Radio Instead of TV

[tea4tamara]

I try to keep the TV off when the baby is around, but I do tend to listen to a lot of public radio, which is mostly just talk. Does anyone know if this is bad for the baby -- too much distracting background noise?

[earthgirl]

I'm an NPR junkie, too and I wonder about this. I do think once DD starts to understand a bit more, I will probably have to be more careful about what I listen to. As for now, I just try to make sure there are at least a few hours a day that we have no noise. Well, aside from the neverending noise that DD makes.

[boatbaby]

When DS a baby I listened to A LOT of NPR. Now I can't listen to it anymore. Sadly if you stop and listen through a 3 year olds ears you realize it's not great material at this age... think of recent headlines.

"Mommy what's incest?
"Mommy what are weapons of mass destruction"
"Mommy what does it mean to bomb somebody?"

But the funniest of these is...
"Mommy I am worried about that John McCain. I just don't want him to beat Barack Obama to the White House."

That's when I knew it was time to turn off the radio. Boohoo for me, but I can catch up with news other ways.

[earthgirl]

Originally Posted by boatbaby

When DS a baby I listened to A LOT of NPR. Now I can't listen to it anymore. Sadly if you stop and listen through a 3 year olds ears you realize it's not great material at this age... think of recent headlines.

"Mommy what's incest?
"Mommy what are weapons of mass destruction"
"Mommy what does it mean to bomb somebody?"

But the funniest of these is...
"Mommy I am worried about that John McCain. I just don't want him to beat Barack Obama to the White House."

That's when I knew it was time to turn off the radio. Boohoo for me, but I can catch up with news other ways.

I don't know. That might make me want to keep listening.

[boatbaby]

Originally Posted by earthgirl

I don't know. That might make me want to keep listening.

True dat! I love that I have a fully brainwashed liberal on my hands. But worrying about the election at age 3? Nah, I'd rather he worry about which mud puddle to stomp in

[Arwyn]

I couldn't stand to listen to NPR (which I normally love) for months after Naked Baby was born - all the fighting and war and politics, it was just too nasty. But recently we've been listening to a LOT of classical radio; if I neglect to turn it on, NB reminds me by signing music and pointing to the radio.

I dunno, I think kids absorb a lot more than we expect, and silence can be a gift, but I can't say I think some NPR is bad, either.

[zinemama]

I have listened to NPR all the time since having kids. I don't worry about it.

ds age 4: "N-P-R - that spells 'radio'!"

[MamaRuga]

Glad to see others are thinking about this too. It has really been on my mind lately. I am an NPR addict and so is DH. I know at some point I will give it up for my DD sake, but right now it is my link to the adult world. I had no trouble giving up TV. I just didn't want to take in all of those images and stories while pregnant. But the radio is so much harder. It bothers me that I can't seem to be with the silence around the house during the day. I am trying to limit the noise though. I try to imagine how the sounds and other sensory input might be experienced my a 3.5 month old who is so new to the world. When I listen to the radio through her ears I often end up turning it off. Even some of the classical music seems too disturbing at times (depending on what is being played). Most people think that this level of concern about media is over the top but I know that DD can't just tune things out the same way an adult can. Ideally my children would have very limited exposure to the radio. This is my ideal but usually I just can't help myself, I just have to listen.

Maybe I need a Public Radio 12 step group... Step One, admitted we were powerless over Terry Gross....

[loraxc]

I thought about this too when DD was a baby. Some of the research on TV seems to indicate that the noise factor is an issue. Then again, I'm not sure how radio is that different from being around talking people whom you can't directly see. Anyway, I kept listening, but did not leave it on all day. I don't really get to listen much anymore for the reasons Boatbaby mentioned, except when DD (4) is at school! I do subscribe to some favorite podcasts of NPR shows and sometimes listen while I nurse the baby down.

[cece]

Originally Posted by Arwyn

I couldn't stand to listen to NPR (which I normally love) for months after Naked Baby was born - all the fighting and war and politics, it was just too nasty. But recently we've been listening to a LOT of classical radio; if I neglect to turn it on, NB reminds me by signing music and pointing to the radio.

I dunno, I think kids absorb a lot more than we expect, and silence can be a gift, but I can't say I think some NPR is bad, either.

Arwyn, I don't know if you listen to NPR online or not, but if you go to mpr.org (the MN public radio station), you can opt to listen to the classical station any time of day. They have three stations, one for news, one for classical music, and one for great music called "the Current". From a Minneapolis native

[alexsam]

I think a lot of backgound noise (talking) is not supposed to be good, but I from hat I gathered (and did), when DS was a baby, I'd put it on for a few hours, though much of which he napped, and I'd rotate with music. It was some talk, but I was home alone with him in an isolated rural area with patchy internet and I needed the ideas and the "company".

As for the "not realising how much they absorb", my DS is almost 4 and we are listening and the radio says "This is Michele Norris..." and DS chimes in "IN WASHINGTON! Mama, where's Washington?" . We don't listen to any of the involved or violent stories, just the basic news and some other pre-school friendly shows occasionally. And here, we're kind of limited anyway, as the news and talk programs end at 9am and don't start back up until 3:30 or 4 and in-between is "diverse music" and at 7pm starts some of the other programs (like "Fresh Air"), so that's cool. It's kind of varied anyway. But we certainly don't listen all day.

Enjoy it while you can. My son was introduced to the Wiggles CD's by my in-laws and now I have to bargain for NPR time against "the big red car" .