Is educational video viewing harmful to babies and toddlers?

Question

I know tv is, but what about educational programs like: Blues Clues, Sesame Street, Baby Einstein, Dora, Wonderpets etc.

Moms, what do you think?

Answer 1

As long as you don't use the TV as a babysitter all day long, a half hour or so a day isn't going to hurt them.  In fact, I think shows like Sesame Street are excellent educational resources as long as the parent watches with the child and discusses what they saw together.  My mom has been a teacher for 30 years, and she used to show small segments of Sesame Street to her kindergarteners to reinforce alphabet and number lessons.  My brother and I watched it all the time as kids, and we were smart.  Honestly, I am so sick of TV getting such a bad rap. : )

Answer 2

i dont see the harm my baby loves the baby channel and we watch it together and have learned loads of songs from it, i think its fine once they arent just left sat in front of it most of the time

Answer 3

My daughter is 1 and doeesn't watch any TV. My son is 4 and if I allowed it, he would do nothing but watch TV all day.

I'd say, if it captures your child's interest, let him/her watch it for a little while. Make sure they are watching educational programs when watching TV.

Everything in moderation.  No more than an hr a day.

Answer 4

My daughter didn't really talk as much as her peers. Dora has made her vocabulary skyrocket! She can't even talk, but knows all her letters from Sesame and can do all the dances on Yo Gabba. I think the problem with tv is when you use it to babysit, and as long as you watch with your kid. It's ok, and sometimes really helpful.

Answer 5

My daughter, 2, learns so much from shows like Dora and Blues Clues. She can count to ten in spanish!(She can also count to ten and beyond in English, in case you were wondering). But without that she would not know how to count to ten in spanish. I think these shows are great. I recently read ann article in one of my magazine (I do not remember which one, Parents, Parenting, Babytalk) that said it's good for children to watch these shows, they were designed by educational exerts.

Answer 6

its about moderation, if u have the baby watch tv all the time, they're attention span will b shot and will most likely become overweight so maybe 30mins of the videos once a week. i personally think that they shouldnt watch tv till they're 5 they need to run around and have fun instead of watching tv.

Answer 7

My answer, everything in moderation.  

My 3 year old watches PBS a lot, and she also watches disney movies sometimes.  She's very active the rest of the time, and rarely sits and watches a whole show/movie.

Answer 8

experts say any TV that young is bad... but luckily i am not an expert so i let my son (just under 1) watch some TV, he loves the Baby Songs series of DVDs (he's been watching them for months)... i just make it a point to limit his time watching TV, no more than 2 videos a day usually, i think so long as he still plays that the TV isn't doing him any harm

Answer 9

I think it is fine. My son has a speech delay and learned his ABCs by watching shows on PBS. He could ID most of his ABCs before he could say 24 words or his own name. his speech therapist was thrilled

Answer 10

I will speak from personal experience.  Kids under 2 years do not need ANY television.  People thought I was crazy for not letting my daughter watch TV or "eductaional" movies and so on.  Those that happen in real time like the ones you mentioned are okay after two.  My daughter is nearly 3 and she watches all those programs you mentioned and loves them.  But before she was two, I did puppet shows, colored with her, read to her and so on.  She can write her own name, read some books to other kids (mostly from memory mind you), write some of her alphabet, use sign language, speak a few words in Spanish and Chinese (greetings, colors, numbers and whatever else I happen to know), and she can do things that kids a couple years older than her can not do (even in the motor skills area), she loves to paint and sing and dance and draw.  Now, am I super mom?  NO, absolutely not and is she a genius?  I doubt it.  Her attention span is AWESOME, people stop me all the time to talk to me about it and ask me what I do.  I can take her anywhere and she is mindful and courteous and polite.  ALL KIDS can learn these things, but it's MUCH easier to teach them when they are able to focus.  Kids that watch TV before two have a greater tendency for ADHD and other behavioral problems.  It's not that the content is bad or it's not educational (though some things on TV are awful and commercials - well, that's a whole different thing I could go on and on about) ... it's the quickness of movement and color and the stimulation.  So while the brain is wiring itself for those first two years and they watch that stimulation - they need real life to match it.  That is not going to work out.  So, please, don't misunderstand - there IS a place for television shows and movies and learning DVD's - but not until 2 years old.  And even then, in moderation... no more than and hour or two at max, a day.

A side note - my sister has two children - one is 8 and she takes meds for ADHD (she watched "educational" things from like birth on), and the other is 2 and he is really hard to keep up with and has NO attention span.  He too watched Barney and Diego and so on.  A friend of mine let her daughter watch Baby Einstein and Dora and Blues Clues and she had night terrors and her Pediatrician specifically said - no TV at night and she shouldn't have been watching it until 2 anyway.  My Ped was THRILLED that I didn't let mine watch it.  So, as I said, from PERSONAL experience... I advise against any form of TV or Movie "entertainment" or "learning" until children are two years old.  I have seen the benefits of it and it's AMAZING!

Be Blessed!

Answer 11

I let my two year old son watch all the shows that come on Noggin like Dora, Blues Clues, the wonder pets and Little Bill and so on and I dont see anything wrong with it. It can help teach them things too like counting and stuff and helps them to learn to watch different things. I have my son sit with me sometimes and he tells me all the things they are going to do like on Dora when they tell you to say map he will repeat it and stuff. It also gives mom a break to get a few things done if she has too or to sit there and enjoy time with the little one