Research indicates that television viewing before the age of two is harmful to brain development. And while I have many friends who will say that their child watched plenty of TV before the age of two and turned out just fine, I can’t help but wonder if any of those children were supposed to be the next Einstein or Shakespeare.
The We did this and things turned out just fine argument doesn’t work with me, because it’s impossible to measure lost potential.
With this in mind, little one, we have sought to limit your TV viewing as much as possible. Mommy and I tend to watch little television anyway, a combination of our busy schedules, our preferences for reading and writing, and Mommy’s tendency to fall asleep about seven minutes into any TV program. Add to this your 7:00 bedtime and keeping you away from the boob tube hasn’t been difficult.
You just turned seventeen months old a couple days ago, and thus far the extent of your television view is thus:
About fifteen minutes of the Today Show every morning as Mommy gets her news fix. This morning she referred to you as her news junkie. In truth, you tend to spend a lot of this time playing on the bed and chasing the cat, though you have an odd fascination with the weather report.
Half a dozen episodes or partial episodes of Wonder Pets, used in order to clip your finger and toenails. You are never more relaxed and more still as when you are watching television, a clear sign that it’s not the best thing for a newly forming brain.
Coralline, an animated children’s movie based upon the book of the same name that the three of us watched one morning when you and I were dreadfully sick.
About an hour of New York Yankees games in total. You have no patience for baseball.
About half a dozen other children’s programs or partial programs, used to clip your nails when the preferred Wonder Pets was not available.
And that might be it. Not quite NO TELEVISION, but not bad either.
If you aren't able to devise a grand unifying theory for the universe, it won’t be our fault.
When I realized my middle child (now 35, then 3) stared at the TV even when I waved my hand in front of his face, we turned it off, allowing 2 hours per week, with babysitters on a don't ask, don't tell situation. Our third baby got away with TV murder ... and yes, he seems okay, but ... Now the older two have children of their own, and they do not allow them to watch TV at will. Hang tough, daddy. It won't be easy.
Your daughter and my granddaughter are the same age -- LOVE the photo of her crying on the chair in her tutu. I can hear her!
Posted by: Lynne | July 02, 2010 at 05:48 PM
Thanks for the support. Thus far, it hasn't been hard, but peer pressure has yet to kick in!
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