I know what the AAP says and I have heard that TV for kids under 3 is a no-no, but my 14 month old son really enjoys his 1/2 hour a day with a video. He is completely absorbed, talks to the screen, points and makes gestures. Sometimes I watch with him and discuss what we're seeing. My gut tells me that no way can this be bad for him.

Now on the other hand, if I am watching TV and he toddles in the room, I am very cognizant that he not focus on the TV and will generally turn the picture off and just listen to the sound or turn it off completely. The images of adult television just move too quickly for little brains to process.

When my daughter was 3 weeks old, we got a mailer from her then pediatrician - a "Care and Feeding of Your 1 Month Old" letter. One of the instructions included was to limit TV time to 1 hour a day. For a one month old.

Now that she's 9 months and counting, we do turn on the TV for her - Sprout TV, Sesame Street and Curious George. She is a HUGE Oscar the Grouch and Grover Fan Girl - bouncing and squealing when they first appear. But she loses interest quickly and as soon as she's moved on, we turn the TV off and it stays off -
unless it's been tuned to a Classical Music channel on Music Choice.

At 9 months, she's also engaging in a lot of independent play. She can sit in the living room and play with a toy for upwards of an hour or practice her independent walking. During those times, my husband, a stay at home father, might play on the XBox...but he'll only play a kid's game (it's true - we have several free kids games WE love to play). Even if she doesn't seem to be paying attention, he doesn't want her to see any negative imagery from the rated M games he plays after she's gone to bed.

I will also, on occasion, go to Sesame Street's website or find some old Muppet Show clips on You Tube. She'll sit in my lap for about 15 minutes and then decide she's had enough.

As she gets older, we have both agreed that there will be no TV or PC in her room - and there is none in ours. TV will be limited, as will video games and computer time. Both of us were raised with a limit of one or two hours a day, to be taken as we chose. It meant that we had to decide what we most wanted to watch because our parents were diligent about turning the TV off when time was up - and I know mine kept close track of my time, even if I broke a two hour allotment up in to four half hour stretches over the day or evening.

I just think that TV as a baby sitter is too much. There's nothing wrong with coloring, drawing, art projects, playing outside.

My son is 7 and watches a half hour of tv every nite at settle down time
Weekends he watches more usually. If he would play and watch tv it would be one thing but he will just sit there with his face glued to it if I let watch tv all the time. There are plenty of things he can do with his time than watch tv.

lilmonkeybean -- You "discuss" with the 14 month old what he is watching on TV/video??? Come on! There's something more wrong with this than TV time....

Hey....I grew up with TV and I turned out TV.

Homer: D'oh! :)

We tend to go through cycles when it comes to watching television. We'll go for a while where they watch what seems like a lot, and then we slack off. Lately, the weather's been so bad and we live so far away from "civilization" that we've been letting them watch a fair amount.

Their involvement in the show depends a lot on what show is on. Sometimes they're playing while they watch and sometimes they are completely absorbed. You know, I "need" to veg out in the front of the tv sometimes and I think my kids do too.

My 2 1/2 year old daughter doesn't really watch tv, if it is on she is usually doing something else. Occasionally we do put "videos" on (1/2 hr in length) but it is no wheres near a daily occurrence.

Lylah

My wife and I can relate to the guilt.

I wish you had listed some of those TV free tricks that you used as a nanny. That would be helpful. Please share!!!

Thanks for your comment, Michael! Here's a link to some of my favorites: http://writeeditrepeat.blogspot.com/2009/01/keeping-little-kids-occupied-while-you.html -- Hope this helps! -- LMA

I have 3 kids, 13yo down to 3yo. We have tried to limit their TV as much as possible. Only antennae, no cable/satellite. Sure, they may see 3 hours one day, then nothing for a week. They are limited to PBS and DVDs (and now some 'net streaming of Nick 'tween shows), I like to censor the content b/c so much of it is junk and too fast paced for young kids (IMO).

What I have noticed with my 2 older kids is that they do not resort to watching TV when they are bored. They find other things to do - reading, legos, crafts, drawing. We are a crafty/creative family, they have many supplies they can take out themselves. They seem to turn to TV when they just want to veg and not think, and for that it’s perfect. I think it’s hilarious when some parents say it’s valuable because TV can teach colors, alphabet, numbers...as if somehow parents are incapable of doing it.

My 3 year old probably watches an hour a day in two different 1/2 hour increments. Sometimes it will go up another 1/2 hour on a bad day - namely winter - cold & snowy. But definitely in summer months there are days in a row when the TV is never on.

While she is does get engrossed in the TV - too much is definitely too much for her. Yesterday between a long Dr's appt and her cold she probably was exposed to about 2 hours of TV - although she had asked for the very last 1/2 hour. She didn't even watch it - too busy bopping around and playing.

We don't have a TV, but my just-2-year-old is pretty obsessed with animated e-cards that have animals in them, and with some of the simpler Sesame Street online games. On the one hand, I feel guilty. On the other hand, she knows from the games that "C" stands for "cat". Everything in moderation, I suppose.

I agree with Lylah. I, personally, don't watch tv, and therefore have never spent the money on cable or even an antenna to allow me receive shows properly, but I have a library of children's videos for my little one to watch. When she is sick, there is nothing better for keeping her quietly entertained during the times when I just can't be right with her to ensure she stays inactive.

As for using it as a babysitter - well why not? If she is obviously not going to settle for a craft or a toy, but dinner is late, or some child-unfriendly chore has to be done _right now_, well, which is worse? A increasingly stressed out mom, trying unsuccessfully to get her to entertain herself, or half an hour of Barney?

Guess what? If you put a cartoon on in a foreign language for a toddler they won't even notice. But you will start hearing them repeat the phrases they learn. My kids are now 9 and 11 and watch fewer than 5 hours of tv/ movies per week but when they do, it's in french (I only chose french b/c it was the language that I knew but there are more options now than when I started. If I had to do it all over again I'd pick spanish or an asian language). When I took them to Paris last year, they were able to pick up quite a bit more than they would have otherwise. They played with kids their own ages in french and even ordered their own meals at restaurants.

I am a full time working mom of a 7 and a 9 year old and when dinner and homework is all done, there is nothing wrong with letting the kids waching tv for 1/2 hour before bed. Somenights maybe 1 hour. If they got everything done they needed to, then it's okay. I will sit down with them and watch tv with them which they like. It's ever parent's choice if they let their kids watch tv. PBS kids and Sprout are great channels for kids starting at age 1...

I couldn't agree more. My 2 year old loves noggin and we use it mostly for when we are making dinner or when he gets up super early (5am) and we need just 30 more mins of shut eye. I look at this as his time to himself. Just like when we get home from work sometimes we just need to veg or zone out. There are times when we make a point to watch with him and talk about what is going on and paly along. He LOVES this. I think that is just another avenue of many for creative thinking and imagination.
As with everything in live, moderation is key.

My 5 year old watches TV about 2 hours/day, sometime 2 hours in a row of Noggin, Sprout, Discovery Kids. I'm not ashamed to admit this - I bet a lot of the parents who say their kids only watch 30 mins/day are lying! Go ahead, make yourself look good.

Feeling guilty.
American national pasttime.
Now its on the web.
WE ARE TIED OF MEDIA TELLING ME THAT I SHOULD/ OR SHOULD NOT FEEL GUILTY.
Cut out all this guilt trips altready

Oh god Andromeda. Please don't tell me you are one of those pretentious hippy types that thinks TV is the root of all global evil and that you are better and smarter than everyone else for not owning one... Please just tell me you are poor and I will me MUCH happier!!

TV is an amazing learning tool, for anyone, if it's used wisely. For some people TV is the only way they will ever get to travel and see the wonders of the world.

Generally our preschooler can watch one thing when she gets home from daycare, 30 minutes while dinner is prepared. We have a collection of shows she likes on TiVo. PBS's kid show selection is good (Thomas, Clifford, Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, Word World, Martha Speaks), and also The Wiggles and Dora are favorites. I personally don't like the Nickelodeon stuff because she's now beginning to understand the ads and ask for things from them, but I guess I'd have to deal with that sooner or later, anyway.

On the weekend, we'll let her watch an hour or two depending on what's going on. Sometimes there are two things that need full adult attention going on, and the TV will occupy her for thirty minutes while we take care of that. On the rare occasions when she's home sick, we've let her pretty much nap in front of the electronic pacifier.

Generally, though, she's pretty self-limiting on the TV time, she'll find other things to do to occupy herself if told "no TV", and some nights she'll come home and want to help with cooking, setting the table, will want to talk, or will go to her room and play.

The baby gets no TV at all, and won't until she's close to 2.

Hey Andromeda , what is the difference between watching something on a computer monitor or a tv screen. How is your kid learning more by watching E cards than a education preschool pro gram???YOu can watch TV shows just as easily on the computer . Kids learn just as much on the PBS channel as well as pbskids.org.

Thanks for your comment, mom2kids. It's worth pointing out here that Andromeda (comment #11) didn't say she was against TV, just that she didn't have a TV. Could be any number of reasons why... -- LMA

We have two kids, ages 8 and 7. Our TV broke about 5 years ago, and we never replaced it. We do have a tuner, so if we really want to we can watch regular broadcast stuff through the computer monitor (we have no cable TV, so it's whatever we pick up with the tuner), and we do watch the occasional video on a rainy weekend day or if someone is sick. But honestly, it's just not needed or missed.

We've never had a big problem with 'keeping the kids occupied' while cooking, doing chores, whatever. When they were babies, they were either in the backpack or the exersaucer while I cooked. As they got bigger, they either played with their toys, or helped cook. Since it was always this way, it's no big deal. But if the kids get used to not occupying themselves without either mom or electronic media, then they do become a problem.

Another thing I wonder is how do people have time, on a weekday, to watch TV? When my kids get home it's 3:30. They play for an hour, eat dinner, do homework, play for another hour and a half, then it's time to start getting ready for bed, doing their daily reading, and lights out at 8:15. When could we possibly fit in TV?

We combine "screen time" in our house, to include TV, Wii, computer and Leapster (handheld video game). Usually on school days, our daughter (5.5 years old, in kindergarten) watches little to no TV. I will use it as a reward to motivate her to get done eating breakfast and ready for school faster; at the most this means she watches maybe 15 minutes (like half a Word World or Bindi the Jungle Girl) before it is time to go off to the bus stop. (Did I mention my kiddo eats slower than cold molasses?) In the afternoons, she occasionally will get to play Wii games for maybe half an hour, but that's it.

Weekends are a different matter. She usually watches an hour to 90 minutes of TV on Saturday mornings (depends if she is watching a show or a DVD) and will play Wii or Leapster as well (the Leapster tends to go with us in the car if we're out running errands, etc). She also will play on the computer on weekends, either at the various kid-friendly sites like PBS Kids or Playhouse Disney, or using her digital art studio thingy. I'd say she probably spends maybe 5-6 hours in front of the various screens on weekends... Oh and if she's sick? I will totally let her sack out on the couch in front of endless DVDs or TV shows (how I love our DVR) if it keeps her quiet.

I don't feel guilty about the amount of screen time she has in a given week. I don't think it is excessive, and we monitor the content of what she watches as well. There are days at a stretch where she won't watch any TV at all. (If only I could say the same thing for my husband and I; *we* are the ones who watch a couple of hours of TV just about every night after she's in bed!)

We don't watch television programs at all. I think I am the oddball when I say that from the start, there was rarely TV but for occasional PBS. Starting at "school" (pre), no TV during the week, and movie night on Friday and Saturday.

Guess what? Like Jaye, my kids never ask for it and find so many other things to do (reading, homework, play, art). They can put themselves in idle mode so easily, just hanging by reading or playing the old way, talking to toys, using their imaginations. Sure, my kids know what is out there in TVland and they acknowledge it but don't care that they don't watch it.

The key is, start early. Television shows are so unimportant in our household plus, we've seen some GREAT old and classic movies! (Music Man, Little Women, Shirley Temple, etc) and they love it.

SWMom --

I hate to inform you of this, but by your own admission, occasional PBS and movie night on Friday and Saturday means (gasp) your kids watch TV.

It doesn't make you a horrible mother or mean that your kids are destined to turn into overweight, couch-potato lumps at high risk of developing diabetes. It does mean that you are likely balancing TV with other aspects of a kid's life, like imaginative play, exercise and learning.

I've learned by watching other people that there's really no way to "escape" TV in our society. Kids talk to each other about what's on and probably watch TV at other kid's houses. It's probably a better idea to discuss things like advertisements and introduce the kids to the idea of "moderation", in addition to having other things they like to do around the house, and not have a fit when they sit in front of the tube for thirty minutes.

I know I should get my kids outside more, encourage them to pick up the toys that let them explore, but I am just too wiped out and I need to do something. I mean, I'm sick of getting all these lectures from the media don't do this, you should never do that. It's nice if you're head's in a book but it's just not practical. Let's see all these reporters and doctors raise their kids that way! A little Stoli and milk in a sippy cup and I finally get a little quiet time for myself. We're not irresponsible, my husband and I agree, no shots until she's 4. But stop with the pretentious BS, it's very educational, she's learning all about Russia.

I'm just seeing this now, and felt the need to comment. I don't have kids of my own, and I won't any time soon (22-year-old college senior), but I've done my fair share of babysitting. The easiest time I've had is when I'm babysitting my cousins, and my older cousin (now age 7) can watch a movie or even play a video game for a bit while I take care of his much younger brother. I DO think the 7-year-old is much too obsessed with movies, TV, and video games, but it makes my job easier. When I've had to keep both of them busy without TV, it's been totally doable, but exponentially more stressful on all three of us.

One of the most difficult times I've had babysitting (besides those nights where one/both/all of the kids refuse to go to bed) has been with my fomerly 7-year-old former neighbor. It was clear right off the bat that she and her siblings watched TV very, very rarely, and when they did, it was after begging their parents for permission, and even then, it was something very short. I was babysitting during the day for the oldest, and as soon as the 'rents and sibs were out the door, it was time to find things to do for seven hours that weren't the same as the day before, or the day before that. And of course, we had plenty of repeated activities (my feminist hatred of Barbies skyrocketed after that summer), and my modest, then-20-year-old artistic skills were used as a last resort. We survived those weeks, and did a lot of fun things, but I could tell that she was getting bored pretty quickly--being babysat for a few weeks isn't nearly as fun as going to a summer camp program. I feel like, especially in the mornings, it would have been very nice to be able to watch a little TV or a movie and make it fun/not mind-numbing (like having an afternoon tea while watching a Disney movie).

In short: There is certainly a problem with kids watching too much TV. But even as a babysitter, there are times where it can be a constructive activity, and seriously, there are only so many things you can do when overprotective parents won't let you take the kids outside to play.