Baby TV
An interesting piece about the state of babyhood TV viewing. Overall, not good: too much TV watching and not enough actual playtime and interaction. Here's the most interesting quote to me:
Parenting has never been harder, Christakis suggests, with more two-career families, longer commutes and fewer walls between the office and home.If you need a 15-minute break, or a quick shower, don't feel too bad about turning on the set for a short time.
"If you are doing it, however, because (you) think it's good for your baby, then I tell parents they shouldn't do it," said Christakis, who is also a pediatrics researcher at Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.
From personal experience, I'd have to imagine that this is how it works for many parents. When Micah was a baby (he's almost 4 now!), Baby Einstein was one way we could have some quiet for a few moments. Even now, when he can be non-stop action and questions for hours on end, TV gives us a breather.
This article, it seems, is attacking the misconception that this TV viewing is actually good for the kids, and there's no empirical evidence for that yet. On the other hand, in homes where TV viewing is more or less constant, there's other issues going on surrounding nurturing relationships and interaction.
It almost seems like there's a talismanic significance to TV for many parents--that it and the programs it provides can care for and develop our kids better than we can ourselves. It's a place of connection with the outside world and a primary means of socialization. It only makes sense, then, that we'd entrust our kids to it. Thoughts?
Image: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12806594/