too much dvd's myth or fact

the girls absolutely love their einstein dvds..little einsteins..mickeys playhouse and some of sesame.. is it really that bad to make them watch these things? i think the girls learned alot from them like how to clap hands..wave etc.. plus with the help of dh and i ..lol but i hear people saying all of the time not to let them watch any tv etc.. what are ur views>

 

the girls absolutely love their einstein dvds..little einsteins..mickeys playhouse and some of sesame.. is it really that bad to make them watch these things? i think the girls learned alot from them like how to clap hands..wave etc.. plus with the help of dh and i ..lol but i hear people saying all of the time not to let them watch any tv etc.. what are ur views>

 

My girls love their dvds! They are entertaining and give us an activity to during the day. I sit and watch the dvds with them and point out things and talk to them. They are also a way for me to occupy the girls while I unload the dishwasher or have my coffee, which is a necessity if we are all going to survive (lol). I don't see any bad in them unless I stuck the girls in front of the tv all day to get out of real mothering.

 

Our tv is home all day while the DC and I are at home and usually at night aswell. Through out the day the tv plays baby einstine and movies but I have to tell you that the boys dont just sit and watch tv. they might watch for a few min then go off and play then come back. So far I cant say that the boys have learned anything from watching tv and everything from interacting with dh and myself. But they are not in to watching tv either. I have it on all day for back ground noise.

Personal choice I guess but there is suck a thing as too much tv but thats for the parents to decide. I know parent that turn on the tv and the kids are zoned thats to much tv.

 

Mine aren't watching tv yet (obviously!) but my opinion is that it's ok as long as it's something worthwile. I watched tons of TV as a kid but my parents always made sure I was watching educational shows. PBS was a staple in our house and I could read when I was 4 by watching the Electric Company. I also loved to watch nature shows to learn about animals, etc.
If the TV is on for background noise I would keep an eye on what comes on because we obviously don't want the kids watching Jerry Springer
PS - my sister got hooked on The Price Is Right as a toddler and still watches it (she's 25) We all thought it was the funniest thing seeing a 3-year-old bid on the Showcase Showdown, but maybe there is something to it. She works in retail management now

 

This is what the American Acadmeny of Pediatrics says on TV viewing. It says their is a positive impact on learning, but it doesn't recommend TV for kids under 2. I agree! I think that all the things they learn before 2 should come from humans - after 2 they have the mind capacity to understand tv and learn from it. My twins watch NO tv and my 2 year old watch movies when I feed the babies. Just my 2 cents. Here's the recommendation:


Time

Children in the United States watch about four hours of TV every day. Watching movies on tape or DVD and playing video games only adds to time spent in front of the TV screen. It may be tempting to use television, movies and video games to keep your child busy, but your child needs to spend as much time exploring and learning as possible. Playing, reading and spending time with friends and family are much healthier than sitting in front of a TV screen.
Nutrition

Studies show that children who watch too much television are more likely to be overweight. They do not spend as much time running, jumping and getting the exercise they need. They often snack while watching TV. They also see many commercials for unhealthy foods, such as candy, snacks, sugary cereals and drinks. Commercials almost never give information about the foods children should eat to keep healthy. As a result, children may persuade their parents to buy unhealthy foods.

Learning

Television affects how your child learns. High-quality, nonviolent children's shows can have a positive effect on learning. Studies show that preschool children who watch educational TV programs do better on reading and math tests than children who do not watch those programs. When used carefully, television can be a positive tool to help your child learn.

For older children, high-quality TV programs can have benefits. However, for younger children it's a very different story. The first two years of life are especially important in the growth and development of your child's brain. During this time, children need good, positive interaction with other children and adults to develop good language and social skills. Learning to talk and play with others is far more important than watching television.

Until more research is done about the effects of TV on very young children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television for children younger than two years of age. For older children, the AAP recommends no more than one to two hours per day of quality screen time.

 

I agree with pp be careful what you have on your tv for background noise... We dont have reg tv so what is on our tv is only whats in the dvd player.....

 

As a matter of personal choice I am not in favor of allowing the babies to watch TV/videos, for a variety of reasons, including that, regarding regular TV and many videos, the images change too rapidly for such youngsters and the video and sound are usually overstimulating, IMO. I found it interesting, and unsettling, to see how DD and DS reacted to television screens and computer monitors when they were tiny tiny infants! We quickly learned that if we walked into a room with one of them (esp. with DD), and a television was on in that room, the TV had to go off. Period. It was annoying with computers because when they were very little and I was virtually living in the nursery the computer was very important to me, to catch up on emails or organize photos, etc. But DD was positively transfixed, and we didn't like it at all.

That said, I have resorted to using videos on occasion, albeit as infrequently as I can, usually as a means to try and avert total meltdown as we near the evening bottle, when I'm running around trying to get things ready for bed and they are in prime meltdown mode. Now, it's DS who gets transfixed by Sesame Beginnings or Baby Einstein (and oddly, DD just cries, although I'm pretty sure that's cause I'm leaving the room and not because she's afraid of baby Elmo. But...you never know!) I've noticed DH occasionally sitting with one or the other of the babies watching a Notre Dame game or something...can't say I approve but, there it is.

 

For me it wasn't a risk I wanted to take whether it was a myth or fact.

 

I'm not a big fan of tv, so it stays off most of the day at my house. My kids watch Saturday morning cartoons and I let my 2yo watch kids shows while I get the house cleaned each day (an hour tops). When she's sick, however, I keep the tv on all day in the hopes that she'll veg out and rest.

 

I let them watch some! I use it for my benefit

I am reading a book about making the terrible twos terrific and it has prompted me to cut out most tv/dvd watching. The reasoning for me (as I have 20 mo. olds and wouldn't have changed my habits when they were under a yr.) was that they are NOW learning to use their imagination and the tv/dvd's take that away. They veg out in front of it and don't play or look at their books or use their imaginations... so, that's why I am NOW doing it.

I think earlier on it showed them and taught them different things that I didn't. That's just why I am doing it now, so that I can help them develop their imagination!

 

I let my DD watch Baby Einstein when she was little (in between about 9 months and 2 years). She would only watch it in moderation and she loved it. She knew colors, shapes, letters, etc. EXTREMELY early. I did take their DVD recommendations and actually sit down with her and point to the things they were showing. She quickly established a great vocabulary and could recognize pieces of classical music at an early age.

As she's grown, she has wanted to watch other things like Disney movies or cartoons. No problem - we just limit the time she can watch. And also, the new rule for school days is if the sun is out - no TV. Also, no TV in the mornings.

 

Our TV is always on in the background and the boys don't pay it much attention, except when Dancing with the Stars was on LOL. I don't see anything wrong with letting them watch their Baby Einstein videos.

Jen

 

As long as it's kept to a minimum and they aren't deluged with commercials, I think that a little TV is fine (if just for the rest it provides you ). I didn't let the girls watch Baby Einstein until they were mobile though so that they could leave if they became disinterested. We watched one DVD every other day or so.

At 15 months, we started with the Signing Time series and loved it. They usually watched a Signing Time every day and it really helped with their communication skills along with teaching them concepts like ABCs.

We don't have the antenna hooked up at our house so it is DVDs only and that makes it very easy to show only "educational" fare (except for when Paul hooks the attenna up for football on Sunday ). Ainsley and Sierra still usually only see a DVD every 2-3 days at this point and it's usually when I am reaching a meltdown stage.
They watch regular TV when we are on trips and it amazes me how many commericals there are, even on stations like PBS or those "child-only" channels on DirectTV. I'd rather they weren't exposed to that day in and day out.