Toddlers & TV

Everything I have read says no TV for children under the age of 2, however, how does a working mom get anything done if there is nothing else to distract their toddler when things need to get done?  Now, I'm not saying that TV is a baby sitter for my child. I'm saying that sometimes you need a distraction to, I don't know, make dinner go to the bathroom, or even just a moment to breathe and decompress by yourself before you tackle the rest of the day.

My husband and I don't let JD watch just anything; actually, we don't even have cable!  We are very selective on the shows that we let him watch, even avoiding our own shows until after he is asleep. We have google TV which allows for Netflix, YouTube, Hulu+, and Amazon Instant Video. No commercials and no TV schedule so shows and TV happens when you want it to happen, not when the TV guide says it is on.

We started with Baby Einstein Videos. (Purchased all of them off of eBay for the price of one DVD) The early ones Beethoven, Bach, etc are just classical music put to toys and motion. Giving him stimulating classical music with distracting interest of ever changing and moving colorful objects. We then moved to the more educational ones, animals, colors, shapes and more. These gave JD interest in learning through fun repetition. He often asks for specific videos depending on his mood or interest of the day.

As his attention span increased we moved to Disney Jr on YouTube. Mickey Mouse, Special Agent OSO, Handy Many to name a few. These shows all teach to the standard moral and common courtesy codes that my husband and I subscribe to. And a bonus... no commercials to corrupt his mind because it is not regular TV.

Disney movies, including the classics are also a great way to introduce family TV time. I often play a movie as part of our wind down routine. JD and I will sit on my bed with his sippy cup of milk and watch a movie. When JD is getting sleepy we say good night to the movie and go to sleep.

Now some say that TV rots your brain, however I say if not abused or used as a tool to avoid interacting with your child, let them watch. It has saved my sanity on many days and it could save yours.