking about what hes watching, and i certainly dont make him watch anything scary, or if i notice its bothering him, we stop and talk about it, or stop watching it altogether. i dont feel tv is BAD, but beware of what youre showing your child, (of course) and usually babies and toddlers havea short attention span. if they would ratehr play with toys, turn off the tv and let them play. the background noise interrupts their concentration on what they are playing - i would think this could be a precuser to attention deficit... :D
so anyway, idont think its all bad, but make limits! :D or get an entertaining toy.
i guess also, if what you are watching is slow - no fast flasing between things - slow moving, that kind of thing, its better than cartoons that flash and jump and move from thing to thing quickly.

Hi J.

I think it is ok to let your little guy watch a few minutes of tv know and then . At his age they do not have the attention span to sit or watch for more then a few minutes . Some thing fun like Blues Clues or Seasame Street .

I let my daughter watch the Baby Einstein videos from about 6 months on. She liked them and it gave me a short break. As long as you don't overdo the time spent in front of a screen, it should be fine. My daughter never showed the "overstimulation" that other moms talk about, so maybe it is something to watch for. Just never happened to her.

I guess that would really depend on you. I would let my little ones watch tv for a little bit when they were that age. If you are concerned about what he might see on tv, you should look into the Baby Einstein dvd's. My boys loved them. My now four year old could be screaming mad about something, and I would start one up for him and he would stop. He just loved the bright colors and the classical music they play. Plus it gave me a few minutes to sit and relax, or to toss a load of laundry in the washer.