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Original poster

In not letting 9mo ds watch children's TV?

246 replies

ScoobyC · 16/03/2007 20:12

I have never put children's TV on for ds, and I haven't bought any Baby Einstein dvds etc and I am suddenly worrying that I am in some way depriving him as I have just realised that (some) other babies do watch TV.
So, this may be a ridiculous question (it really is amazing what you can worry about when you have a child), but does anyone have any thoughts on whether it is good for a baby's development to watch kids TV?
As background, this hasn't been a particularly thought out decision or anything, it's just that ds has never been a baby who sits, he is very active and so he wouldn't just sit and watch TV. For purely selfish reasons, if the tv is on it has adult programs on as I don't want to watch kids tv until I absolutely have to!

OP posts:
powder28 · 17/03/2007 07:39

I think i was slightly misunderstood. The point i was making was that, yes, i agree that cbeebies uses indirect advertising, ie a whole show dedicated to the teletubbies that you can buy in the shops. What i was saying was that there are no commercials which say 'you can buy this in a shop'
I wholehearedly agree that tv should be limited but its a differnt matter when you have two kids who are both crying and you just need some distraction for them and cbeebies is just there.
Television is not going to go away but you can decide whether to watch it or not. My children like to have it on but i notice that my eldest likes to have it as background noise while he is playing with his other toys. He also likes going to nursery and he likes playing out side and going for walks. Lets not give television too much power. Id rather they had a choice about television. Its a case of if you ban it then it becomes more fascinating to them.

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2007 07:41

Cod, you always do laugh like a drain at me. But we haven't got a TV, so I will not be able to stick it on to shut the kids up, no matter how amusing it would be to you

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2007 07:43

And powder, you mostly seemed to be making the point that it was very cynical to believe that children's tv exists almost entirely to make money for its creators. But this isn't a matter of opinion, it's just plain fact.

kittywaitsfornumber6 · 17/03/2007 07:45

BABY EINSTEIN??? Good grief, what will mothers get scammed into next. Spend your money on a good night out.

pooka · 17/03/2007 07:49

Yes - I suppose you could say that all television exists in order to make money for the creators of the show.

Perhaps in the same way as books make money for their authors.

I happen to think that dd has learnt a lot from the programmes she watches. She's also learnt a great deal from the books we read and from the games we play.

WRT the OP. At 9 months television might as well not have existed for dd. She was not interested. She is now (3.5) but we don't generally watch programmes other than cbeebies or recorded programmes from NckJr (wonderpets/angelina ballerina).

powder28 · 17/03/2007 07:50

Yes thats right, it is a fact, any other facts i need to know?

powder28 · 17/03/2007 07:51

Exactly Pooka

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2007 07:52

Ooh I will think of a few and let you know Powder

powder28 · 17/03/2007 07:57

oh good because i would hate to think i was missing out on the facts. I imagine you sitting there with 'The Big Book of Facts'

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2007 07:59

Can you see me then?

powder28 · 17/03/2007 08:03

Yes, stop picking your nose and eating it

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2007 08:04

ah, you have got me mised up with AITCH

helenhismadwife · 17/03/2007 12:38

at 9months my dd's were not at all interested in the tv and I didnt feel they were missing out on anything by not seeing it.

Now at 18months and 33months they do watch tv either cbeebies or other childrens dvd's and they enjoy it, they dont watch hours of it, I dont use it as a babysitter.

I think there are some really good educational programmes on and we enjoy watching them together, everything in moderation

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2007 13:35

AHA - the old "everything in moderation" classic

You score 50 points for having got it in first, helen

franca70 · 17/03/2007 13:51

Just seen this thread.
Scooby, when my first son was 9 months, it didn't cross my mind that he could watch television. at 9 months though, probably dd has witnessed some maisy, that her brother was watching (however she was busier learning to crawl).
I'm not sure about educational programmes for children, I actually shivered the first time I realized baby einstein existed.

franca70 · 17/03/2007 13:52

should rephrase: maybe dd, when she was 9 months, has witnessed...

helenhismadwife · 17/03/2007 17:04

yayyyyyyy Franny what do I get with my 50 points

it does sound a bit cliched but what I mean is I dont plonk them in front of the tv for hours on end and use it as a babysitter

Im not very good at making my point like some people are

helenhismadwife · 17/03/2007 17:05

anyway if they are watching it I cant

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2007 17:12

Oh I was just being RUDE helen, don't be so self-deprecating, please

it's just that, personally, I feel tv is not good for children. I know not everybody feels this way. But when people use the argument "everything in moderation" - well, really, everything? I mean, salmonella? Adultery?

you get my (crudely expressed) point, anyway

Fillyjonk · 17/03/2007 17:20

baby einstein makes me very very

its training kids to watch tv imo.

got one in each of my kids bounty packs

OTOH

TV is fine to an extent as a babysitter cos in RL mothers need breaks. To stick the tv on to keep your toddler happy while you bf a newborn is a good route to an unstressed mummy which is a Good Thing.

I also think that SOME kids seem to have learning styles which lend themselves well to getting info from the tv. Ds has 2 friends like this, both girls, who pick up vast amounts from the tv, its quite incredible.

To have it on 24/7 is daft if it means the kid is glued to the tv and not interacting. I am also frequently at kids of my aquaintance who turn up to social events with a handheld tv/video game.

Neither of my kids are much into it, we don't limit tv but it'd be an unusual week in which we watched more than a half hour dvd.

oh but theres a snobbery thing here too, isn't there, surely? posh kids don't watch tv, oh no, they watch dvds about barges and then go tree climbing? like wooden toys and stuff?

Though I do agree with franny re the trying to sell us things.

In answer to the OP-no, its fine.

ps has anyone said "political correctness gone mad" yet?

Fillyjonk · 17/03/2007 17:21

aaargh and that sounded like a dig at franny and it really wasn't meant to be, sorry frank.

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2007 17:22

which bit wasn't a go at me?

I mean, which bit sounded like a go at me, but wasn't?

Fillyjonk · 17/03/2007 17:25

oh the snobbery thing

am going back to studying about trans fats now

swifterella · 17/03/2007 17:34

at 9 months my DS wasnt arsed about tv. HOWEVER at 18 mnths things are very different. he watches an hour of cbeebies after his tea whilst I do jobs and get his bath ready etc. He also has a big thing for thomas and constantly chants thomas thomas which is very annoying. I defo use it as a babysitter so i can get things done before bed. Oh and so i can go on mumsnet

helenhismadwife · 17/03/2007 17:36

ohhh rude I understand franny

my view is tv is fine just not endless tv, but if a child has no tv I dont think they are not being deprived;

do I get another 50 points for saying when I was a kid??? I cant remember watching tv to be honest until I was about 12 probably because we lived in cyprus and germany, then it was starsky and hutch and multi coloured swap shopnot sure my taste has improved much either