Alright, so I have an eight month old that is a pretty busy little guy.
He is crawling, standing and cruising (but no walking yet) and pulling everything from the tables. I am always looking for ways to entertain him and one friend suggested that I let him watch kids programs like Noggin (whatever that is??). Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I thought I'd get a discussion going...
My inclination is no. I have been pretty careful about not watching TV when he is around, I don't want him to just sit there and be mesmerized by the picture and sound. I have also read that you should avoid exposing children to intense media until they are older (potentially even MUCH older--like three!). I have no intention of being a TV-free house, I watch TV, but I would rather him do something interactive and hands on. I was never allowed to be a couch potato, so I don't want to start early on that. My friend was saying that its educational and it taught her daughter to clap. That kind of made me feel guilty like, "Am I keeping him from learning??" Then I thought about what nonsense that is. He sees me clap everyday--he doesn't need to see it on TV! Plus, there's no telling what other things they "learn" from sitting in front of the TV for hours. I would just rather wait until I am desperate (like when I have another baby and I am juggling a thousand things etc.) to turn to the TV as entertainment for him.
What do you all think?