Now recommended no TV at all for under 3's

[Furball]

Just seen on BBC news it is now recommended no TV at all for under 3's but can't find any info about it on their website.

TV has an adverse effect on my dd's behaviour, she's nearly three. It does seem to stress her out, particularly in the afternoons and she becomes very difficult. I just put it down to overstimulation due to the noise and flashing lights. It tires her out without using up her energy iyswim, and she becomes 'hyper'

I think people do underestimate the adverse effect TV can have on children.

I don't think tv is bad per se. Please don't compare Mr Tumble with child labour.

F&Z - what don't you understand about all things in moderation?

Think of it like food treats for example - of course you wouldn't feed your kids sweets and biscuits for every meal, but a bit now and then after a meal or as a reward won't do them any harm.

In my ideal world my children would watch no TV

This would be my ideal world where I am left to cook in peace while my other, interesting and child-focused extended family interacted with them in a positive and affirming way

As it is I will beat them out of the kitchen with a stick if they dare leave the sofa between 5-6pm

How DO you lentil-weavers spend so many hours cooking wholesome food in the kitchen if your children are not stuffed in front of the telly late-afternoon?

These kind of studies piss me off because it assumes that people AREN'T using TV responsibly

By which I mean, if that sample finds an AVERAGE child watches 4 hours PER DAY FROM BIRTH then a feck-loads of children are watching 8 hours a day.

Whereas I cannot believe that an hour a day of Mr Tumble is going to switch anyone's hormones off (except maybe mine)

BarbielovesKen can you provide studies that demonstrate the following because I don't believe them:

1. "Between the age of 0 and 3, we develop neural pathways to the brain.. after the age of 3 this stops"

1. "When a child is "mesmerised" watching tv, these pathways are not being created"

No prob Morningpaper,

www.whitedot.org/issue/iss_story.asp?slug=ADHD%20Toddlers

(sorry, im really rubbish at doing the link thing)

A quote from the above:

"Even a child playing with its own fingers has the neural patterning that comes from bending, flexing, stretching and grasping. Scientists tell us that the brain develops in completely unique ways between birth and three years. As a kiddie viddie baby sits "mesmerized", neural paths are not being created. This is crucial brain development that stops by age three."

Also, this is just one site, Ive seen evidence to support the above elsewhere but cant remember where, ill have a look for it for you....

Hmm dude that's some propaganda article

I'm thinking of something more substantial that doesn't include phrases like "kiddi viddi baby"

I bet that pathsways are being made, in the visual cortex.

That happens all the time, in the developing brain. Any memory is formed by this happening, and given that children do remember what they have seen on TV new synapses will have been made

there may be different pathways being forged, and that may or may not be important. But to say that no pathways are being made will be a gross over simplification

My understanding is that neural pathways are created all through life - it doesn't STOP

And the phrase "mesmerised" by TV needs unravelling - this is not scientific

I fail to see how neural pathway development can be STOPPED by any activity

Such hysteria! Today my daughter (2) has been to the park and the one o'clock club, has done some painting, been read stories and run about the house chasing the cat, had lunch and tea at the table and gone to pick her brother up from school. Her brother (5) had a breakfast including an homemade blueberry and banana smoothie, went to school and had a busy day. Came home. Played with his sister, did some enjoyable exercises to improve his handwriting (MB - it's working!), then cuddled up on the sofa with his sister with blankets over their knees to watch Mary Poppins together until teatime (pasta parcels and broccoli, followed by strawberries and home-made cake) then got in the bath with me for spelling tests (ds's favourite activity) and splashing (dd ditto), then stories and bath.
No neural pathways my arse.
The fact that this 'research' says you can 'catch' autism from the telly says to me exactly what a pile of utter crap it is.

I DO love Mary Poppins

DD is always singing "Although we adore men individually / We agree that as a group they're rather STUPID!" and falling about laughing saying "How RUDE mummy!"

fabulous Aloha
I doubt that you would debate the fact that you are in the minority there?

funny how this appeared on the same day I read in another paper that a genentic link to autism is being investigated - which is it to be, scientisty people?? easier to blame the parents I expect.
omg, what if they ever find out that loads of really bad parents spend most of their day on the internet while their kids have to amuse themselves. now that would be neglect

my child turned four in January and my friend bought him a card with Charlie and Lola on it . She asked him who they were and he said 'I dont know' she looked at me ( she likes to boss me about!) and said ' I thought all children knew who they are'
There is more to popular culture than bloody tv
I have parented two kind of separate generations - My 14,12,10 year old s and my 4 and 1 year old
Adults chatting away about Lazy-Town Charlie and Lola and that pets one did not comeinto it with the first bunch. Teetubbies came in about then and there ws a big hoo haa but it was more parents dissing it than seeming to actively encourage it

Of course if all children do from morning to night is watch adult tv, it isn't going to be good for them. But that doesn't mean that watching an hour of Mr Tumble et al is anything but very good for them. I think Cbeebies is fab for children. Gentle, intelligent tv, which has a great racial mix, includes children with disabilities, teaches them about art, music, books, ethics, early learning concepts, shows great role models. We must be the envy of the world for it. As part of the mix, I think it's great. As is Mary Poppins! (Yes, I always smirk at that line too, it even makes dh laugh) We sometimes have Saturday Morning Cinema too. Ds makes a poster advertising the title and time, makes tickets for us all, then we pull the curtains and sit on the sofa and watch something evil and corrupting like Peter Pan or The Black Cauldron for an hour as a family. It's SO nice.

Oh and my stepdaughter loved Band of Gold as a four year old for some reason ('I want to watch the ladies'!) She's 15 now and a nicer, more well-balanced and delicious teenager you could not hope to meet.

DS3 (aged 2.7) has been doing some lovely copying from Boogie Babies today - he has suspected ASD and getting him to copy is a big thing - so rock on CBeebies!

(write from the start it good isn't it? ds will now colour in! Joy of joys!)

If you weren't watching so much TV you would have missed this report.

One day there will be a study about children who watch lots of TV are fantastic musicians or some such thing.

I have started to drink coffee and worried I was doing something bad to my health I did a google and sure enough I found something to suggest that coffee is now a cure all.

I watch too much TV but I battle with depression and it does help lift my mood. I think I will initiate a study.......

Ooh, that's good Dino!

MB, ds loves the exercises and has shown a huge improvement in his handwriting. I'm very impressed.

Another study - Women who use MN lots are more likely to ..............

I see where you are coming fro Aloha but you are not the average household
I - personally dont watch kids tv
I did with my big ones but felt one of my children became preoccupied wit tv so restricted my 4th childs veiwing- he did not watch it until he was 3
Most kids come back from school and put the tv on and watch it until tea time. They watch a whatever comes on - they watch neighbours and the simpsons
I love mary Poppins and my heart jumps when ds sings 'supercalifragilisticexbyallidocious' its not that to which i object
Its 3.5hours a day ( SOOO easy to do) 7 days a week thats a day a week - two waking days a week
I dont know the figures for the average child ( can anyone steer me?) but i suspect its near this and i think that is sad

what is great is that we have repeated some, with a gap of about a week, and ds can see how much he has improved.....which has helped his confidence no end