Wesley sent me an article the other day that was published in the Austin American Statesman about kids and TV and why television isn’t good for toddlers. As he sat in the kitchen sending the article to me and I lay in our bed reading it, our kid sat next to me in bed watching Mickey Mouse;I couldn’t help but be offended. You see I allow Lincoln to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jake and the Neverland Pirates around 3-5 mornings per week. I can’t help it. I’m not quite ready to be Pollyanna at 7 am, but I do the best that I can by getting up, giving Lincoln his morning milk, plopping him down in his bean bag chair, and giving him some good ole’ tube time. I certainly don’t allow him to watch television all day, it’s usually only for 30 minutes or so, and the TV is off for the rest of the day until after Lincoln goes to bed, but still this article forced me to reevaluate TV time in my house.
You can read the article in its entirety here, but the point was that children under the age of 2 are incapable of processing television. Studies have shown that children were just as engaged in what was on television if the show was in rewind mode as they were if it were playing in normal mode. The main premise is that television shouldn’t be used as a baby sitter for your child and that television promotes less play time with toys and less communication from the parents to the child.
I definitely agree with certain aspects of the article, but I can’t help but disagree with some of the points as well. Lincoln is only 16 months old, but I allowed him to start watching the Backyardigans as well as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse around the age of 4 months. After a few times of watching the shows, he began recognizing the songs, he also began to have television preferences (prefers Mickey Mouse Clubhouse over Jake and the Neverland Pirates), and while he’s not counting yet from watching the shows, he definitely would know if the show was in rewind mode and would become disinterested if it stayed that way. I certainly can’t say that he’s learning an invaluable life lesson from the Cartoon Network at this stage in his life, but I don’t feel like the amount of TV time he is allowed is hindering his life in any way either.
I agree that television should never be used as a baby sitter for your child, but what’s wrong with taking a 30 minute break to eat some lunch or take a shower? As a stay at home mom I find it so difficult to find the time for myself throughout the day. And I’m sure this isn’t just a stay at home mom problem either… it’s just a parent problem! And like I said in the beginning of this post, I was offended that Wesley sent me this article because it made me wonder if he was questioning my morning routine and thus my parenting skills. And then I realized I was on the defense, because he has no clue what it’s like to be an “on” parent 24/7… even though Wesley will always be a parent, he is able to get that separation from the hours of 7:30 am to 5:30 pm whereas I wake up with Lincoln at 7 am and am with him all day every day until he goes to bed at 7 pm. I change every diaper, feed every meal, soothe every fall, say every no, wash both sets of cheeks every night, and occasionally I BELIEVE IN TELEVISION! Okay, I can breathe now.
This article was not on the extreme end of the spectrum regarding television time and actually gave an informative perspective, but I’m curious how other moms and dads that I can relate to do it? When did you start allowing your child to watch TV? How long do you allow TV time? How many days per week? Let’s do a little Austin Moms Blog study of our own. Who knows, maybe Wesley is right, I’m wrong, and I do need to change up the amount of allowed television time in our home.
I’m surprised no one has chimed in yet on this article. I have to say that television in moderation along with carefully selecting the program can be beneficial for a child Lincoln’s age. My son is probably about a month or so younger than yours and our morning routine since 13 months of age has been him watching a 30-minute Signing Time DVD while I make breakfast. I have to say this program has been incredible for my son Nathan’s vocabulary. My husband and I each committed to learning the signs shown in the DVDs we have and use them with Nathan whenever we can. My first shock came when he was about 14 1/2 months old and we were in the pet store to purchase cat food: when we passed by the fish, he signed “fish” – that is definitely not a sign we have the opportunity to use often, so the learning came from the show. These days he tells me with signs when he wants to sleep or eat and even signed to my husband “mom wash hands” when he saw me at the sink after breakfast this morning.
It’s tough knowing exactly what to do with your kiddos, and especially tough if both parents aren’t in agreement over some things. If this really does become an issue, maybe you guys could compromise on what it is that your son watches.
Thank you so much for giving us your thoughts!!! Yes, I agree–some shows are more beneficial than others. I may have to look up the DVD you are referencing.
I think after a few days alone with Lincoln this past weekend, my husband has a new found appreciation for the TV! Haha!