how much tv does your baby watch?

[missytequila]

I have taken to putting my 4 month old baby in front of the tv watching cbeebies,etc in the morning when I need to do a few chores...sometimes in the afternoon too. At the same time I feel a bit guilty and am worried about creating a bad habit... how much do you let your babies watch tv??

It depends if it is an every day occurrence or a one off.

I used to put ds in front of cbeebies a lot if I needed to do things as he was very clingy and had bad reflux, so it was the only way of keeping him amused at that age.

But I did also go out to baby massage classes, or out for a nice walk in the buggy, occasionally under the play gym, but this was limited due to his reflux.

Do you have a play gym for her? Or an activity bouncer or something?

Sorry I meant to ask - how long are you letting her watch in total per day do you think?

I have to say at 4mo I wouldn't let her
DD is 9mo and she 'watches' TV if she happens to be in the room while ds is watching it - maybe one programme a fortnight.
DS otoh watches far too much

Your baby would most likely prefer to watch you doing whatever you have to do. Do you have a bouncy seat?

I didn't let him watch any. At that age she would be just as happy watching you do your chores, wouldn't she?

My DS is 9 months and doesn't watch tv. As marsha says I put him in a baby bouncer at that age or used the sling. Couldn't use the playgym as he had reflux although I did get a wedge for him. I also used to put him in his cot with some toys sometimes.

Or you could get a travel cot and use it as a playpen? Very handy for when they start crawling too!

i wouldn't at that age, baby gym or swing wpuld be much better!
my ds is 3.5 and wathes about 2h a day: in the morning and when cook and he tends to watch a movie @ weekend

Hi missy, don't feel guilty I think its fine, my DS is 5mo and I pop in front of cbeebies for some time most days (he's particulary keen on zingsillas!), I also pop in in his play pen with toys or in his bouncy chair or highchair sometimes too when I need to get stuff done too, and sometimes he's happy to watch me in the kitchen and other times he's not and cbeebies is the only thing that'll keep him occupied..... If I'm honest I do feel a little bit guilty about the telly thing myself but sometimes you need to entertain them for 20mins whilst just have a bloody shower and to be fair its not like he's watching it ALL day!

I sometimes watch one episode of either 'Something Special' or 'Big Barn Farm' (haven't found anything else I 'like' yet) with my 10 mo DD during the graveyard hour (i.e we've been up since 5:30, played with everything in the house, had breakfast and it's still not yet nap time). Only been doing this a few weeks and she laughs at the programmes, but can only watch about two minutes, climbs down, plays, comes back for another two minutes. Just keeps me going through another cup of coffee really.

Hi,

DD (8 months) watches up to about an hour several times a week. I originally planned not to let her watch any, but she was fascinated by the winter olympics....

She goes swimming, to baby music, baby sensory, and we play a lot together, but sometimes I need to do a few things and it keeps her entertained, far more so than watching me! My back isn't up to carrying her around in a sling.

I've stopped feeling guilty about this as DD is turning out to be very sociable, happy and interactive. I just think she needs a bit of down time sometimes.

Ours don't watch any, as we don't have a tv.

My 12 month old doesn't watch tv, unless I'm bfing him and watching it myself; in that case he is much more interested in playing with my face and necklace than the tv.

Seems a bit strange to me to put a TV on for a baby. I guess they would be attracted to the lights and sounds, but "downtime" for a baby should be less stimulation, not more.

I'm not saying you should feel guilty, though, OP.

DD is fascinated by the TV, absolutly fascinated. She's a very physically active baby. Downtime may be the wrong word, but she's quite relaxed in that she's just sitting still and watching.

If I provided any less stimulation she would be grouchy with boredom.

All babies are different. I'm just presenting a view that actually small amounts of TV work really well for us. She also has opera DVDs (people, expressions and music) which she loves!

we dont have a TV and we seem to manage very well without one. I could always find something to entertain DS1 and 2 while I do something (cook, shower, whatever).
Im not too sure it is good to make a baby watch TV....

I agree a baby bouncer is a great idea so she can watch you and you can explain to her what you are doing, make her smell/taste what you are cooking for dinner etc...

my 6 months ds2 likes tv too. ds1 never watched @ this age but its on for ds1 now at different times throughout the day so he will roll and turn round to look at it. i dont really put him specifically to watch a program but he does seem to like itng

I think they are fascinated by it, but studies have shown that it isn't good for their brain development to have much exposure at all at this age.

PEDIATRICS Vol. 104 No. 2 August 1999, pp. 341-343

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
"Pediatricians should urge parents to avoid television viewing for children under the age of 2 years. Although certain television programs may be promoted to this age group, research on early brain development shows that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interactions with parents and other significant care givers (eg, child care providers) for healthy brain growth and the development of appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Therefore, exposing such young children to television programs should be discouraged. "

None - my dd just wouldn't be interested to watch tv she'd want to be with me, bf or chewing on things

as long as you still have other activities like playtime, running around, bouncing, interaction tv can be quite good for language and singing - my 2.5 sings along and recognises stuff, watches about an hour a day, more on the weekend

I don't know, because all the TV watching happens when my husband looks after our daughter, and he knows I hate TV so I don't think he's actually honest with me about how much she watches. Officially it's 30-60 minutes a day (she's 19 months) and even that is way outside my comfort zone, but he seems to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of CBeebies shows, which implies that he puts it on a lot more than that. And he is much more able than i am to, eg, send me emails while I'm at work and he's at home with her (she won't let me send emails), so I do wonder.

It's our one sticking-point.

Hmmm but you see bakingcakes the evidence is that it doesn't help with language development - in fact it slows language development, particularly for the under 2's.

article with relevant citations here

Or bakingcakes- you could just talk and sing to your baby yourself?

We don't have a television so my dc have watched no television as babies. They have excellent vocabularies, and know a lot of songs.

DS2 often catches sight of the TV if DS1 is watching something but he doesn't actually get to watch it IYSWIM.

He plays with the dangly things in his little playpen thingy if I need to put him down.

I don't remember my DS being interested in the Tv until he was about 1.

I do use it now though in the mornings he watches Raven while I get the jobs done that are too awkward for him to 'help' me with.

My ds is 10 months and sometimes watches in the morning- when he gets up at 4.30am, and I knackered (I work full time, and dh never does mornings)

It is bad, but I allow myself a rest. Not ideal, but neither is ice cream and I let him have that!

At 4 months my ds would not be left in cot with mobile on, or sat in swing/chair for more than 5 mins.

At four months my ds was with me in a sling or bouncy chair, watching me, or in his baby gym, which he loved. I would never put a baby in front of the television.