How much TV does your 16 month old (or your toddler) watch?

Question

Do you think that TV harms them in any way if it is educational? My son is 16 months and he watches PBS Sprout. Please let me know what your toddler watches and how much...and if there are any negative or positive effects.

Answer 1

my aunt let her twins watch cartoons and pbs kids and stuff like that fora few reasons
1. it keeps them quiet
2. personally i think cartoons at a young age may make them more creaative
3. education at a young age to me is a good thing lik i grew up watchin blues clues and sesame street
4. kids at that age have a lot of energy and when they r tired fm runnin around and playin a lot then tv is sometimes the best way to put them to sleep

Answer 2

Kids Under 8 Should Watch Less Than 1 Hour Of TV A Day, Kids Under 16 Should Watch Less Than 3 Housrs A Day. Once There 17/18, Disiplince DOES NOT STOP! Kids That Old Should Not Watch TV At All, they Should be studing and job hunting. TV makes kids fat, Keep Kids Active

Answer 3

My toddler watches maybe 2 hours or less and it's usually a children's dvd. I believe it's better to avoid tv before bedtime because of too much stimulation. An educational channel is fine, but I wouldn't have the tv babysit the child. Also, we don't have cable or basic channels so it makes a difference because we pick the movies out. Sometimes we'll go a few days with no movie at all.

Answer 4

None. There is much debate out there about this issue. My children are restricted and can only view minimal amounts of t.v. after they have turned four. I mean less than an hour a day. An hour or two a day after they turn ten, with limitations. It must be wholesome and educational.

Yes, they do have a few half hour videos that they can watch every now and then.

The t.v. and videos over stimulate the brain. I personally have believed and have taught that this is a direct link to ADD and ADHD. Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Answer 5

I did not introduce tv to my son until around 2 1/2 yrs. old. Instead all we did was read books and make up games. I think I've helped his speech and creativity that way. Now he watches maybe 20 mins. per day. He's just not that interested. Maybe I'm just lucky.

I've seen mothers prop their kids in front of the t.v. in a bouncy seat or high chair. I don't agree that the t.v. should be a babysitter. It takes alot of effort, patience and diligence to keep kids away. It's an effort that will pay off in the long run.

Answer 6

The only one that can really decide if he is watching too much TV is you. It's great that he is watching educational TV but how much time does he spend watching TV compared to time that he spends doing other things. Do you take him outside to play? Do you spend time reading to him? Does he have educational toys that he plays with? If he spends more time watching TV than he does doing other activities, then it might mean that he is watching too much. Anything that you can do that helps intellectually even at his age is great, but TV shouldn't be the only entertainment. He also needs to spend time doing physical playing. Taking him to a park for an hour a day would be a great activity. This also gives you time to spend outdoors and spend time with your son. Check to see if there are other activities in your area that can keep your child active but also keep his attention.

Answer 7

i think it depends on the child and what they are watching, tv can be very educational and stimulating, but i think with a toddler there are only benefits if you watch with them and talk about what they are seeing. i don't watch telly with my son, who is 18mths old, just bevcause he hasn't shown much interest in it yet, but he loves books and has a wide range of vocabulary for his age, even though i only see reading as fun and don't push the educational side of it yet. my sisters family watch a lot of tv and her kids were late to talk, and have short attention spans, who knows it may be down to the tv always being on. everything in moderation is probably the answer.

Answer 8

My son watches T.V maybe 2 hours of the day and it usually something like Elmo's world, or Blues clues, or Bear in the big blue house. We have the t.v on all day, but it is mostly boring news so he doesn't pay much atttention to it. He likes stopping whatever he is doing to watch the commercials though, which is kinda silly. I don't think watching t.v would hurt him at all especially it being educational. when my nephew was a baby he would be put in front of the t.v. because his mother didn't want to deal with him and she would put on Elmos' world all day long for him and it didn't hurt him any. He is now 5 years old and hasn't started school yet, but knows his ABC's and how to count and he can spell his name. I think t.v stimulates the kids mind. It teaches them how to talk. I don't know why they say t.v is bad, and I haven't looked into finding out either, because I have a different opinion.

Answer 9

My son is 16 months been watching t.v since he was 2 month old and is a little genius.He watches Disney Jr. 's Jake and the Never land pirates,Special Agent Oso,Mickey Mouse club house and yes they are all educational our son is very smart.I give him as much t.v as he needs and so does his daddy.

Answer 10

Children under 2 should not watch tv at all (educational or not). And personally, he will be better of not watching tv after that as well.

I have a 19 month old and he watches NONE. It stifles their imaginations.