Comments on: Television and Infants http://domesticfather.com/2008/11/television-and-infants parenting with practical skepticism Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:29:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mathyoo http://domesticfather.com/2008/11/television-and-infants/comment-page-1#comment-275 mathyoo Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:15:56 +0000 http://domesticfather.com/2008/11/television-and-infants/#comment-275 We let our daughter watch too much television, I think. However, she did watch the Baby Einstein videos when she was a toddler, yet she started speaking <i>very</i> early knew the entire alphabet and single digit numbers by sight before she was 21 months old. By the time she was two, she knew all the primary, secondary, and a whole slew of other colors, and would even distinguish between silver, grey and black (which is apparently not all that common) She's 4 1/2 now and has a better vocabulary than other kids in her preschool a year older than she is. Now, I know this is anecdotal evidence and doesn't speak to the accuracy of the study, and I suspect that they're right, statistically speaking. It's also possible that our daughter would be even more advanced if we hadn't had the television on. I'm just saying that there are probably exceptions to their findings, and/or that it's not as serious as their findings show. One thing that might be a factor is that while our daughter did watch television as a toddler, we also spent quite a bit of time engaged with her, and have always spoken to her as an adult, not dumbing things down or using simple concepts or words when we could take the opportunity to teach her a new word or concept. We let our daughter watch too much television, I think. However, she did watch the Baby Einstein videos when she was a toddler, yet she started speaking very early knew the entire alphabet and single digit numbers by sight before she was 21 months old. By the time she was two, she knew all the primary, secondary, and a whole slew of other colors, and would even distinguish between silver, grey and black (which is apparently not all that common) She’s 4 1/2 now and has a better vocabulary than other kids in her preschool a year older than she is. Now, I know this is anecdotal evidence and doesn’t speak to the accuracy of the study, and I suspect that they’re right, statistically speaking. It’s also possible that our daughter would be even more advanced if we hadn’t had the television on. I’m just saying that there are probably exceptions to their findings, and/or that it’s not as serious as their findings show.

One thing that might be a factor is that while our daughter did watch television as a toddler, we also spent quite a bit of time engaged with her, and have always spoken to her as an adult, not dumbing things down or using simple concepts or words when we could take the opportunity to teach her a new word or concept.

]]> By: CyberLizard http://domesticfather.com/2008/11/television-and-infants/comment-page-1#comment-274 CyberLizard Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:43:15 +0000 http://domesticfather.com/2008/11/television-and-infants/#comment-274 Very good points. I tend to think that on this topic, as with most others, moderation is the key. We didn't let our first child watch any TV until he was about a year old (I think, it's been 6 years now). Not a big deal for us since we only watch specific shows that we DVR and <em>never</em> have the TV on in the background. Not trying to be high-and-mighty about it; having the TV on drives my poor little ADHD brain crazy :) Anyway, when we started watching the Baby Einstein videos with him, we always watched <em>with</em> him; he sitting in our laps or next to us and us pointing things out on the screen or naming what we saw. It was actually a neat experience for us because we got to hear a piece of music and go "oh, I didn't know that was by Beethoven" or whoever. TV in our house is still a communal activity. Very seldom does he get to watch anything without us sitting there with him. Now that he's older, he is actually learning quite a few things from <em>The Magic Schoolbus</em> and shows like that. And having a DVR gives us a big advantage in that we can fast-forward through the commercials. He even knows how to do this himself now. All that being said, it occasionally happens that mommy and daddy are <em>really</em> tired in the morning and we may put on a show for him and go back to bed. Nothing like a family bed to make you truly appreciate the joys of sleeping without another body touching yours ;-) Very good points. I tend to think that on this topic, as with most others, moderation is the key. We didn’t let our first child watch any TV until he was about a year old (I think, it’s been 6 years now). Not a big deal for us since we only watch specific shows that we DVR and never have the TV on in the background. Not trying to be high-and-mighty about it; having the TV on drives my poor little ADHD brain crazy :)

Anyway, when we started watching the Baby Einstein videos with him, we always watched with him; he sitting in our laps or next to us and us pointing things out on the screen or naming what we saw. It was actually a neat experience for us because we got to hear a piece of music and go “oh, I didn’t know that was by Beethoven” or whoever.

TV in our house is still a communal activity. Very seldom does he get to watch anything without us sitting there with him. Now that he’s older, he is actually learning quite a few things from The Magic Schoolbus and shows like that. And having a DVR gives us a big advantage in that we can fast-forward through the commercials. He even knows how to do this himself now.

All that being said, it occasionally happens that mommy and daddy are really tired in the morning and we may put on a show for him and go back to bed. Nothing like a family bed to make you truly appreciate the joys of sleeping without another body touching yours ;-)

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