Not even educational shows? How will she learn anything?

[yukookoo]

But it makes them so happy... she would LOVE such and such show

I think children's shows are just so great these days they teach them to count and read and keep them occupied for hours.


and other lame comments....


How do you deal? Really what do you say when people ask why you dont let your child watch EVEN the educational stuff, if you are not allowing that?

Also anyone know the name of or have a link to the one groundbreaking resarch type article that talks more about hwo babies brains develop and how tv and all those little dots making up a picture effect brain dev in younger children. It's not new I think at least 10 years old and I knwo the title is catchy,, anyone know what im talking about?

[RomanGoddess]

Your DC is under 2, right? I would just say that you have chosen to follow the AAP's recommendation of no TV for under-2's.

[cagirlintexas]

I know I shouldn't say this but it baffles me that people let their kids watch television when they are under two. There is so much research against it. I totally know where you are coming from though. I get those comments all the time. I get even more bizzare ones when people find out that I don't plan on letting him watch television till he is at least 5 maybe even 7. Frequently they tell me "good luck with that" sarcastically. That really bugs.

[RomanGoddess]

Originally Posted by cagirlintexas

I know I shouldn't say this but it baffles me that people let their kids watch television when they are under two. There is so much research against it. I totally know where you are coming from though. I get those comments all the time. I get even more bizzare ones when people find out that I don't plan on letting him watch television till he is at least 5 maybe even 7. Frequently they tell me "good luck with that" sarcastically. That really bugs.

It does get harder as they get older if you have a TV in the house. They stay up later, so if you watch TV in the evening, they see that. Then at school, their friends might talk about TV characters or just "cartoons" generally. Then they see stuff in the stores when you shop. They just generally become much more aware. If you don't have a TV at all, I imagine it's a lot easier, of course.

[cagirlintexas]

Originally Posted by RomanGoddess

It does get harder as they get older if you have a TV in the house. They stay up later, so if you watch TV in the evening, they see that. Then at school, their friends might talk about TV characters or just "cartoons" generally. Then they see stuff in the stores when you shop. They just generally become much more aware. If you don't have a TV at all, I imagine it's a lot easier, of course.

I don't doubt it gets harder as they get older but I pretty much know what to expect because that is how I was raised. Yes there is a TV in my house and yes there was one in the house I grew up in but it was never on. Adults were never aloud to watch it while the kids were up. Thats was the rule growing up and that is the rule in our house now.

[guestmama9920]

Originally Posted by RomanGoddess

Your DC is under 2, right? I would just say that you have chosen to follow the AAP's recommendation of no TV for under-2's.

I tried that once then was told the AAP also says you should vax, which you don't

[marie1080]

Originally Posted by Britishmama

I tried that once then was told the AAP also says you should vax, which you don't

Wow, someone was on their toes to put that one together, lol

I haven't come upon a great answer for those questions yet. Honestly, like the vax issue I just don't bring it up.

If I am questioned by someone I think has a genuine interest, I reference the AAP recs and Plug in Drug as well as my personal opinions about creative play, commercialism, and character development.

If I know I am speaking to someone who is just trying to be critical, I change the subject by saying something like "well, you know what a weirdo I am!"

One time when I was questioned about the educational aspect I said something along the lines of "Einstein, Aristotle, and Martin Luther seemed to do just fine with out TV." It's really a sweeping generalization without much substance, but I just needed a snappy comeback in that particular conversation- which was oddly enough an older person who grew up on a farm without electricity.

[sewingmama]

I would tell them that I (as well as my DH) learned to read and do math just fine without TV, so I don't see why my kids need it. (We actually learned better than "just fine" -- we did very well in school, so the proof is there.) At this point, I could also point them to my 6yo, as she's been a fluent reader for a long time, magically without TV.

[suziek]

I just shrug and say my kids learned to count playing hide and seek. And then i ask about their garden/apple pie recipe/if their kids liked swim lessons this summer. etc.

I rarely bring up the subject but it does come up when people visit. I've learned over the years that people actually do get uncomfortable and sometimes think you think of less of them because they watch tv.

I think not having/watching tv puts non-tvers so far out of the mainstream we can't expect people to understand or approve. I find it weird that this is so, but I really do think it is.

[BaBaBa]

It always amazes me the things that people are concerned that you are denying your children of.

If you homeschool, you're denying them of socialization!
If you EBF, you're denying them of (cow's) milk!
If you're vegetarian, you're denying them of protein!
If you eat TF, you're denying them of 'treats'!
If you're TV free, you're denying them of education and entertainment!

Are people ignorant or just trying to compensate for feeling inferior for their parenting choices?

[cagirlintexas]

Originally Posted by BaBaBa

It always amazes me the things that people are concerned that you are denying your children of.

If you homeschool, you're denying them of socialization!
If you EBF, you're denying them of (cow's) milk!
If you're vegetarian, you're denying them of protein!
If you eat TF, you're denying them of 'treats'!
If you're TV free, you're denying them of education and entertainment!

Are people ignorant or just trying to compensate for feeling inferior for their parenting choices?

I totally know what you mean. I get told that I am denying him TV and that I should just teach him moderation. I just don't see how there is moderation for television with a 19 month old.

[Narn]

I just say that my DD doesn't show any interest in TV, yet, which is true for now. But I think I will continue to use that one whether she shows interest or not.

[Madeleine'smom]

My standard answer is that I think children should be "doing" and not "viewing". I think this was mentioned in the Rahima Baldwin Dancy book "You Are Your Child's First Teacher" or maybe I heard it somewhere else???

My dd is now 3.5 yrs and is raised without TV. When we are at someone's home with TV she usually wants to watch it and she usually does for about 3 minutes before she moves on to some other activity. She is just not interested in it. I'm not sure if it's because she is in a no TV household or if it's just her personality?

By the way, when we are at someone's home and they turn on the TV for her I am sometimes asked "Is it OK if she watches ____(fill in the blank with whatever show or channel)?" I always reply that I don't really care what she watches. It's more the activity itself and the content does not matter too much.

[alaskaberry]

"how will she learn anything?"

reply: I will teach her--I am her mother.

[lizajane30]

This isn't quite the same thing, but DH had a colleague once comment on DS' verbal skills when he was 18m. DH just said, yeah, DS likes to talk a lot. And his colleague replied, all seriousness and confusion, "Buuuuut...you don't have a TV, do you?" DH said he really had to bite his tongue not to say something like, "Oh, do you think there could be a connection??"

[Breeder]

I always just point to my six year old and have him read something. Let them know he's been reading small words since he was three and that HIS mama and daddy taught him what letters and numbers and the words to songs and the names of planets and all that to him, pretty darned easily.

But I've got an old kid so it's easy for me.

You could always point out that amazingly people learned things before the idiot box was invented.

[Savoir Faire]

I just sigh and mention the fact that there's no such thing as educational TV. Even if it is "educational," it is TELEVISION and also, perhaps highly commercialized.

Children can learn Spanish without Dora.

[utopia760]

ya know we have cable and my ds watched the "learnign shows" and i dont think he learned anything form them except 1 and that was a movie the letter factor he learned all his letters and the sounds they make

[2mama]

I always say "have do you have time for a tv." We spend so much time reading, playing, and having fun I wouldn't trade that for brain drain any day!!

[Past_VNE]

Great answer, 2mama!! I just had this discussion with my mom the other night. She watches a few hours of tv per day, despite a full time job. She was asking me if I watched a certain movie. (We had Netflix until recently.) I said, "It's on my computer, I think, but no, I don't have time to sit down and watch a movie." She was floored....she said, "How don't you have time to watch a movie??" I told her that we spent the day playing, caring for the livestock, doing general farm work, reading, napping, going to dance class, cooking meals, cleaning house, etc. By the time supper was over, it was time for bath, books and bed. There simply wasn't a spare 2 hours to be had no matter what. She understood technically, but is amazed that we can't fit "tv" (whatever form) into our day.