how much TV do you think children should watch?

Js_Other_Half

On a weekday DS is allowed to watch programs/ dvds for about 30 mins before tea - specific ones such as Roary/Bob the Builder/Humf etc. On a sat and sunday he tends to be allowed to watch more, depending if it's his father who is with him rather than me...lol.

(Oh, I just remembered he is sometimes allowed to watch 10 mins of something on cbeebies in our bedroom if he gets himself dressed on the two days he's not at nursery.)

ninky_2

none is the ideal. we didn't have a telly until i started school aged 5. i was top of the class. television for young children is hynotic and doesn't help their brains develop.

what i really hate is when people just have the television on constantly like background noise and the children have no choice but to be exposed to it. it's so depressing.

bestpud

ninky wrote: »

none is the ideal. we didn't have a telly until i started school aged 5. i was top of the class. television for young children is hynotic and doesn't help their brains develop.

what i really hate is when people just have the television on constantly like background noise and the children have no choice but to be exposed to it. it's so depressing.

I watched tv when I was young and was also top of the class when I started school!

People keep making this point but I'm not so sure there is a direct correlation myself.

tiamai_d

bestpud wrote: »

I watched tv when I was young and was also top of the class when I started school!

People keep making this point but I'm not so sure there is a direct correlation myself.

I don't see that connection either.

Just to be very unPC, most Geeks are top of the class and spend hours watching Star Trek

(proud to be Geek)

bylromarha

bestpud wrote: »

I watched tv when I was young and was also top of the class when I started school!

People keep making this point but I'm not so sure there is a direct correlation myself.

I wouldn't say there was a direct correlation with intellegence, but there was a strong link between those homes I'd visited where the TV was on for my visit and a child who struggled to focus themselves on an activity for more than 5 minutes.

bestpud

bylromarha wrote: »

I wouldn't say there was a direct correlation with intellegence, but there was a strong link between those homes I'd visited where the TV was on for my visit and a child who struggled to focus themselves on an activity for more than 5 minutes.

I see that, yes.

It's bad manners to leave the TV on when people call and (imho) people like that are unlikely to be great communicators or spend a lot of time with their children.

I was referring more to posters who have suggested children who do not watch TV are more intelligent and therefore TV should be very limited or banned altogether iyswim.

I don't think it is as simple as taking one 'activity' and linking it with intelligence.

I also wonder why you were visiting these families as that may be relevent?

skintchick

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

Half an hour at the absolute most because I wouldn't want to negatively impact mental development.

But do you have any links to research which shows that it does that? And at what level? And what age of child?

I'm not convinced I'm damaging her development by putting the TV on for an hour while I get the tea on, after a day of being out and about, playing and chatting and gnerally stimulating her. but if I am, I wanna know!

ailuro2 wrote: »

I agree with putting a radio on, or your LO having a CD player of their own (not a real one obviously, the ones you get from Asda/Toysrus for little kids)

I am quite happy in a silent house, DH puts the TV on as soon as he wakes.

Get your LO used to a bit of quiet,can you let her play by herself in a bit of the kitchen while you make dinner? 'Hiding' from a 10 month old is a habit you don't want to get into, more train her into playing happily while you can be there but doing something else.

I wish I could, but my kitchen is teeny tiny and I'd step on her! I have a gate across the doorway to keep her out because it's too dangerous to have her underfoot.

I only mean hiding in the sense that if she can see me, she whines to be picked up, so even if I could have her in the kitchen, I couldn;t because she'd want to be held all the time so she can be in the centre of the action.

She will play happily as long as she can;t see me, but if she can see me, then Mummy has to get down and play or pick her up and let her join in.

Becles wrote: »

I think it depends on the child. My eldest never bothered with it when he was a baby/toddler and my daughter (now 3) has never really been interested in it.

My middle one loved Bob the Builder and had a video called Mega Machines which was footage of heavy plant machinery (tedious I know but he loved it!). He used to watch TV quite a lot. However when he was 2 he suffered from double pneumonia and was weak for a long time afterwards. He got into watching TV then as he didn't have the energy for anything else.

Would she play in the kitchen if she could see you? I used to have mine sat on the kitchen floor with a few toys and I'd blether on while I was busy "look Mammy's cutting the onion up now, and then we'll pop it in the pan........" and so on. They all were quite happy with that, as they were getting some of my attention, but I was still able to get on with jobs too. It helps with language developement too, as although she can't speak at this age, she'll be absorbing information and will know what a pan, onion etc., is when she is ready to speak.

Becles, as above. And you say she can;t speak at this age, but she does! She has about seven words now so I don;t have any worries about her speech development. She knows the names of loads of things, too, because if I ask her for them she goes and finds them (like teddy, or iggle Piggle, or a nappy, or whatever). I chat to her ALL the time and still have her facing me in the pram so we can interact.

I have had a look at the research linked to (BBC news story about it) and it just says it's bad because you don;t talk to them while it's on, but as I say I talk to her all the time apart from then, so I don;t think I'm worried on that score.

in an ideal world OH would be home before I start to cook tea and I could play with her, but that isn;t the case. I feel lucky he is home for tea at 6pm anyway TBH, so we can all eat together.

It's interesting to hear what everyone thinks though.

Oh and Mr Cow, I didn;t mean anything I said to be detrimental about you. I was just picking up on your previous comments on the other thread. I thought it was interesting.

bylromarha

bestpud wrote: »

I also wonder why you were visiting these families as that may be relevent?

Not relevant - every child who was going to be in my Reception class had a home visit so they could meet their teacher for the first time in a location they were comfortable in.

bestpud

bylromarha wrote: »

Not relevant - every child who was going to be in my Reception class had a home visit so they could meet their teacher for the first time in a location they were comfortable in.

Ah right - I wondered if you were a support worker or the like.

I went to a family once who were about to sit down for a meal and they all sat at the table, which was good I thought, until they turned on the TV and everyone moved their chair so they could see it! They did actually spend a lot of time with the children though and they have all done well as far as I can tell.

ninky_2

bestpud wrote: »

I watched tv when I was young and was also top of the class when I started school!

People keep making this point but I'm not so sure there is a direct correlation myself.

the jury is also slightly out on drinking alcohol during pregnancy but most sensible mums to be still avoid it. there is some evidence that watching tv when young is harmful and there is no evidence that it is beneficial.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113074419.htm

“For example, the American Academy of Paediatrics discourages TV viewing in the first two years of life, but only six per cent of parents are aware of this advice despite ongoing publicity.”

if a serious professional specialist body is suggesting it is best not to allow viewing in the first two years of life is is not a good idea to keep to this advice?