8mo babies and the TV (well, baby einstein)

[islandbaby]

Baby Einstein shuts my 8mo DS up from the very first note of its nauseatingly perky soundtrack. When he was a little baby, who couldn't interact/play/stimulate himself much, I used to love putting it on and watching him watch the colours and puppets.

As he's got older, I've used it to instantly calm him if he bangs his head/has a bad dream/gets suddenly stressed for no reason. He can be screaming his head off, and the second I manage to get it on the computer - he's transfixed.

I've also used it when he's woken up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6am and I haven't felt quite ready to get up and entertain him properly.

Now, I've found myself putting it on when he's sat in his highchair but not paying much attention and not bothered about eating what I've put out for him (blw). If baby einstein is on, he'll watch it and eat everything in front of him - but he doesn't look at what he's picking up and putting in his mouth, it's a scarily mechanical movement.

Having just realised that this might all lead to problems in the future (not wanting to eat without the TV on, short concentration span), I am making an effort to not put it on anymore. But he's quite an attention-demanding little man (fair enough), and sometimes it's just so easy when I've got a hundred other things to do and it gives me 25 minutes to myself...

But really... do you think it's doing him any harm? Am I making the dreaded rod for my own back? How much TV would be ok (if any...)

I don't think you are doing him any "harm", but while you use TV to keep him occupied, you don't teach him play on his own.

i think that's quite young for telly tbh. I'd certainly save it do when you really need to get something done rather than the panacea it seems to have become.

Not sure whether eating in front of the tv is a good thing... You may end up with a baby that only wants to eat watching it? I don't think that a bit of tv once in a while would do any harm. I have a 10 month old that loves baby tv. But I try to keep myself in check so that I don't end up using it as a babysitter although it is tempting when I'm shattered :)

I think now and again is fine, I wish my 8mo would watch a little TV while I get things done, she does seem to love the theme tune to Dexter.......not that I'm saying that I have played it on loop whilst I cook dinner or anything ;)

Have you tried Baby tv on Sky? It's all songs, colours etc etc

Sounds like a lot of tv to me (sorry)

DS was "attention seeking" at that age - normal. If I wanting anything done, it happened during a nap or I'd involve him somehow. For things like cooking, I have a play corner in the kitchen (literally a mat on the floor with some random bits) plus he had a cupboard he could play in and would cook in spurts. As he got older (now 22 months), he learned how to play alone although likes to join in which is fine!

No need to apologise, iggly, it seems like a lot of TV to me too, which is why I'm putting a stop to it. you know, feeling a bit guilty that I've been using it a bit as a babysitter, as momo36 says. It's hard though, as he seems to enjoy it.

On the plus side, we don't actually own a television, so it's never on in the background or at any other time of the day.

Play corners aren't working for us at the moment, as trying to get crawling and escape/chase the cat is much more interesting that sitting still and playing!

It's a simple solution though, just stop playing it and entertain him!

Oh play corners don't work for long plus doesn't include toys - I used to get the utensil drawer out for DS, removing anything sharp/dangerous first so I'd be back and forth between DS and food...! It does get easier as they get older.