Little Ones + TV

[JK]

A recent study recommends that children younger than 2 years of age shouldn't be watching any TV ... As a fairly recent parent with a child that falls into this category, I would be interested in people's thoughts and experiences on it?

Article can be found here --> http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/comm ... 01,00.html

[Dirko]

LMAO !!

Try telling my 2 y/o she can't watch Doro, Playschool or Sesame Street...

Incidentally, we have a little girl at our Kindy, who's parents speak Japanese as their main language. The Mum is native Japanese
and only speaks Japanese to the girl as her English is just plain crap, but the Dad is an Aussie who speaks Japanese to the wife but
English to the girl, which would be maybe an hour per day.

The little girl watches TV and according from what I could gather from her Mum, has learnt most of her English from Playschool etc
(from DVD's sent to Japan from Grandparents).

She loves Dora too, and can speak Spanish as a consequence

My kids love the "kids shows" and as long as the balance is right between TV, playtime, outside time, learning time etc, then it's
no problem.....

[Hondo]

I think there's a balance to everything. The TV, as long as it's not on all day, can be a great short term baby sitter and they enjoy it. Giving mums and dads a short break has other benefits for everyone.

Educational DVDs like "Baby Blinks" are great. Our toddler can count to 10 and we don't know where he learned it from other than either child care or Baby Blinks. Most junior kids shows on Foxtel are too loud and annoying so we use DVDs mostly + playschool and Humphrey sometimes. Currently they are watching Thomas because Coles have Thomas DVDs on sale.

We find our toddler actually starts to wonder off after half and hour anyway so even he gets sick of it.

We do a bit of TV in the morning and then again around the witching hour 5-6.

[whufc]

mmmmmmmmm.........................................im wondering how the program "In the night Garden" would help any childs development, maybe it teaches them to stay off the drugs.

[Choccies]

mmmmmmmmm.........................................im wondering how the program "In the night Garden" would help any childs development, maybe it teaches them to stay off the drugs.

I thought exactly the same thing you know...... cos my youngest lad just loves it !!! But apparentely it teaches them that going to sleep is a wonderful thing and all of these magical things happen at night when you are asleep. Apparentely makes the 'going to sleep' process alot easier to encourage... Now I think it's a crock but he sleeps like a log, all night, evey night so he can watch it as much as he likes for all I care !!

[Footy Chick]

mmmmmmmmm.........................................im wondering how the program "In the night Garden" would help any childs development, maybe it teaches them to stay off the drugs.

I thought exactly the same thing you know...... cos my youngest lad just loves it !!! But apparentely it teaches them that going to sleep is a wonderful thing and all of these magical things happen at night when you are asleep. Apparentely makes the 'going to sleep' process alot easier to encourage... Now I think it's a crock but he sleeps like a log, all night, evey night so he can watch it as much as he likes for all I care !!

Pfft! Bring back fat cat! He was educational AND he told us when to go to bed

I never argued with him

[Farmy]

It is easy to do, just don't put your kid in front of a tv in the first place and it shouldn't be a problem. Well atleast for good parents who aren't lazy.

[Felch]

I hope with a statement like that Farmy, you actually have kids yourself...

My kids watch minimal TV. My eldest loses interest in TV very quick, she would be lucky to watch 15 minutes of a program before she is bored. She is terrible at the movies!!! My second daughter loves TV, to the extent she would watch almost anything. She has got interested in I Dream of Jeannie, and Bewitched since the new Go channel has started! We have to curtail the amount she watches, otherwise she would watch 24/7 if you let her. A little bit in the morning, and Play School or something in the arvo is plenty.

All common sense really, as with everything, moderation is the key.

[Felch]

mmmmmmmmm.........................................im wondering how the program "In the night Garden" would help any childs development, maybe it teaches them to stay off the drugs.

I thought exactly the same thing you know...... cos my youngest lad just loves it !!! But apparentely it teaches them that going to sleep is a wonderful thing and all of these magical things happen at night when you are asleep. Apparentely makes the 'going to sleep' process alot easier to encourage... Now I think it's a crock but he sleeps like a log, all night, evey night so he can watch it as much as he likes for all I care !!

Pfft! Bring back fat cat! He was educational AND he told us when to go to bed

I never argued with him

What did Fat Cat teach you? He was a mute, orange cat who hung around with a drug-smoking hippy with a guitar...

In the Night Garden is a bizarre show, my 4 year old loves it. Anyone seen Yo-Gabba-Gabba ? Makes In the Night Garden seem highly educational...

[Choccies]

It is easy to do, just don't put your kid in front of a tv in the first place and it shouldn't be a problem. Well atleast for good parents who aren't lazy.

Well that's a pretty stupid thing to say Farmy........ If I didn't think you were a complete tool I'd be insulted that you'd call any parent lazy and single them out as being 'not good parents' simply for allowing a child to watch some TV...

My eldest lad loves being in front of the TV but that can be attributed primarily to his Autism. My youngest lad watches minimal TV and is bored of it within minutes so as you can see (hopefully...) each child is different...

[TEX07]

It is easy to do, just don't put your kid in front of a tv in the first place and it shouldn't be a problem. Well atleast for good parents who aren't lazy.

Ridiculous comment farmy! We have 2 kids, one is 2 years old and the other 2 weeks old. Right about now if my son would not sit down and watch a half an hour to an hour of TV each day my wife would go balmy. She is far from lazy and a great parent. I suspect you either (a) you dont have children or (b) live in a dirty house that never gets cleaned, maybe you eat plenty of take away also? Pretty sure you should stick to hugging trees rather than making dumb comments like this one!

[Psyber]

The comments posted in several places I've seen suggest people are not getting the idea that early excessive exposure to TV seems to induce shorter concentration spans, and that traditional childhood games made up by the children seem to enhance their capacity to sustain concentration, and enhance their inventiveness, in a lasting way.
[That may in itself be a product of their reduced reading comprehension due to their childhood exposure.]

I can't find one right now, but I've read studies in journals suggesting that, even in adolescents and young adults, excessive time playing computer games enhances short term focus and responsiveness at the cost of inducing an attention deficit disorder like syndrome, and that if this goes on long enough it could cause a permanent shift, impairing the capacity for the sustained concentration required in some jobs and professions.

I don't think a total ban on TV for toddlers makes much sense, but we all should think about the consequences of these risks, and the amount of time spent in these activities.

[Pseudo]

The television, properly administered, is a useful educational tool for kids; even for those < 2 years old.

I would find it very satisfying to punch any of those smarmy so-and-sos who smugly announce that they never let their kids watch TV.

[JAS]

Obviously treating the tv as some sort of free babysitting service would be detrimental to a small child but I think some kids tv can be good for them...even if it looks like complete rubbish to us...especially if you take the trouble to sit with the child and watch too...and join in with the dancing, actions etc

As a serial babysitter to my godson in his pre-school days we used to occasionally watch some tv and I'd play dumb and ask him what was going on and he would get very involved in explaining what we were watching and who was who etc so didn't seem to do any harm to his concentration or communication skills...oh yeh and he's now totally hooked on reading books and is very proud of having read 6 Dragonwatch books in a weekend not bad for for a lad who'll be 8 next Monday

All things in moderation.

Regards
JAS

[Thiele]

I watch the Wiggles Video with my 19 month old Neice. It keeps her happy for while. She justs stare and dance along with songs.

[Psyber]

... All things in moderation.
Regards
JAS

Spot on!

[Hondo]

An ex of mine had a sister who liked to sleep in so when her toddler woke up around 7 she would get a packet of sweet biscuits and turn on ABC for Kids and leave him on his own until 9am so she could get 2 hours more sleep

She didn't have a job to go to either.

I don't know how regular this was but there's an example of what not to do.

[Choccies]

An ex of mine had a sister who liked to sleep in so when her toddler woke up around 7 she would get a packet of sweet biscuits and turn on ABC for Kids and leave him on his own until 9am so she could get 2 hours more sleep

She didn't have a job to go to either.

I don't know how regular this was but there's an example of what not to do.

Lazy kid couldn't get their own sweet biscuits out ?? Pffft....

[Il Duce]

My kids are 3 and 2 they watch maybe a max of 1 1/2 hours a day, Dora, Wiggles and Lazy Town, then they either want to draw, read a book or play, only problem with lazy town is my son trys the main characters moves and I've found him attempting hand stands and twist but otherwise they are to energetic to just sit and watch tv and do nothing else.

Btw What Hondo said is correct that is what you dont do and Farmy stupid comment to be honest.

[Dutchy]

My Kids watch TV and my son has learnt to count solely via watching TV!!!

Like others said, as long as they do other things then its fine....our kids have a mixture of TV, playng in rooms, playing outside, playing Wii, riding bikes, playing in the park etc etc

Ive never once had the kids complain when I turn the TV off, they know there are plenty of other things to do....many times when Ive offered the TV cause they are "bored" they refuse!

Also gives us an extra half hour in bed in the morning, i set the TV to come on at 7am on Playhouse Disney...they know they are not allowed out of their bedroom until they hear the TV on...