Tv's and Baby

[Falsley]

Hi all, Just want to get your opinions on babies and their exposure to TV.
I have a 20wo DS and don't like her watching TV. I don't tend to put the TV on during the day although at about 4pm when all she wants to do is feed I do put it on and make sure that she is turned away from it at all times.
At the weekend I was at with family and had to ask them to turn her away from the telly - my sister-in-law, who has two of her own children said she had never heard that telly watching telly was bad for babies - after all its just lights!
I explained that I thought it was bad for them because it moved so fast and they did turn my ds away from the telly but I wonder if I am being over cautious?

My DS never watches TV at home, although my parents have him one night a week and have introduced him to international rugby and Morse I couldn't quote but I'm sure it's bad for their brain development if babies and toddlers watch TV before they're 2. One friend has a DS the same age as mine and in his playroom have a wall-mounted plasma screen with the 'Baby Channel' on at all times except when he's sleeping. He is ummmmmm... boisterous?

You will, no doubt, get MNers on here saying CBeebies is a lifesaver when you want 15 minutes to get housework done but I wouldn't advocate that and I don't think you're being overcautious.

Thanks AKMD - I'm sure its bad for their brain development as well. Glad I'm not the only one that doesn't like tv for babies.

Seriously akmd?!

My lo cranes his neck to see the tv from wherever he is but I have a preschooler so we do have it on, though never just for background.

Op, great that you don't have the tv on at home but think you may be being a little precious asking people to turn her around when they are holding her.

Which bit? Seriously everything :)

DS is exactly the same in that if there is a screen, he will watch it. Bit like me which is why I don't watch TV or I end up sleep-deprived from having to continue watching rubbish about designing your own house and building it from matchsticks.

DD1 'watched' the entire Sex And The City box set before the age of 3 months... doesn't seem to have done her any harm

DD2 is 7 months and if we have Cbeebies on for DD1 I do try and sit her facing away from it as she will just stare... I think it's the bright colours of kids telly, adult tv doesn't have the same effect. I'm very much an everything in moderation person though, obviously if they watch tv all day long it is harmful but a bit of exposure here and there won't hurt.

I do think asking people to turn the baby away from the telly age 20 weeks is a bit precious, and they probably had a snigger about it behind your back. Sorry.

I mean the baby channel in your friend's play room. I'm astounded!

Ah, that. Yes it's true and he has favourite characters that send him into full bananas mode. These babies are less than 1.

I wouldnt purposefully pop a baby down in front of a TV, and do generally keep it off in the day, apart from brief peppa episodes for DD1, but I do think it's a bit OTT to ask someone to turn your baby away from it, yes!

I don't think half an hour at someone's house is actually going to damage a brain, they are just looking at bright lights after sll, the problem is more that ongoing watching might well hamper brain development, as obviously it's time spent not playing / using imagination etc.

I would echo what privetdancer said re the half an hour at someone's house damaging their brain. That being said, I'm not a great fan of tv for children, and we had a no tv policy for our dc. She was nearly 7 before she watched any :o but I realise that's quite unusual, and most people would think I'm a nutter.

I meant to put a shocked smiley, rather than a smug cow one

The Children's Hospital in Seattle did research that suggests every hour a day of TV increases the likelihood of ADHD by 10%. That study has not been reproduced as far as I'm aware, so it's not that convincing to me. But I don't see the need.

But I believe most of the problems experts have had with kids watching TV is that when the TV is on kids don't do the other things they would be doing that are good for them. TV on in the background significant;y decreases the amount of talking adults do, lowering kids exposure to language in a useful context, kids who watch TV for hours at a time aren't exploring and using their other senses as much, meaning they aren't building up the nerve pathways they otherwise would.

I wouldn't want my 20wo watching the TV, and there's no harm in turning her away, but I don't think half an hour from time to time is going to do her any harm. There are more important things you can get your relatives to do for you all! The problem seems to be when they're watching everyday.

Because of what I've read, and the fact I'm a bit bah-humbug about TV anyway, my kids rarely watch. They're two this month and have seen maybe 20 hours total in their lives. I use it when I'm pretty much too sick to move but still need to look after them. Other than that it's not on until after they go to bed.

Because I find one of my kids is very affected by it, I even try to be sparing when I'm sick. I don't like the way they seem to get hooked on it.

OK - so maybe I'm over-reacting, but the TV in question is a hugh 50" TV and she was sitting less than a meter away from it which is why I wanted her turned away.
I'll try not to be so precious when its a normal TV - Can you tell she's my first!

You should insist on gold plated TVs for your first .

I don't like having the TV on around DS (10 months) either, as he ends up starting at the screen. So, we try to put music on during the day instead. The only exception to this tends to be the odd couple of episodes of Peppa Pig, and Heineken Cup/International rugby (which he shows no interest in).