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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

3 month old watching TV!

45 replies

julesmb · 27/05/2008 15:09

I have made the discovery that I can put my 12 week old dd1 in front of cbeebies and it keeps her entertained for up to an hour at a time (giving me much needed chances to catch up on everything else!) I'm feeling vaguely guilty although I know that she's just using it to develop colours and learn etc - what do you think? I spend lots of time with her everyday looking at the baby shapes book and under her 'baby gym' - shall I give myself a break or is TV bad for her even at this early age?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

AnyFuleKno · 27/05/2008 20:16

I am jealous of those of you whose dcs are content to watch you do housework! DD is screaming blue murder within five minutes of watching me do anything, even with singing, chatting and funny face pulling, the works. As for putting in sling, I find I can only do things that involve no bending down and no reaching in front...which rules out almost everything.

Naetha · 27/05/2008 20:22

DS (4 months) absolutely loves the news, and will make cooing noises at Kate Silverton and Christa Ackroyd. He also loves watching music channels.

I'm sure he'd love watching cartoons as well, I just don't see the point when he seems to enjoy watching stuff I enjoy just as much!

We're quite bad in our house for having the TV on when we're not really watching it, so we're both making a real effort to only turn the TV on for stuff we want to watch, and to really limit TV when DS is around.

Out of curiosity, at what age do your children stop liking to watch the news / listen to heavy metal (quietly of course!), and want to listen to nursery rhymes and watch cartoons?

angel1976 · 27/05/2008 20:29

Hi BEAUTIFUL, the ONLY thing that keeps DS truly happy is 'swimming' in the big boy's bath with daddy (and sometimes mummy!). He's so funny when he laughs cos he does this chuckling thing. Mind you, it doesn't happen often (a few times a day) but enough to get me through his grizzling period (usually late afternoon!). How old is your DS2 again?

BEAUTlFUL · 27/05/2008 21:55

He's 3 months. He was a late smiler (9 or 10 weeks! It killed me!) so I'm sure he's just keeping me waiting for the laugh, too.

Mavornia · 28/05/2008 08:38

this is really interesting

I've never parked ds in front of the tv but it's routinely on int he background, even when I'm playing with him on the floor etc

I hadn't thought of it having a deleterious effect on him

just turned it off after reading this

beansprout · 28/05/2008 08:42

Constant background noise can make it difficult for them to focus on you when you are talking to them. It's good to have some quiet time to help with their language development.

angel1976 · 28/05/2008 10:22

Hey BEAUTIFUL, my DS is 3 months too so they must be born fairly close together... Don't worry, my DS is a late smiler too... I told DH that he better be a smart and easy toddler given how difficult he can be as a baby!

Original poster

julesmb · 28/05/2008 10:41

Just to update - since all the advice yesterday I now have dd in her chair watching me as I am on the mac! And she's just as happy as in front of the TV!! Now I feel like an idiot for assuming she wouldn't be entertained by just watching me and looking out of the window...
By the way, nice to chat to you others who have LO's the same age! When do they usually start laughing? I'm waiting impatiently (although lots of big cheesy grins to keep me going in the meantime..)

OP posts:

angel1976 · 28/05/2008 13:26

Anytime now Julesmb! I would try blowing raspberries on your DD's tummy and also 'tickling' her and laughing in her face. Sometimes they try to mimick your expressions... My DS started laughing almost on the dot of 3 months. Now he cracks a smile/laugh unexpectedly...

Original poster

julesmb · 28/05/2008 14:06

Brilliant! She does love rasberry blowing on her tummy - and also likes having her feet kissed.. weirdly!

OP posts:

BouncingTurtle · 28/05/2008 14:24

I sometimes have cbeebies on in the background, especially when there are musical programmes on such as Tweenies songtime. But generally he is either sat on my lap and I am playing with him, or under his play gym or in his bouncy chair facing away from the TV.
I would never put him directly in front of the TV, I don't think it is good for his eyes. Plus there is no way he would sit where he is for a whole hour - he'll stay in one place for 20 minutes tops before he'll fuss to do something else.

Jules - I take my 5 mo ds to a mum and baby group called Tiny Treasures, we sing nursery rhymes and do actions for the babies or with the babies, and ds loves it - especially ones when I'm bouncing him on my knee, or holding him up high in the air. I do it regularly at home as well. Some of the more active ones are only suitable if your dd has good head control, but there others you can do. I sing "if you're happy and you know it" with actions such as tap your feet, tickle you tum, stroke your head - doing all the actions on him as he is laying in front of me. Why not try something like that?
As for housework, I put him in his bouncy chair and take him around the house with me doing one room at a time, and just chat to him as I'm doing it. Sometimes I do silly dances while I'm doing it, which makes him laugh . Takes about 3 times as long as it used to as sometimes I have to pick him up for a feed/cuddle/nappy change, but it gets down eventually!

BouncingTurtle · 28/05/2008 14:25

down = done

tuttuttut · 29/05/2008 09:32

This is being discussed on the wright stuff today in case anyone's interested

MrsBadger · 29/05/2008 09:52

'background' tv baffles me

'oh he's playing, he's not watching it'

wtf is it on then?

swiftyknickers · 29/05/2008 10:09

oh for gods sake

Mavornia · 29/05/2008 13:01

mrsbadger, it's on because I'm on my own all day in the middle east with a one year old son and having some noise in the background makes the day seem less lonely sometimes, specially as it's hard to go out alone and I know very few people here. I hope you are less "baffled now".

I find your post incredbly rude - really, is there any need for "wtf"?!

You were also unecessarily rude on a baby names thread where I suggested the name Harriet and you jumped all over me to say that the op would hardly like it.

I don't know what your problem is - maybe you should read your posts before posting.

MrsBadger · 29/05/2008 13:27

I do understand that it can get lonely in the house by yourself but I prefer to put on music or the radio as I find the visual distraction of the TV intrusive - this is a personal preference and as such I am none the wiser why others prefer otherwise. Thus wags the world.

I am sorry if you were offended by my use of 'wtf'.

The naming-thread post was tongue-in-cheek - the OP appeared to want novel non-traditional names (as evidenced by their liking for 'Auden') and my very first post on that thread self-deprecatingly derided my preference for traditional names. The raised eyebrow in my post of 10:57 was to the OP, not to you.

Mavornia · 29/05/2008 14:00

Thanks for your post

I'm not normally such a touchy prude

shall go and find dh and start a fight with him instead

Mavornia · 29/05/2008 14:05

meant especially, not specially above - inner pedant couldn't let the missed "e" go

StellaWasADiver · 29/05/2008 14:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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