Is it ok for 9 wk old to watch tv?

[chickpeamum]

I know this is a naff questions, but she seems to enjoy the motion. I just don't know if this is too much stimulation, bad for her etc.

[hub2dee]

I haven't studied stats for a sodding long time, but could anyone still clued up in confidence intervals and interpreting results etc. look at this results table and offer any comment (apart from it's only a CI of 95%)...

Maternal self-esteem seems to be better correlated with ADHD than TV if I've understood it correctly (which I probably haven't).



martianbishop, tamum ? Any psychologists out there ?

[flack]

Lapinrose, AAP guidelines are for tv + dvds + computer games, it sounded in your message like you meant your children watch less than 2 hours a day of tv, but you were treating dvds as different time. Or were you?

When I only had children under 3 they watched less than 2 hours of screen time a day. But we didn't even have a tv, and they didn't know how to play on the computer, yet. Gets trickier now, when 5yo wants a 75 minute video (which they all watch for the millionth time), DH wants to watch some sport, 7yo wants to play computer games a few times during the day. Other child doesn't even have to choose anything, all DCs already far over the 2 hour limit.

I know! We should all have tvs and computers in our bedrooms rather than in the lounge, now there's a good solution....

[GeorginaA]

"Maternal self-esteem seems to be better correlated with ADHD than TV if I've understood it correctly"

Shit... my kids are doooooooomed

[lapinrose]

no, I think what i said was quite clear, they only watch more than 2 hours a day if they're ill and are snuggled up on the sofa, and then its usually dvds. I see know difference between dvds and tv viewing other than the fact that dvds offer more control over the viewing content. I think basing family activity around what's on tv is a bit worrying tbh...

[lapinrose]

my god what's going on with my spelling?! Should read I see NO difference...

[BaileysMilkshake]

X posts -

But at 9 weeks I did'nt park DD in front of the TV to watch it, but equally if she was awake and in her chair when it was on I did'nt purposefully turn her round so she could'nt see it either.

I only realised she paid the box any real attention when I was enjoying Lord of The Rings - The Fellowship. I was doing my ironing and she was sat between me and the box at about, (she was about 12 weeks). And the bit where Galadriel changes from beautiful elf queen to horrific green cartoon with horrid eyes came on and she just started to howl!

Turned her round to me, turned film off and from then on it was normal telly only when she was awake - but as before never as a specific method of entertainment for her, that started when she was about 9 months to a year.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

I wish my tv paid for my food and mortgage too.....what a perfect world.....

[chickpeamum]

Thanks everyone for the info. I'd like to think dd can't really focus on the screen at 9wks anyhow... just the lights and noise? Along those same lines, does anyone have an opinion about letting a 9 week old stare at the computer screen as you type away ... she insists on being held every mo of the day... can't get anything done unless she does it with me!

[TwinkleInSantasEye]

Chickpeamum - I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. My DS is 17 weeks and he's mesmerised by the TV and loves looking at the laptop screen as well. You can't put your whole life on hold. Short of not watching TV or using the computer at all when your LO is around there's not a lot you can do to stop them looking. I've always been of the opinion that it's the content that's potentially harmful (endless purile kid's tv for example) not really the TV per se, and your DD (and my DS for that matter) is far too young to be influenced by that.

[Sakura]

I agree with the good enough parent idea in that we cant put our lives on hold for the kids. <br /> I come on mumsnet far to often in the day too... <br /> But of course, I know that a TV cant be good for a baby (mine is also 9 weeks old now, chickpea), so I do try my very best to avoid it.
Heres what I find useful:
Save your relaxing time for when the baby is sleeping. Dont rush around doing chores then. Come on mumsnet, watch a bit of TV, read, or whatever you like doing. <br /> When your baby is really awake and alert, thats a good time to stick them in the bouncy chair and do some chores that they can enjoy watching you do. I go in the shower, fold clothes, wash up, hang out washing etc- all with the baby watching. I sing and talk to her during this time. She gets plenty of one to one attention when shes moody and wont sleep (for about 3 hours) in the evening, so I dont worry about making time to talk to her/play with her. Sometimes I come on mumsnet, and shes awake, just looking around as happy as anything. I know if she was bored or under-stimulated shed let me know soon enough.
This week, Ive been taking her out in the sling for a walk (lovely wood near my house). She LOVES that, and watches the trees, and you can see her getting alert if a crow screeches or something, so going by that, I can guess that a TV is too much stimulation. <br /> Of course you cant cook with a baby in a sling, but I put her in there to do some general tidying up and she loves that too.
So, my tip is relax when shes sleeping`

[curlew]

"Of course you can"t cook with a baby in a sling.......'

Can't you? Oooooooooops!

[Sakura]

Yes, I know its different for a PFB (PRecious first born), but us mums of a PFB have our own extra problems of being the sole entertainment for our babies. When there are siblings, that makes up half of the entertainment for the baby. I`m one of five, and my youngest brother was content to be put in the bouncy chair all day just watching the rest of us cause chaos in the house. Without only one, you really do have to work harder to not put the baby in front of the TV

[Sakura]

sorry with only one...

[GeorginaA]

Sakura, I agree there actually... at least until elder child goes off to school leaving NSC (Neglected Second Child) at home bored as hell because he's always had an older brother to entertain him and Mummy Just Isn't Good Enough ... (hmmm MJIGE - not a catchy acronym)

[TwinkleInSantasEye]

I think there's two different issues at play here. A baby turning its head to watch a TV that happens to be on anyway is quite a different thing from that baby being put in front of the TV deliberately for entertainment/to keep it quiet. Nobody's perfect and I'm afraid I have been known to do the latter VERY occasionally when I've just been desperate to get a particular thing done. I do disagree with the TV being used as a babysitter, BTW, so I was at myself.

[AngeandLuka]

i think there's a massive difference between using the TV non-stop to babysit an older baby, and a young baby being interested in looking at the colours on the screen. My 10 week ds will look at the tv if it's on when he's in his chair, just as he will look at the washing machine when it's on with colours in it... he would not be happy looking at either for longer than about 10 minutes because, in the case of the tv, he is not old enough to recognise it as anything other than colours and noise and so does not become involved in it, as an older baby might. he doesn't find mobiles or his babygym interesting to look at for longer than a couple of minutes.

that's not to say that i stick him in front of the telly all day long, but if i need to get something done - prepare his bottle, or get some food for me so i don't starve - for example, then i see no harm in leaving the tv on to distract him and stop him crying while i do so, i seriously do not think it will impede his development - he gets all the one to one attention and outdoor stimulation he needs the rest of the day.

for better or worse, for most of us tv is an everyday part of our lives and the likelihood is that our babies are going to look at it when it's on, we just need to be sensible about how often that happens and for how long.

[alibobble]

wow this is a pretty heated debate. I've made the decision to not have the TV on during the day but then DD is my PFB! I think I made the decision so as not to become a telly adict myself as am SAHM! dd is 23 weeks and mesmerized if the TV is on. I was shocked and decided to avoid it because she seems to get over stimulated after and seems dead hyper.her one bit of TV each week is to watch strictly come dancing on a sat night and we dance round the room between bottle and tea before bath and bed! I find that she like the radio and use that instead. Someone will tell me that's bad too but I was brought up with v limited TV and lots of Radio 4! I hope that this way I'll have more say on limiting how much tv dd watches when she's older because she won't be used to watching it. It does make things more difficult as she needs entertaining lots and is awake pretty much all day (but does sleep at night - hurry!)

I understand why people say it gets more difficult when there is another baby and how do you feed baby and entertai other etc. my mum always read me a story while BF my sister and now my sister is world most avid reader! Who knows, Maybe she would have been anyway.

I chose not to put dd infrnt of the TV because I've seen what it does to her. I can understand wanting a few minutes peace tho. hope that makes sense.

[TwinkleInSantasEye]

I meant to say in my previous post that I know that you were referring to your baby looking at the TV when it happens to be on, chickpeamum. I wouldn't worry too much about these American studies if I were you. Common sense is the key I think.

[mrsnoah]

Sit your 9wk old in front of the washing machine instead ? All mine still prefer it. Certainly better than the crap thats on kids tv anyway

[TwinkleInSantasEye]

Must say I would never have kids TV on for a baby - that really would mess with their head! I don't plan on him watching much of it when he's older either - so much c**p. But I can't see the harm in him looking at BBC Breakfast or the news, I have to say. My DS likes the washing machine as well BTW.

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

LOL at this thread, thought that it was one of those typical joke ones like
'would you let your 2 year old eat a sausage roll and drink a fruit shoot whilst in the pushchair?'

Seriously, I don't see a problem with 10 mins infront of the tv, but would prefer baby to have a music box or a baby play gym with sounds etc. Ds would spend hours (well maybe not hours) in his play gym. He 'watched'baby bright from around 4 months old, which he loved and still does at age 22 months.
I am careful about what he watches, he generally watches teletubbies while we eat lunch and the koala brothers while I get tea ready!

I don't see how a 9 week old is going to watch tv for long anyway, ds would have fallen asleep or would have wanted to move around to look at something else!