brainkill for kids

Pin It

Now there is more bad news about kids and TV. Well, maybe not really more, but certainly it reinforces what we already know.

Now I'm really feeling like a bad mom. Nathanael watches way more TV than Elizabeth did at a similar age. Why? Because Elizabeth watches more TV now than she did as toddler. When I read these articles, I feel like I'm knowingly contributing to the decline of my children. Maybe I am.

Some days, we watch no TV. More days, it's just a half hour program. Then, there are the days where the TV is on for 3 or more hours.

I reassure my self with the knowledge that they are generally watching "educational" shows, such as Caillou, Blues Clues, SuperWhy, Word World, or Sesame Street. She goes through phases. Currently it's Blues Clues. Since we don't have cable, satellite, or over the air reception, we watch all the shows on Netflix, so at least there is minimal exposure to commercials. The days when we have the TV on longer usually include a Disney movie, or a kind of kid friendly movie that Jude and I would like to see. (We don't get much movie watching done with little kids around).

But it sure says a lot when Elizabeth asks to watch a movie or a show pretty much every day, several times a day.

Sometimes I wish I could just sell the TV, and not have to worry about it. Might be nice to gain the space back! Oh, I know that a simple, wishful solution like that is simply an abdication of my parental responsibility. I look forward to the day when we haven't watched TV all week. I just need to get a grip on my life, and "Just Say No!"