The Breadwinner Mom

i tend to follow the 'all things in moderation' mantra. Our son (3 next month!) has a very interactive and structured/learning daycare that he attends all day while we are working. Therefore TV is usually limited to 'wheel of fortune' and 'jeopardy' before bed - i rationalize that they are somewhat educational and that he mostly ignores them (except to tell me i am right for every answer and cheer), paying more attention to commercials (they have music!).

On the weekends we go all wild and crazy and let him watch the Disney channel morning lineup - Mickey Mouse Club House is the current favorite! He even talks to the TV and answers the questions as they are asked. We also occasionally watch golf - i doubt one can say it is 'overstimulating' lol

So my long winded answer is that while the recommendation is 'none' until 2 years, like the 2nd study states, a little TV here and there isn't the end of the world either.

aaaah...the age-old tv dilemma. my daughter definitely watched some tv when she was under 2. my son, 16 months, also watches an occasional sporting program. i'm guessing also when they are at grandma's they get LOTS more t.v. i used to silently freak out about it, thinking my kids would end up totally add or hyperactive. but, the fact of the matter is this...they live in today's world. my daughter also knew the word "ipod" before she was three. although it is possible to completely eliminate the t.v., i don't know if it's always desirable for the family as a whole. for us, as long as it's in moderation and we're not just using it to babysit our kids, then we're ok with it. in real terms, that means tv only on saturday mornings -- except when there is a special something on like a charlie brown christmas. at least, then, we have some control over where, when and how much. a side benefit? we get to sleep in a little on the weekend! as for the grandparents...we let that be what it is. not trying to over-control how they do things over there. plus, grandparents are supposed to let grandkids get away with murder, right? :-)

http://chroniclesofmomnia.blogspot.com

I bought the entire set of Baby Einstein DVD's for my daughter when she was an infant. She is now in Kindergarten and reading at a 2nd grade level. I'm not attributing it to the DVD's but I'm also not going to stop my 13 month old son from watching them either.
I think that too much of anything can be bad and think that too much is different for different kids. We need to remember that parents believed what Dr. Spock was saying for years and he now admits that he was wrong. Take all the guidelines from the AAP and AMA and use them for what they are, guidelines. Adust and modify for your child's needs.

Oooh, I know the "mommy guilt" over television very well! I always feel bad whenever I turn something on - but it doesn't stop me from doing it. ;-) But, my kids aren't the type to just zone out - they're usually very interactive with whatever's on, so that always makes me feel better. And I try to keep it educational, too. At the end of the day, you just gotta do what works, is my philosophy.

So really, the only issue I have with your daughter watching the Wiggles under age 2 is that it's the Wiggles - oh, how that show annoys me. How can you stand it?? I've had that "fruit salad" song stuck in my head for 3 years now. :-)

Also, I love your site! I'm the breadwinner in my family too, so I'm off to take a look around.

Traci,
I never had a problem with you and the TV
You loved Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers
You learned so much , sang along, asked questions if you didn't understand.
You weren't really interested in much (at that age) that wasn't educational.
I didn't see the harm , hey look at you now!
I love you,
Mom

Hey Sweetie,

My favorite cartoons when I was a child were: Casper the Friendly Ghost, Baby Huey, Little Lulu, and Popeye, who used to beat the crap out of bullies after eating his spinach-----it is safe to say, that I have never beat the crap out of anyone after eating spinach.

As far as experts, they come and go as does their so called expertise----just think of your life as a continuous TV show-----what is Carly watching every day on, metaphorically speaking, the "Love Connection?"----that show will be the major source of her learning and influencial experiences-----she will learn more about life by watching and emulating you and her daddy than anything she sees on TV----you cannot protect her from all harm and or influences, but you can teach her how to reason-----just don't use the TV as a baby sitter-----don't let the so called experts usurp your authourity and ability to think rationally-----sometimes you've just gotta put the books down and live life joyfully and fearlessly, experiencing everything, the good and the not so good, so the intellectual makes any sense at all, adjusting along the way for the curves life throws at you-----it's a life-time endeavor, honey, as learning never ceases.

Have some compassion for yourself and your own learning curve, trying to remember there are no perfect parents-----that will be an invaluble gift to bestow upon your precious Carly-----the truth is, our children are not little machines beng hopelessly programmed by the propaganda of a culture of consumerism-----yes, they can be influenced, but you have the privilege of bestowing your values upon Carly until she is old enough to begin to realize those values, knowing full well that as she arrives at the age of reason, those values will become the foundation for all the values she will live by for the rest of her precious life----thay my lovely, if more powerful than any Wiggles programming.

I love you, Traci.

I'm DEFINITELY no expert, as my daughter is younger than Carly (Lily is now 9 months), but she watches some sort of TV almost every day. The Baby Einstein videos that we were given have been incredibly valuable to me as they not only entertain her for some time here and there, but they keep her occupied and happy if I'm making dinner, emptying the dishwasher, or just generally cleaning up. I'm so lucky that I'm not a single mother....in fact, Lily has a very loving and attentive father, but he happens to get home from work every day after she's in bed, so from the time she wakes up until the time she goes down, it's just the two of us....so the fact that she's so happy watching these puppets dance around is fine by me! Plus, for whatever she absorbs, she gets exposed to sign language, farm animals, food, etc. I don't think that television or movies should "babysit", but for 30 minutes or so here and there, I really can't see any permanent harm done.

I also agree with what your Mom said....I also grew up on Sesame Street and am not ADD or anything like that! You are Carly's mom....you ultimately know her the best and know what she can handle!

My kids watch TV. And we don't limit it, actually, which is a terrible thing according to the experts. BUT. They only get to watch DVDs, so no ads or anything. Surprisingly, they rarely just sit down and pay attention for an entire movie. They watch for a while, get inspired by Bugs Life or something and run off to play outside. My 3 year old is currently learning to read (his choice, not mine), so I don't think the years of access to brain rotting crud has hurt him any.