How Much TV Should Babies Watch
TV and babies is a very controversial issue. Some people are totally against babies watching television. Some parents love the moments of peace it can give them to accomplish certain tasks, like showering or cooking. I have to say I am in the middle. I personally hate mindless television viewing for any of my children. I don't believe, however, that television viewing, in controlled amounts, has any negative effects on babies. I have allowed my children to watch television in the form of educational videos beginning at a few months old. My oldest, now 13 years old, has not suffered in any way from watching television as a baby. Neither have my other 5 children.
When I need to get something done and cannot entertain the baby myself, I opt for one of my favorite educational videos. I feel good knowing that the baby is taken care of for 30 minutes, enjoying something that will teach them something. They are not screaming their head off in a playpen somewhere, but learning something and enjoying the process.
I actually had a routine for my son. He would watch a video each morning. He looked forward to this and I knew that I would be nearby, cooking or doing some other household chore. If necessary, my children would view two educational videos a day, totaling one hour of television per day.
My son, now 4 years old, still enjoys watching television. Although he watched TV daily as a baby, he does not watch it every day anymore. He occupies himself with other activities. He may watch television maybe three days a week. As a family, we rarely watch television, there are so many other things to do. We do enjoy watching a concert or a movie together on a weekly basis.
Television, in controlled amounts of quality programming, can be a powerful tool for parents of small children.
Posted by Krista G. at 5/5/2009 1:37 PM 
Categories: My experiences
Tags: Babies and TV how much TV should babies watch
Categories: My experiences
Tags: Babies and TV how much TV should babies watch
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