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Too much tube time for baby?
I have a fabulous nanny during the workweek. Both my girls adore her, she comes to our house, and she’s bilingual!
OK, so I’m talking about the nearly daily dose of Dora that occupies my girls in the mornings while I get ready for work.
I confess that I’m guilty of turning on the television or popping in a DVD in order to distract my girls while I try to work from home, especially with the heat wave we had in Nashville this summer preventing us from quality backyard play time.
Not surprising, two studies released this year have found that both television and so-called educational DVDs for babies can be detrimental to a child’s development.
I don’t know about you, but when I first introduced my girls to Baby Einstein videos as infants, it was out of a purely selfish need for a mental-health break, not to mention personal hygiene, as I was one missed shower shy of looking like a homeless person.
A study released earlier this month purports that watching television more than two hours a day early in life can lead to attention problems later in adolescence. The link was established by a study of the habits and behaviors of more than 1,000 children born in Dunedin, New Zealand, between April 1972 and March 1973. The children, aged 5 to 11, watched an average of 2.05 hours of weekday television. From age 13 to 15, time spent in front of the tube rose to an average of 3.1 hours a day.
Another recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics said that many educational DVDs marketed toward infants, such as Brainy Baby or Baby Einstein, may actually hinder language development.
Do parents really buy so-called “educational” baby DVDs thinking that they are really more beneficial than one-on-one stimulation such as sitting down to play blocks or curling up to read with them? As a busy working mom, kiddie videos and TV shows have been lifesavers when I’ve needed to distract the girls during a conference call, not to mention portable DVD players are wonderful for long road trips or sick days. But like anything, I think moderation is the key.
I’ve made an effort to replace TV time at our house with reading time, art projects and just turning on some fun music. But I’ll admit it’s nice to know that Dora is Tivo’d just in case I need her.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Blonde Mom Jamie
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By Haute Mama Robin
September 13, 2007 9:20 AM | Link to this
I think like most things, people need to use their common sense. TVs are educators and will never replace actual human interaction. Now, having said that, my kid watched Baby Einstein and the Wiggles when she was a baby and she’s pretty dang smart.
By Jamie
September 13, 2007 9:46 AM | Link to this
I kind of miss the Wiggles. Sniff.
We took my oldest when she was 2 1/2 to see the Wiggles in concert.
I think so many of these studies are just “common sense.” I mean, does TV really benefit adults, either? ;)
By Haute Mama Robin
September 13, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this
I know that TV certainly doesn’t make me smarter. But it sure does benefit my sanity in that my mind goes into park while I watch.
By chris
September 13, 2007 11:16 AM | Link to this
i believe that TV ceased to be truthful, educational or entertaining when FOX became a network, at least that’s what the time-frame of events suggests and society reflects….check it out….
By Richie
September 13, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this
I like the idea of moderation. Too much is a bad thing and people should be very careful of what is watched. I think kids are going to do what their parents do and we could all view a little less and play more.