TV is on...am I ruining dd's brain?

[NewAtThis]

Ok mamas...should I be worried?
I have been spending so much time nursing and holding dd in the living room chair, I have watched more tv the past 3 months than in my whole life! I can only look out the window for so long, you know?
So now she likes to be held in my lap, facing out, looking around, and the tv is still on. Is exposure to the flashing screen bad for her? She's a few days shy of 3 months now, and I'm wondering how much she can see. It does seem like she likes looking at the screen, but then again, she also likes looking at the fire in the woodstove, the ceiling fan, etc.
Just wondering...

[carolina~mom2be]

GUILTY HERE TOO!!! I've been wondering this too. I know that it's bad for her, but Mom needs a little entertainment here and there. If I can't get her to look away, I tend to turn the TV off. My husband is obsessed with television, so once she's able to crawl, I might have to throw it out the window! I don't want her to watch TV like her daddy does --- constantly!

[mamamilkers]

I don't know, I guess I just don't think it's THAT big of a deal. I wouldn't be too worried about it.

[veganf]

Nate likes watching Ryan play Sonic The Hedgehog : . And he doesn't mind watching a bit of The Wonder Pets with the boys either.
His favourite place to be is still outdoors, so I'm not too worried!

[carolina~mom2be]

Sonic the hedgehog is entertaining for everyone! I can't blame him I don't feel so bad now....I thought I was the only one that let the newbie watch some TV here and there!

[coop_mom]

yeah, we watch too much TV here, too...

I'm thinking that once babe is mobile (ie. somewhere other than my breast!) we'll have lots of other stuff to do than sit around, so I won't worry about it for the time being.

[NewAtThis]

Yeah, I figured I was taking too many of my new mom paranoia pills!

I have started holding a book up in front of her when the tv is on and she's facing out on my lap...sometimes...

[2 in August]

We've noticed that Ian seems to like watching tv too. And he's caught more than a few episodes of Wonder Pets. I doubt it's going to hurt them. My dh is a big tv fan too and when dd was little I worried about it, but she's 5 now and aside from watching more than she should while I'm tending to ds, she's perfectly ok.

[rambunctiouscurls]

So glad to have stumbled upon this thread.

I'm guilty too

[rag & bone gal]

And the answer is. . .(according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, who recommends that kids under 2 watch no television at all) yes. (But most of our brains are "ruined," and we're fine. My parents put me in front of the tv often before I was 6 months old.)

Read more about kids & tv here: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org...;107/2/423.pdf

[Meeshi Mama]

Personally, I despise commercial television and feel that kids, especially babies, really do not need to be subject to the noise and messages. I wouldn't go as far as to say you're ruining anyone brain but I do feel that it may be setting a child up to be another TV addict.

I'm a sucker for reading while nursing.

[Ursula Rose]

hi all. i encourage you all to try to go tv free. try it for a week. see what happens.

i thought it would be very hard to give it up. i did go through withdrawal symptoms, but you can do it.

i believe there are better things to do than watch tv.