How Bad Is TV for Children?

I'm having the same reaction as Rachel... you cancelled your membership b/c they have a t.v on? Do you leave your t.v. off at home during ALL of the time she's awake?

The sad and honest truth is that many parents lack common sense and will plop their toddler in front of a t.v. for hours b/c it keeps them occuppied and quiet. Some justify it by saying it's "educational television", but let's be honest... it's sort of true, but also sort of an excuse.

Much like many other things, doctors have to "forbid" it for people to pay attention to it. In this case, a "blanket rule" of "no screen time" is easier to measure than other parameters. Having your child watch 3 hours of t.v. while you are at the gym will have NO EFFECT on his or her development. When it becomes "habitual", there's a problem.

I am a child psychologist and will very honestly say that my son (3) watches t.v. every night. We cuddle on the couch and watch Backyardigans before bed (or some other 1/2 hour show). He loves it and it's a nice way to cuddle and slow-down. He's not a t.v. kid and has never asked to turn it on, but he loves watching Disney movies and will watch t.v. if it is on but for a minute and then he's off doing something else.

This isn't really a big deal and not something to cancel your membership over or give them a hard time about!

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You canceled your membership because your kid is watching tv? Not watching tv, MAYBE watching tv? Ever think that just maaaybe, your tot is interacting with the other kids instead?

If the tv is on, my kids MIGHT stop to listen and dance to a catchy commercial jingle, but they're not tv zombies. Everything is fine in moderation. 3 hours of tv in a week is NOTHING.

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I think you're overreacting. Rejoin your gym and encourage them to ask the babysitters to PLAY with the kids, even WHILE the tv is on.

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I agree with Rachel D. I have a degree in Communication and we studied a lot of studies on media in general and TV in particular. TV isn't poison. Is it a good idea to use TV as a baby-sitter and plop your child in front of the tube for hours and hours? Of course not. Will your child's brain turn to mush if there is a TV on in the background? Again, of course not. We have children of all ages in my house. They have all been exposed to television from birth, as were most of us. We're OK. My kids have always watched more TV than I would like because my mother watched them for free and I certainly wasn't going to tell her that she couldn't use it for a little down time. My husband has a TV on all the time when he's home, even if he's not watching it. Despite watching way more than the recommended amount of TV, 3 of our 4 kids were early readers and are excellent students.

I think you overreacted. A full-time child care center shouldn't have TV, but a drop in daycare at the gym (or grocery store or wherever)? Not a big deal.

5 moms found this helpful

Children are all different. My three year old will NOT watch tv at all. Ok so she sort of watch Tinkerbell, but not for very long. My 5 yr old will watch and laugh at the spots that are funny. For a brief moment in time TV is ok. The gym only had the babysitting room there for your convience, if you are not happy with that fact, just find someone else to keep them for you while you work out. If not take them on a walk with you, so you keep fit. Then everyone is away from the TV. Keep working out girl...it will make you feel better.

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I have let all my kids watch tv. I only let them watch one channel that I know has no violence and no meanness. There is nothing wrong with it as long as they're not watching much of it. If it's a nice day out, they have to go outside, and they really would rather be outside. Please don't go overboard because of what your doctor told you. I watched tv when I was younger and I am a great person. I still read to my kids and sometimes on gloomy days when they're watching more tv than I'd like, I'll shut off the tv or I'll make them color or do something else if they want the tv on.

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I'll be honest, I let my kids watch TV before they were 2, I usually have it going too when we are at home, it only shuts off when it's time to go to bed or we leave the house. My oldest is 16, then 14 and I have an almost 5 year old. My older two children are straight A's, honor students, my son 14 year old is very athletic, but does love to watch TV. My daughter is thick like me, so in that since TV isn't great for her. However, this is the same child at age 4 when going trick-or-treating after walking one block told me she had enough candy. So being physical hasn't never been top on her list. I have even seen how TV has been positive for them. They went outside to play when they were younger and did other things, but I don't see where TV was so bad for them.
Again, this is my opinion, I'm not a doctor, but I am a proud mother, who has very successful children and even their teachers have said they wish they had a classroom filled with children like them.

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I agree with the others that if there happens to be a TV in the play room, but there are are other things to do and they are having fun playing while the TV just happens to be on, I don't see what the big deal is. She is not going to be warped by the 3 hours a week that she happens to be exposed to TV. My mother started putting Sesame Street on when my daughter was 1...now she is almost 4 and while she watches a fair amount of TV each day (all Nick Jr. and PBS Kids and some of the preschooler shows on Disney), she keeps herself busy doing plenty of other things as well. She's also way ahead of her peers when it comes to reading, speech, etc. We spend time reading together, visiting the library, playing at the park, etc. It's not like she's just being a zombie in front of the boob tube all day long. Sometimes when she is sick and really wiped out that's all she wants to do and I can make exceptions for when she is under the weather. I agree with the idea that making a blanket statement like not recommending it at all for kids under 2 is really just a way to make parents more aware that there needs to be restrictions on it, but really, all things in moderation. I doubt a small amount of appropriate programming in small doses is going to totally stunt their development.

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The first thing to remember is that just because the tv is on doesn't mean that every child in the room is paying attention to is. My kids often lose interest and I don't push getting them to really watch. It's often just there in the background while they play.

I believe these guidelines are about as useful in the real world as saying that we will get cancer from our cell phones, now they are saying our laptops are dangerous because of whatever rays coming from them in our stomach area... They went through a long time of saying microwaving was bad for our food and our scientists can't get a long or agree about food, water, and just about anything.

Someone is always sending through a sky is falling message. I don't see that any of my kids have ever been hurt by tv or allowed to watch it all the time.

My daughter's watched or had the TV on in the background since birth. I can't stand silence... so it's either TV or radio on all the time.

She's the youngest in her class, yet is the top academic learner. This is in a serious private school too. I think the main issue with TV is the CONTENT in which you allow your child to view as well as if you never watch it with them.

Using TV as a babysitter... allowing anything to be on TV - is where the issues come in, not if the TV material is age appropriate and family will mostly watch the TV with the child.

When my daughter was very young, I also learned that the AAP recommended no tv for the 1st 2 years. Well, my daughter is now 6 and I still don't allow her to watch any tv (not even movies) nor use the computer for games (not even on my phone). It's the best thing I ever did. Putting your kid in front of the tv to veg out is simply unacceptable. There are so many other things that kids could be doing (playing inside/outside, doing art work, learning an instrument, reading, etc.). It does take more out of you, but it's worth it. It gives you a chance to connect more with them. Anyway, those are my thought, but I know I'm in the minority.

I try and not watch Tv at all while my little one is up, occastionally we do. But we hardly watch it while he is down either...I guess we are not so much a TV family. I have also read the research that says no TV, I'm okay with it, most of it is a waste of time anyway. I was a preschool teacher and there is no way I would want TV on all the time around my kid either. I would be more annoyed though that no one is interacting with my child at all. That would tick me off right there, and I would probably do what you did, or find someone else to watch him at the time. Mostly it is up to you, what you are comfortable with or not. Do what you feel is best for your child. There is tons of recommendations out there, so it is best that you pick and choose what you feel are the most important. And don't let people tell you you are crazy, its your child.

I agree with many of the mom's here...

I decided that if my child is going to watch tv, he's going to watch FoodNetwork or the Cooking Channel with me. He may as well watch something useful and learn to love and enjoy food vs a children's show that features a dancing "sex toy". And we only have it on when it's feeding time! =)

TV in and of itself isn't bad. When tv is the kid's only, or primary source of entertainment, it becomes a problem.
My daughter watched tv - educational and otherwise - from the time her eyes could focus. But she also did other things.
She read independently at the age of 3. She spoke in complete sentences before she had teeth.
My tv-watching girl was also an honor student in the gifted and talented programs, took AP classes, and is now a college student working 2 jobs while maintaining a 4.0 - and still watches tv.

The babysitting service at my YMCA (for ages 6 months-6 years) does not have a TV. My kids have so much fun playing with the other kids and toys! I personally think it is sad that the New York Sport Club utilizes a television to entertain the kids.

Honestly, I don't see why a little TV would be a problem. My daughter has watched a little TV since she was 1 and she's very social, loves to play, and has great language skills. I think as long as you don't sit your toddler in front of the TV for long periods of time every day, you're fine. But I'm no doctor! It's too bad you had to quit the gym though. I don't know where you live but you should check out Stroller Strides. It's a great total body workout that you do with your child in the stroller. If you're thinking your child won't sit in the stroller, just try it (first class is free). We sing and entertain the kids as we exercise and we often have playgroups after class. I've been going since my older daughter was 14 months and she's now almost 3 1/3 and still loves going. Check out strollerstrides.com for more info.

A place that uses tv to babysit kids isn't the best daycare. Why not keep the gym membership and hire a sitter to come to your home so that you can go to the gym. There are developmental issues in terms of vision, perception of reality, attention span, etc that come from babies watching television, not to mention that they learn best from interactino and imaginitve play. These things are documented, not just someone saying tv isn't good.
I didn't know about the AAP recommendation or maybe they didn't have a stand on this when my 16 year old was little and when she was around 21 months, we did allow a children's program each day. Of course, when my younger child was born four years later, he had early exposure to television because he'd be around when my daughter was watching tv. My kids never watched an excessive amount of tv, but I work in an elementary school and I can't believe the amount of television these kids watch.
Good luck!

You cancelled your membership because it has a TV? Are you serious?
The "babysitting room" is just that-babysitting. It is not pre-school. Do you
have a TV in your home? Nothing terrible is going to happen to kids who
watch some TV.

I think it's up to YOU, the mama to determine what you want for your child. Can TV be harmful? Yes and no. Depends on the child, depends on what they watch, depends on how much, etc.

My daughter is a TV addict. She'd watch it nonstop all day if you let her. When she's watching it she's literally hypnotized. You can't talk to her, she notices nothing around her (the house could fall down and she'd never notice!) and she gets really angry if you turn it off. So for her we limit TV. She also gets weird if she watches too much. She stops communicating with her family, she can't seem to remember how to do anything (like she can't remember how to make her bed...yeah right). She is 10.

But she has friends who watch a lot of TV and they are straight A students with great communication skills. They come over and while my daughter may be into a movie, they have the ability to stop watching it or have a conversation.

It depends on the child. It depends on WHAT they are watching. Studies have shown that watching a lot of TV makes children slow at school and lazy. It's not WHAT they are watching, it's the fact they are sitting, doing nothing, and allowing the TV to think for them.

One of my friends said he went outside to turn off the garden hose at night. He was in the yard and the patio curtains were slightly open. He glanced in and looked at his family. He said it frightened him. His family was sitting on the couch all in a row, staring at the TV. No one was talking or moving. The TV was flickering (the lights were out) in a hypnotic way. He couldn't see the TV, but he could see the way the light flickered on and off on his family as they stared at it.

Try it. It may make you throw away your TV set...LOL!

I will go with the no TV group too; why risk it?
I did want to second the YMCA suggestion; I'm not sure which one the respondent is talking about, but at mine there is a video screen for DVDs, but I have seldom seen it on. There is one caretaker (for up to 5 or 6 kids) who is always interacting with the children.
The childcare is free with a family membership, and there are discounts for the swim and movement lessons for the toddlers and children if you have one. Good luck!

I had a problem with that at first at my gym, too, but then I thought, I'm really not there that often; I appreciate that they have a safe place for my son and he likes to be there; I get a lot out of my hour of exercise/yoga/etc. and after the gym we play outside, go for a walk, read a book, or something like that, so that we get the one-on-one time without the TV. I'm sure your child will be fine for the short amount of time so if you enjoy the gym and feel that your child is safe in the kids' room, maybe reconsider the membership. :)

Nick Jr. claims to be "preshcool on tv" or something like that... how bad can it be? I did ask my pediatrician and he said the quality of the show does matter. I think most moms underestimate the amount of time their kids spend on tv. If 5 hrs. was recommended, most moms would take advantage to 10! lol So I think 2 hrs. is recommended b/c realistically 4 hrs. is probably closer to what most moms try to get away with. Another point is that some days my daughter literally sees no tv... so to see double the next day, well, I think it balances out.

TV is more than content, it's how our children's developing brains process what they are seeing and how it is presented. Sadly, many children's shows aren't created with this in mind. Of course, few of them are created for children under 2 anyway! I was careful to follow the AAP suggestion of no TV until 2 years old even though I was SO tempted!

Quite some time ago I did a blog post on the topic if you care to read it:

http://itsnotforthesqueamish.blogspot.com/2010/05/televis...

I will say, though, that my plan may have contributed to my son's current fear of TV/movies (he's 3.5 now). Perhaps he should have been exposed earlier to get used to the movement and production. Did I help or hurt his brain? I don't think I'll ever know.