Do you let your child watch TV?

Question

Do you let your baby/child watch TV? If so, how long per day? Everyday? Once a week?

Just curious.

My daughter is 13 months old and I let her watch TV. I limit it to an hour a day. But, I will admit every once in a while, not often, I use it as a "babysitter" so I can get something done.

Answer 1

my son started watching TV 14 months and I asked the doctor if it is ok. she told us to limit TV time and keep interacting with your child daily and she also said not to use it as a babysitter. Now, he is almost 2 and he knows sponge-bob and the backyardigans...as long as he is healthy and happy I see no harm. he watches 1 hr of TV or just an episode per day, usually before he goes to bed... it calms him down after playing and he is soon ready for bed.

Answer 2

I don't sit him to watch tv but we do spend a lot of time in the living room, where the tv is, my son sits on his swing & he can see the tv from there but he never pays much attention to it, he prefers to watch us, his toys or the window =]

God Bless

Answer 3

yup, i do. She loves the wonderpets and thats 30 minutes that I can actually get something done!! other than that, not too much, she'll look at the tv for a few seconds when Im watching but then something else gets her attention  

Answer 4

We do not have cable, but we download shows and movies that we think are appropriate and fun for us to watch.  They do not watch much of it, and amazingly since we do not have to deal with commercials are kids are never hounding us to buy them things that they see and "want" instantly.  It is very nice.  We listen to music more then anything.

Answer 5

tv is the best invention in the world.  My daughter is addicted to sesame street and spongebob.  She doesnt sit still and actually watch the programs but she will watch it from here to there.  It is just a way of gettin a couple minutes of quiet time!~

Answer 6

Yup, my son watches Baby Television (the baby network) that we subscribe to .. it's non-stop Baby Television (no commercials) and designed for babies ages 6 months - 3 years.

It teaches words, colors, sign language, etc.

He watches it every morning while Mommy takes a shower =]

Answer 7

people are so judgmental, aren't they? my son has watched tv since he was like 6 mos old. he is 3 now and knows so much. he watches is at least 3-4 hours day. only toddler shows though. especially now cause i just had my 2 month daughter who is really colicky, so yes it is a very helpful babysitter.  plus we live in apts.so no backyard and it summer so i cant take the baby out. so during the morning hours its tv time, then i do activities with him, then when dad gets home they go outside, fishing, ect. then after dinner it tv time again...lol

but my son is so smart. i have a friend who has a daughter the same age, and they don't have a tv. and my son is more i guess you can call for their age 'street smart' he knows more than just shapes, colors, numbers and letters, the normal thing you can teach your child. i know my son will be ready to go to school this fall. i see no problem in tv watching as long as is age appropriate.  

Answer 8

My husband and I don't have kids yet.  We also don't own a TV and don't plan on buying one.  When we have kids, we'll probably eventually watch movies with them or let them watch movies, but probably not too much before they're old enough to have an attention span long enough for movies.

Answer 9

Your doing nothing wrong!  Certain TV shows can be very educational.  Like you said you limit it so no harm done.  Also us mommy's need a break and if she's content for 15 minutes watching TV that's great!  I'm sick of all these "STUDIES" saying TV causes ADD and such...I watched tons of TV when I was little and I'm perfectly normal ( o :  As long as she's getting plenty of mommy time your fine.

Answer 10

no, i would never let him watch T.V. until at least 3 years of age and that would still only be Dora, or Baby Einstein for 30 min only because it can be good for brain development.

a child who watches T.V. has 35% more chance of developing ADD or becoming obeise. its the lazy way out. get some toys and do activities, go outside read etc.

Answer 11

When my son was like 2 months, he would enjoy sitting in his bouncer and watching the t.v...all the bright lights, that was for a couple minutes here and there. Now that he is almost 5 months, he doesnt like to sit still LOL but if am watching t.v.or a movie at the end of the night, once in a while he is calm enough to lay with me and catch a glimpse. What I do to get things done, is rotate him from activity to activity, I get about 5-15 minutes each from the rainforest jumper, floor with toys, bouncer, and exersaucer LOL

Answer 12

yes and alot, it used to be educational but alot of it spongebob and shes 2 years old. Call me a bad mom if you like, but I find it hard to believe all these other moms let their child/baby watch "a little" I also have 2 older kids ages 15 and 17, they watched ALOT of T.V. growing up, I was a single mom back then and worked alot. Today, they are both very smart kids(honor roll students) soo , it didnt damage their brains. most of the time my 2 year old wants to watch something and I put it on and a second later shes busy playing or coloring,but shes pretty much the T.V. boss while Iam doing my school work(college)

Answer 13

yup he watches baby einstein once in awhile. they are 1/2 an hour long and we watch one every week or so... other than that we do watch tv when he is having a bottle, i sit in the chair and rock him and watch tv. other than that our tv is pretty much a stereo until daddy gets home.

edit: its not bad to watch some tv, just dont let it rule your life, and dont let it be the main thing you do.

Answer 14

TV is fine, as long as its not all day.  A half hour here and there as you shower or clean its absolutely fine.

As long as it's Elmo or Sponge Bob and not the Soparano's LOL.

One of the sweetest nights we had w/ my nephew (who I watch alot and he's extra special as he has CP :)) was over TV.

I put my little guy down (about 2 yrs at the time) when I thought he was tired to let him "cry it out" for about 10 mins.  Well, he wasn't ready for bed and I  brought him back downstairs to hang with us.

I put him on the couch with his "ba ba" next to my guy  who was having a glass of wine and watching football at the time.

I've never seen anything freaking cuter in my life, they sat there for 45 mins "watching the game" and high fiving each other.  

If TV is part of your family's life then let them watch it; if its not then don't...but Monday night football is what the men in my house do and it was the sweetest thing to watch my little man enjoying the game!!

He's almost 3 now and I assume as soon as football resumes he'll replace his "bah bah" with a wing. LOL

It really whatever works for your family.

Answer 15

My son is 11 weeks old and sometimes he will look at the tv for a few seconds when Im watching it but not very often and I dont turn it on for him, he doesnt really understand it yet as he is very young.

Answer 16

My son watches 15 min of the part of Sesame street on Saturday. That is it. I only do it, so I can comb his hair. The other days I do his hair at night, so his daddy is there to help, but Saturday morning he is still sleeping.

My son is 15 months.

I don't think babies or toddlers need to be watching tv.

Answer 17

I know I'm going to get a ton of thumbs down but at least I'm honest. I do let my 16 month old son watch tv, he talks normally, he was a early walker and has a full set of teeth. TV is over rated, I read my son books and I dont think I use the TV as a babysitter, in fact we use it as a learning tool, when we watch 4 squares on Treehouse, we sing all the songs and dance, do all the positions they pose and admire all the colors. I myself watch TV and its a part of my life, why can't it be part of my sons. Its not like we sit at home all day watching TV in fact, we go to the park every day and have play dates a few times a week. Its all in the way you parent.

Answer 18

No I do not my daughter is 4 months old and we stimulate her with books, talk and toys and songs...we do not let the TV watch our child.  If I need to get something done I either put her in her swing and give her a toy so I can do what I need to do quickly or I wait til she is asleep and I take care of what I need to take care of.  My daughter will not watch TV until she school age and even then it will only be maybe an hour a week. I personally believe tv stunts a child's development.  It also leads to obesity and laziness.  When my daughter is old enough she will go outside to play.  Until then mommy and daddy are her "tv"

Answer 19

Yes.  My daughter is 18 months old and watches some TV.  She likes Playhouse Disney and Sesame Street, especially if Elmo is on.

Most of the time, I am in the room with her when her *shows* are on.  We normally cuddle on the couch together, or do puzzles, etc while it is on.  I do try to limit it to about an hour a day.  Most of the other times when we are home, we have her kid music CD's, and she loves to dance to them.

I have used it as a *babysitter* sometimes when I am cooking dinner.

Answer 20

Yeah, I let him watch tv...usually in the mornings after he's had his bottle, in between playtime and breakfast.  It's either Playhouse Disney or one of the Baby Einstein videos that my mom bought for him.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with allowing your child to watch a little tv from time to time.  It's just like thousands of other things in life:  moderation is the key.

As for Ashley K's 35% "statistic"...here's a statistic for you:  I watched a LOT of tv as a child (I could recite commercials as they were playing).  I am far from obese and never had any sort of ADD.  In fact, I skipped a grade.