Now recommended no TV at all for under 3's

[Furball]

Just seen on BBC news it is now recommended no TV at all for under 3's but can't find any info about it on their website.

[Flamesparrow]

Try lookin on the cbeebies site

[Flamesparrow]

Sorry... not taking things very seriously today...

[tripod]

Furball, had read the same thing: no telly for babies under 2-3: the images shown are no good for their eyesight and the the noise (volume usually turned up way too loud for tiny ears!)will stress the child, even if on the surface the baby seems calm (too calm!)

[MissesF]

..and as a parent of 2 with autism...this lovely report will now have all my family etc telling me that we could 'cure' the boys if they didn't watch t.v.

(apparently there's something to do with the production of MELATONIN which is reduced ...and my boys both take a melatonin based drug ...so really can't wait for the 1st 'well meaning friend' to query me about the melatonin/autism link and the fact that my boys are genetically linked to playstations and such like!!!!

[Tortington]

washing machine does the same trick.

[paulaplumpbottom]

My DD gets an hour of TV a day, I need a little break after all, and I don't think it does her any harm.

[Katymac]

I'm sorry I think it's all things in moderation

I agree hours of TV won't help them (not sure if it will harm)- but the odd programm or two (esp if they or mum are poorly) won't cause any harm (imo)

[edam]

Yeah, right to the sound. Ds as a very small baby used to be soothed by listening to music at same volume as your average TV - dh experimented and found Bohemian Rhapsody, that thing from The Darkness and that one from The White Stripes were his favourites.

Cbeebies and programmes for very small children tend not to use the same fast cutting techniques as normal programmes anyway so visual effects are different.

[tripod]

should be relatively easy to put them back in their place were they to make that suggestion? Surely people wouldn't venture to give you "tips" on the basis of a report?

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[MissesF]

heres the bbc article on tv
here

[Furball]

technically the should now ban most cbeebies programmes - hooray!

[tripod]

just watched report... presentation is maybe a bit alarmist (but aren't most tv reports about health!)but point about poor concentration seems fair

[stealscandyfrombabies]

I agree with Katymac - dont think a moderate amount of appropriate telly is going to do anyone any harm.

[tripod]

some argue that older children shouldn't be left alone in front of the telly as certain images they might see could frighten them; an adult's presence would reassure them, intice them to ask questions even. Seems too deep?

[Hulababy]

Reckon it is just something else to wopryy us/for us to be judgemental about/blame parents for/etc.

Everything in moderation.

[aDad]

oh.

oops.

[schneebly]

More scaremongering! I dont think it is right to sit children in front of TV all day but a small amount cant be that bad surely!?

[MissesF]

hulababy...yep! know that feeling well!

[Hulababy]

They are also not looking at the other side of this - supervised viewing of programmes. Can help with teaching and learning of various things.

Yes, ideally TV shouldn't be a babysitting alternative where children are plonked in front of the box and left. But there are days when you are ill or really busy....and a short period of TV watching can be a godsend for the parents.

[tripod]

hulababy, most of us would agree, those of us with more than one child the more so... but my parents didn't have telly when my brother and I were little and yet they coped...

[MissesF]

(i hope they don't ban trampolines too.... you know...too much trampolining causes vertigo etc????? )

cos thats the only outdoor activity my boys love....and in the summerthey are always on it...tv takes a real back seat...

[Hulababy]

Oh I agree there are alternatives, but then I also remember as a child spending time not realy doing anything much at all whilst parents were busy. We did have TV but there wasn't the children's programmes available like there are now.

Just hate this idea that TV must be bad regardless. I just don't buy it.

I also think that children need to learn to be bored a bit too though, lol!

[SSShakeTheChi]

Should have thought it was obvious even without this report.

[MissesF]

yes- i'm 40 this year and can remember before even having video recorders....maybe only 2 hours of kids tv on bbc1/itv a day...remember looking forward to being ill - so could watch 'schools tv programmes' on bbc2 !!!!

and i will admit that whilst i don't have probs myself with tv for kids etc... i do feel that there are too many programmes/channels....and therefore i need to be very strict when i want them to do something away from the tv....as there is always something one of them wants to watch.

however...my now 7 and 10 year olds have learnt many spanish words etc from DORA the explorer...and this meant when they had a 'spanish' visitor at school...they actually were able to tell her their words ...and came home with more she taught them!!!