Exposure to TV

[Trialanderror]

I am curious at what age you exposed your infant or toddler or preschooler to TV for the first time and what kind of effect it had on their behaviour, what they were watching and how much on average. I used to be a radical opponent of TV but realize it also has some benefits.

[tatrobyrd]

in my experience the tv has done my daughter wonders.she only watches things like baby einstein, sesame street, blues clues and things like that. she started watching baby einstein at 3 months old. she now is 27 months old. she can count to 16, she sings many songs, speaks extremely well, knows her colors and shapes (even a pentagon which amazes me for a 2 year old). if you write any letter of the alphabet she can tell you what it is and get it right 95% of the time. some dont agree but she has a tv in her room which is on all day. she doesnt just sit there tho. she plays hard all day long and seems to have quite the imagination. she doesnt just sit and watch. she is constantly playing and talking and singing. for her the tv shows that she watches which are most definitly age appropriate, has helped her in many ways. having a full time job and being a full time mom, those shows have tought her things i would not have had time for. just wanted to share my story since the tv has benefited her as well. also her father and i or her cousins are always playing wiht her so the tv is used as a tool, not a babysitter

[anxiousmomtobe?]

I think tv for preschoolers is fine as long as it is not excessive and the child is still very physically active.  With my dd (now 15) I banned tv.  I'm much older now (notice I did not say wiser)and let my ds (3) watch tv and videos.

[socgirl]

Oh...i forgot to comment on your second post..

That's an interesting point you brought up about infants and tv / computer games.  I can see how the stimulation of such things takes away from more positive stimulation like direct interaction with people/parents.  I don't know that any studies have been done specifically on that, but i know there were some studies concerning ADHD and tv time...i think at one time it was thought that too much tv...like tv all day, particularly for very young children can contribute to ADHD.  It kind of makes sense...i think the study had more to do with adult tv like sports programming, grey's anatomy, etc..i don't think it pertained to tv specifically geared for children.  In shows like that, there is so many different things going on at one time and their little brains are still trying to elarn how to process events....too much going on at one time means they're trying to understand everything at once, sending their minds into overdrive and hyperstimulation.  I know my brother and his wife have the tv on all freakin' day long and their oldest daughter sho is 4 now, was very delayed in her speech...she didn't utter a single coherent word until she was 3...not even mom, dad, no, etc.  Alot could have contributed to this, or it could be just the way she was...but i still feel the constant tv in the background contributed to it and the fact her parents didn't seem to have the time to read to her or actually teach her things...she got what she wanted by pointing at objects and they didn't actually make her say it.  have a good night

[socgirl]

happy new year to you as well! :)

[Trialanderror]

That is so interesting what you are saying. I read about the correlation of TV and ADD as well only to see updates later on that all of this was nonsense. Once you have a baby, though, you only have to watch their reactions to find out what promotes and hinders development. For sure the early "wiring" of their brain centers needs to be protected from entanglement. As the books say there are "windows of opportunity" to feed a newborn and infant with just the relevant information or stimulation that he can process at that certain stage. And I am sure that the general TV with commercials is just a killer. Even I remember getting some mental overload in the early eighties when everything on TV seemed to be moving faster, shorter, crazier than before. As for your niece, there is always the possibility that frequent ear infections may have caused the speech delay, however I prefer your theory... My son never even caught a glimpse of TV until 15 months and then only about 10 minutes of Baby Einstein every other day until 3 1/2. That was by his own choice because he preferred to play with me. While in many areas he developed slowly, his vocabulary seemed to go from zero to thousands in a blink. Nowadays at age 4 he is known to be a thinker with an incredibly creative mind. At least he will never be bored... Well, thank you for your great thoughts! Gotta go now to catch the fireworks.

[Trialanderror]

Exactly. Moderation is key and not to use it as a babysitter.
As for the educational value, the baby einstein type videos are a great start for toddlers to categorize and discover the world around them. They are calm and simple and do not overstimulate. Before that age, though, I still find that grown-up TV that is permanently blaring in the background can disrupt social and mental development by drawing the infant`s attention away from the communication with their caregivers. Not sure if any studies have been done on this, it is just an observation.
As for infant TV and computer games, I feel almost sorry for the babies that learn to appreciate staring at a screen that early rather than exploring the simple things and their parents faces in real life. Real life is 3D and touchable. A screen remains a screen. Thanks for your comment, socgirl, and Happy New Year (now where did I ut that remote control....just kidding).

[socgirl]

I don't know that there is any benefit from having an infant watch tv...though i don't think it hurts them either.  As for toddlers...things that are some what educational as well as entertaining works.  baby einstein is good and anything like that.  Sesame street is also ok.  the important thing to remember about babies and tv is moderation. An hour or so a day is fine...but don't be surprised if your little one wants to watch the same programs over and over, and over again...multiple times in a row....limits need to be placed.  I don't feel there is anything wrong at all with tv...it only becomes a problem when parents use tv as a babysitter and the tv is on all day long with the kid parked in front of it.