16 December 2008

How Do You Do It? Toddlers and TV

I swore I wouldn't let my toddlers watch TV. Are you laughing as hard about that one as I am? Check out what I have to say about it over at How Do You Do It.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Snick-

Such a similar story with us and Elmo... Our son saw some Elmo toys at daycare and loved them, and we learned he knew how to say Elmo, and that was it. Seal broken on TV. Now he's seen Rudolph, too.

Just an idea, you could get Dora and Diego stickers and place them on items to convert them to Dora/Diego super-cool things.

Anonymous said...

I successfully raised three boys into responsible, thoughtful, loving men. When they were born, I had a long list of things I would never do. The "I'll nevers" fell one by one until finally, the only one that remained was that I never knowingly bought pre-sweetened cereal. They watched TV. They had video games. They played with toy guns (shudder). We all survived. And as grownups, they're all addicted to Cocoa Krispies. Alas.

Susan said...

Love Anon above comment. How true. A little TV isn't going to hurt. I wasn't going to let my boys eat dirt either......do I need to say more :)

elderflowerpressee said...

Laughing? I just had to go and change my underpants.

Unknown said...

No TV. No food anywhere but the kitchen. No video games. No refined sugar. No movies that are not PG. No food in the TV room. No really, really sweet cereal. No TV that is not PBS. No video games that are not rated G. No food in your bedrooms! No cereal that has more than 2 artificial colors. No frosted poptarts. No video games rated M. No TV that is on after 8pm. No PG-13 movies. No food in your bedrooms! No really sweet frosted poptarts. No playing rated M video games with your little cousins. No piercing anything but your ears. No porno sites on the computer. No food in your bedrooms!!! No piercing your tongue or your eyebrow. No tatoos. No drinking and driving. NO drinking and driving.

The "no's" will remain...what you say "no" to will change.

Anonymous said...

Hahahahahahah....good post Amy. No reason to say anymore.

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to note that my "no-TV" (ha, ha) child also enjoys the popular mechanics for kids DVDs and Harold and the Purple Crayon. :) You'd think the PMK was too old for him, but no, he loves them and did starting around 2.5.

Lil'Sis said...

My kids watch TV, play video games, they're doing great, and they've eaten sugary cereal before, OMG! They don't do any of it too much it's all balance I think.

Anonymous said...

A good saturday morning involves an episode of elmo, in the playroom, in pajamas, standing up eating (and spilling) from a bowl of fruitloops. That's how we know it's the weekend - and the only way I can start the weekend off with a shower and the week's laundry sorted.

Anonymous said...

If you can buy products branded with the characters or logos from the show, it's commercial TV. It may be better in some ways than the regular networks, but it's still selling things to you, and it's still supported by those sales...

Ali said...

Noggin was a staple in my house and you know what...my son was smart. These are not the days of Tom and Jerry (althought at 4 it his favorite show)for toddlers. The shows now teach the kids thing. Colors, how to count, and spanish! The shows on Noggin and Nick are not bad. I actually think they are good for them and good for mommy's too!

Anonymous said...

One of our favorites: "Here Come The 1-2-3s" by They Might Be Giants. Counting songs that are actually singable, plus the hubby and I have been TMBG fans for years, so that's an added bonus! The boy (at 23 months) can sing his ABCs, count to 10 and knows some sign language (thanks to Sesame Street, Baby Einstein and TMBG - and our parenting!). ; )

breanna said...

i SWORE (time and time and time again) while i was pregnant that my child (now 15 months) wouldn't see a single moment of television until she was at least three.

then she was born, and she's been incredible ill since then, and a lot of days, watching blues clues is the only time she'll settle, cuddle with me, and not seem so actively miserable in pain.

i know that this is okay. but the guilt (created from my own standards, and no one elses) is KILLING me. i'm still sticking with many of my other "nevers." i just feel awful about it, even when i say to myself that it's really okay. i just don't know how to let go of it.

Mouthy Girl said...

I'm with you 100%, woman! I said my kid wouldn't have daily doses of Mother's Little Helper - and now watch a daily dose of Noggin with Buddha.

I'll even add that I no longer feel guilty. He doesn't watch a ton of tv, but when he does, I'm with him. There are worse things we can do as parents.

Zip n Tizzy said...

More than I'd ever hoped!
We don't have T.V. and I thought that would curb the intake, but we have plenty of videos, and I let them watch them far more often than I should.
I feel good about the fact that they're not watching commercial television, as much for their attention span as anything else, but past that, I've lost my moral ground.

Linda said...

I am laughing with you! AND at you! Because, I implemented the "No TV" rule a few months ago - before my third was born. Now I'm like "SCREW THAT RULE". I LOVE the tv!

If there is anything I've learned in 4+ years of parenting, it's to "never say never", because I've broken every rule I've ever made. Awesome.

Charlie said...

I just wanted to wish you and your gorgeous twins a very merry Christmas Snick. I've loved reading your blog this year and really look forward to your posts.

I've also loved seeing if there are any real differences in how our neighbours "across the pond" (I'm in the UK) raise their families and the challenges and magic moments they experience. There isn't!!

Have a good one! You are doing such a great job - both with coping with grief yourself and with raising your little angels.
Charlie X

Anonymous said...

thank you