Advise on toddler sitting/chair

[MoRaw]

Hi All

Any advice on what toddler chair to buy for my son to sit in while watching his educational programme on TV? He is 13 months and his bouncer is no longer appropriate as it does not sit him upright enough. Also, normal adult sofa seems inappropriate for his little body.

I want something that will be easy on his bones and will maintain a good posture.

Thanks in advance.

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

hahahhaha

okay

tele for tinies isn't really that educational, because it's essentially a passive activity. MUCH better for the baby to get out and about, exploring the world with senses, supported by adult/s.

wrt a chair easy on his bones and to maintain good posture um well erm prob a cushion would do, not far to fall at age 13 months.

[MoRaw]

Thanks BoysAreLikeDogs.

By the way, I did not say he watches TV. I said watching his educational programme on TV. To be more precise, it is a programme that helps him learn to read (controversial but ...). It is a programme that requires parent participation. So worry not. He is not left on his own to passively watch TV.

[amirah85]

let him sit on a cushion on the floor!or sofa is not that bad!how have humans managed to sit till now??

[MoRaw]

You're right amirah85. I just wondered what other people did. Also did not want to compromise his posture at an early age. The programme is only 20 minutes long so not a long time sitting. A cushion sounds practical and cheap (and takes up little space).

[breatheslowly]

Your lap?

[Tee2072Thing]

Compromise his posture? PFB, is he?

Seriously, just let him sit on the floor.

[JollyOldChristmas]

Where does he sit while he does other things? We got a wee table and chairs from Dunelm Mill that DS uses to sit at to draw pictures, play with playdoh or have a snack.

For watching tv he usually wanders about, sits on the sofa or sits/stands on the floor.

[Iggly]

Tv for a 13 month old? Even if it is interactive, what's wrong with reading him a book

[Fairylea]

Jojo maman have some nice little bean bag chairs :)

[CoolaYuleA]

TV of any kind is not recommended for children under two. They learn from interacting with people, not with a screen, parental participation or not.

It's up to you whether you let him watch it, but it IS still watching tv, no matter what the programme is. TV is TV, educational or otherwise. The people making the programme will of course tell you it's age appropriate, and will help your child. They're selling the programme. HCP will, however, tell you that children under two shouldn't be watching any tv. I tend to err on the side of the HCP rather than the people making money from children.

FWIW - the best way to learn to read is to use BOOKS. Flashcards are useful too. Using a tv instead of a book to help with reading just seems a little weird gimmicky and is a marketing ploy.

As for "compromise his posture" - at this age not something you need to worry about. The floor will be fine.

[Piemother]

Baby genius?

[Piemother]

Yy to gimmicky. Sounds like baby signing bollocks

[Iggly]

"baby signing bollocks"? Agree gimmicky, yes, but baby signing is fantastic. Both of mine have/had done it and it's brilliant as I know what they want before they could talk.

[Piemother]

It was mn that confirmed it is bollocks and linked me to royal college of SALT's concerns about it. I has seen it delay speech in one child.

[poocatcherchampion]

Don't buy a cushion! Sit him on your lap and read a story. I understand that babies don't gain anything from tv as they cannot manage to watch the pretty colours and listen to the language and background noise. I agree with no tv until age two.

In respect of the baby sign study mentioned I'm amused that the study showed a speech delay in ONE child. Not exactly conclusively damning is it?

[JollyOldChristmas]

I actually read a thing recently that suggested that flashcards are also bollocks and will not improve speech development. It was linked to on here but I can't find the link.

[breatheslowly]

The Royal College of SALT seems to be undecided on the use of baby signing, however much of the positive comment on baby signing appears to relate to the interaction at classes rather than using a video. We did the classes, which were fun, but never bothered with the signs at home.

I appreciate that some people are anti-TV for small children, but I think that the majority of small children watch a bit of TV. Is this really any worse than In The Night Garden?

[Tee2072Thing]

The child is 13 months! He doesn't need flashcards or TV or anything but someone to spend time with him and read to him and tickle his belly and love him.

FFS

Flashcards and TV shows about reading. ::wanders off muttering about tiger mothers::

[Iggly]

I didn't do baby signing via tv. We did the classes and my babies can/could sign. In fact I only did the classes for my eldest and just signed for dd. I'm not bothered about whether it makes them talk sooner, just that I can understand them now.

As for tv more generally, it is bad for under 2s and even when older, it's not great in large amounts.

[VerityClinch]

I was a child prodigy. I sit my preschoolers in front of the TV for 4 hours a day to toy a few of their brain cells so they won't suffer from the burden of super-intelligence the way I did.

[ChristmasKnackers]

Back to the OP question. We had a beanbag chair from jojo... It's brilliant.

[VerityClinch]

*rot, not toy.

See, it works.

[MadNortherner]

Mine were snuggled on my lap or sitting on the floor at that age. I agree with other posters though - I saw one conference presentation that showed tv watching to be akin to sleep in terms of brain activity. I don't mean that your child shouldn't watch and enjoy TV with you for a bit of something different, of course.

You could always just wedge a cushion behind him on the sofa. Another thought - is he too big now for a Bumbo?

[Fairylea]

I will readily admit to leaving ds 7months in front of cbeebies for 10 mins here and there if we have exhausted all the toys and books and rolling around playing (because I am exhausted). I doubt it will have any long term effect on him (dd age 9 is in all the top groups etc and watched far more tv than ds).... and it does help to save my sanity.

[BoffinMum]

Professional hat on.

Turn the TV off until he is two and forget about educational programmes for this age group, as they are a complete and utter waste of time.

He will learn when he is good and ready, and he is hard wired to do so. Nothing you do or don't do will make a difference, apart from the usual love and cuddles, charting to him, and sharing his world.

If you want to encourage reading, buy him a big collection of beautiful picture books to look at with you, and go to the local library with him once a week.Show him what his name looks like written down, and point out that writing is on his cereal packet or whatever.

I promise you, that's all toddlers need in terms of reading, even super genius ones. The rest they do themselves.