how much TV do you think children should watch?

peachyprice

ninky wrote: »

so what's wrong with a playpen? a lot more interactive for children. their eyes focus at different focal lengths (rather than the blink free single focal length viewing of a screen) and they learn how to interact with their environment. there is also the skill of learning how to keep yourself amused to be learned.

Where did I say it was wrong?

julie03

years ago at an early age young children up to the age of 3 were put in reins put in a pram and put outside most of the year except if raining after that age they played in the streets. this is when the mothers cleaned house or they all stood in street nattering. and wash day was normally once a week

JBD

I was born quite a long time ago and my mother didn't stick us in the pram outside. She didn't stick us in front of the TV either as we didn't have one until I was 9. She did all her housework with us around her 'helping'. The older kids [me included] used to look after the younger kids when Mum was busy. My Dad never helped with the housework or childcare, we all had to be in bed before he came home. Mums just adapt and learn to fit everything in.

skintchick

ninky wrote: »

how did parents manage to look after their children before television? most people do less housework than they did before television (convenience foods, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines etc). i just wonder how they managed without telly. children were probably a lot more active as a result.

i also think parents used to hold their children more. if you go to countries where they don't use buggies and pushchairs as a rule you see this more. seeing a parent with a toddler on their hip is an increasing rarity in our society.

I wore DD loads and still do wear her, but I don;t feel happy wearing her in the kitchen as she has a long reach!

I think people had family nearby, and community would help out, and most people in the UK these days are quite isolated in that respect. I don;t think babies traditionally would have been left alone. In more recent decades, yes, but that's not how it would have been when we lived in small communities, like they do in african villages for example. I also personally don;t think it is a good thing to leave a baby alone in a playpen or strapped into a pram for ages.

mrcow

skintchick wrote: »

I also personally don;t think it is a good thing to leave a baby alone in a playpen or strapped into a pram for ages.

But it's far preferably than leaving them alone in a room with a television on (if you are leaving the room - even for moment).