So, what about those youtube clips?

[Shami]

DH and I have an almost 5 month old daughter. We don't know very many kid songs, so we went on youtube for help. Whoa! We found a ton of little clips with animation. We also found a lot of cute little kiddos singing songs for their home video collection.
So...dd was on my lap and got glued to the computer screen while watching some of those clips.
I don't want her watching anything until she is at least two, maybe longer, maybe never!
Do you think little clips of kids singing kids songs is harmful in any way? I know the animation isn't good. I also thought of the opening of Pandora's box scenario from another post. I don't know what this can lead to... eventually.

[MCsMom]

My DD has seen them a few times. I know what you mean about Pandora's box though. What I really don't like about them is you don't quite know what they are till you open them, and then DD is sitting on my lap so if I think they are objectionable, well, she just saw it.

I guess I could spend the time to pre-screen them or something. But I don't want to spend my time that way. So we just stay away from You-Tube. If someone sends me one, I will watch it, but I just don't go to the site to search for things.

[njsummer01]

I don't want my DS to watch any tv/video at all. And I'm really uncomfortable with him even watching the computer screen much. So I don't do any computing unless he's asleep and get off the computer as soon as he wakes up. Just like appliances and power tools, for now we say computers are for adults.

[boatbaby]

I my opinion -- you should avoid it until your daughter is much older. I think DS was closer to 3 before he ever saw a youtube clip. And it is and will be a pandora's box.
If you really like the songs, you can minimize the internet program and just listen to the songs? Or find the artists on iTunes or elsewhere and download the individual songs or albums.
Your babe is SO little still. She doesn't need the visual stimulation and it's not really great for her either.


Here's a little game you all can play. I am a TV producer for a living and have produced a lot of "educational children's programming" in my time. Watch ANYTHING. A TV show, kids singing, monks chanting, any video you can think of. Turn your brain off to the content or turn off the volume and count the number of seconds between scene changes. Every time the picture changes, even just to a wider version of the same shot start over in your counting. I can guarantee you, you won't ever get past 14 seconds. More than likely your average will be 4 seconds. In the industry it's considered a big no-no to let the scene stay stagnant for more than about 7 seconds.

Your baby/toddler/ child's brain will wire itself to receive changes at that pace. Think about that and you'll really see why there are better ways to spend a child's time.

[boatbaby]

I just thought of something else. When my DS little like that we often listened to web streamed radio stations. So like there is an all classical music station, etc. Babies and kids don't have to have "kid music". DS at that age really loved reggae! Music is a great gift for children in any form, don't feel like you need to pander to "kids music" -- there is some lovely kids music out there but there are other options to help you get away from the youtube for you wee one.

[Kateana]

Just popping in to say that I wish we had never started with youtube! DD (2.5) is addicted, and it drives us bananas. She asks first thing in the morning. We let her watch almost every day (we have specific playlists for her -- SigningTime and Laurie Berkner songs), and try to limit it to just once, but still... that's 20ish minutes, and it bothers me. We don't let her watch on the Sabbath, so maybe we should just have like a month of Sabbaths and wean her off of it! lol

[cancat]

For youtube I am only comfortable with dd1 watching animals doing their thing - no animated stuff. She seen a few movie trailers while dh is at the computer, but hasn't whined about seeing them again so it doesn't bother me. She is never at the computer alone, and I'm only reading (or writing) there which is not very interesting to her...

[quelindo]

Yep, Pandora's Box. Last summer during a particularly trying day I searched out train videos on YouTube for DS (then two). He was GLUED to the computer, in the way I never wanted him to be glued to the TV. And then he would beg for "trains on 'puter!" It took him a week or two to sort of forget about it -- and then DH slipped (didn't realize I was stopping it, I guess) and DS had a meltdown when we wouldn't let him watch again.

I don't really see any difference between watching things on the computer and on TV.

[Kateana]

While I totally agree that it's Pandora's box, I do see some differences in youtube and TV. The biggest is that there are no commercials. On top of that, you can choose exactly what and how long DC watches. But nothing is still better.

[beansricerevolt]

Wow, 5 months is really really young. Like a pp mentioned, only go on the computer when your babe is asleep. She will soon forget.

[Kateana]

Originally Posted by beansricerevolt

Wow, 5 months is really really young. Like a pp mentioned, only go on the computer when your babe is asleep. She will soon forget.

ITA! I missed the part about her being 5 months. Way too young. I think 2-3 years is too young. Get some CDs from the library or something. That should be fine.