To TV…OR Not TV

My son is now fifteen months old and has had very little exposure to Television. Here is an issue that my wife & I agree on – we want to minimize exposure to TV for our son because the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time at all for children under 2. This was reason enough for us to keep the tv off during the day!

Everyone has their reasons TO TV or NOT TV with their kids. Some parents say their child is so transfixed on the TV that it gives them (the parent) a break, some parents believe that their child really does learn from what they watch, and some parents think that it soothes their child when they are fussy. These plausible reasons may work for some parents, but not for me. I have been trying to maintain a non-TV household during the day. So far, so good. Need another reason to NOT TV – I have read that some studies show that television exposure at ages 1 through 3 is associated with attention problems at age 7. Consequently, I am sure there is research that contradicts that claim.

The TV issue with young children has recently come into the spotlight when Walt Disney Company agreed to provide full refunds to parents for their Baby Einstein Videos. Not satisfied with your Baby Einstein Videos & looking to make some coin? The Walt Disney company is refunding $15.99 per DVD for up to four dvd’s per household. An article was featured about this hot topic on the cover of Saturday’s NY Times. No Einstein In Your Crib? Get A Refund by Tamar Lewin included this quote – “We see it as an acknowledgment by the leading baby video company that baby videos are not educational, and we hope other baby media companies will follow suit by offering refunds,” said Susan Linn, director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which has been pushing the issue for years.

This parenting dilemma will not be solved overnight by this particular article, but it does make for a compelling argument on why NOT to TV with your kid. So dads & parents…Do you TV or Not TV with the kids? Why?