Do you let your children watch videos/movies? Are they only Christian movies? Do you restrict the amount of time they watch? What is that time? Are videos/movies strictly a reward or a family time event? How old are your kids when you let them start watching movies?
Yes, my kids watch movies. Sad to say, most of the winter was spent with movies constantly going. I used “recovering from a C-section” and “it’s too cold to play outside for a new baby” as my excuses. However, I cringed most of the time as the kids popped in the next movie. (Yes, they both know how to put in and take out movies with out scratching or breaking anything.)
More recently, movies are in the minority of our activities during the day. Granted, it helps that the weather is much nicer and I’ve recovered from surgery. :) Also, while the kids might start out watching a movie, they tend to walk away to go play before it ends.
Movies are huge aids to me while I have to be doing something that requires most, if not all, of my attention. (We don’t get any type of tv programming, not even basic channels. The mountains in town are in the way of the antenna that would reach our tv. Crazy, huh?) I tend to put movies on while I’m making dinner – I need the kids to be occupied during that time; I get easily stressed if I have to focus on making dinner AND try to keep the kids occupied.
I’ve always tried to wait for the kids to sit down and watch movies until they were at least 1 yr old. Our 8 mo might catch glimpses of a movie that’s on for the kids, but we don’t put her there intentionally to watch.
I’m pretty picky when it comes to movies the kids watch. We usually don’t watch Disney movies because they’re too frightening. And some people may think I’m being way too over-protective of the kids by being really careful about scary scenes. But my 4 yo has vivid dreams and night terrors, so I don’t want to add anything to that. I have an active imagination especially at night, so I’m very sensitive to scary things. When we check out movies from the library or get new ones, I’m usually watching the movie with them for the first couple times to help them through any parts that might be scary. We own Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc (more for me and my husband than the kids); if ever the kids want to watch, I sit there and skip through most of the scenes. The kids think those movies are only about 15 minutes long because of the skipping.
The movies we do watch are typically 20-30 minute long. Our library has quite an extensive collection of videos. We’ve enjoyed Magic School Bus, Diego, Dora, Little Einsteins, Blues Clues, Peep, Bear in the Big Blue House, some Baby Einstein, and Veggie Tales. I sit there and watch the videos with the kids for the first couple times and interact with them by laughing, asking questions, pointing things out, etc. Even Veggie Tales has some weird ones out there that aren’t age appropriate for the kids.
What do you do? Anything you recommend?
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5 comments:
At this age, 20 months, Mac is just started to figure out what TV even is. She knows how to turn it on and off and thinks that if she turns it on Elmo will magically appear. She LOVES Elmo and that is only thing that holds her attention for more than a minute. I’ve tried other videos like Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid or VeggieTales because I think she will like the music. She dances for a little bit and then finds something else to do or wonders where Elmo is. She really only watches Sesame Street and usually it’s b/c I’m trying to get us ready to go and it’s on at a good time but she doesn’t miss it if we don’t turn it on. We also have a portable DVD player that we take in the car b/c she gets bored really fast and then she gets whiney. I’m not yet sure what we will do as she gets older b/c I already feel a twinge of guilt about her watching anything even if it is so I can get dinner started or my hair brushed.
I really have strong feelings about kids watching tv but my boy is still so little it hasn't been an issue yet. Usually my husband and I watch a movie after levi goes to bed. We don't have cable or any local tv, just dvd's. I don't think levi needs to watch a movie until he's at least 2. THere is so many other things to do. HOWEVER, the other day he was so restless and whiney that i was going crazy. He won't sit still for a story or cuddeling so I finally put in Pete's Dragon. He sat in my lap and we watched maybe 15 or 20 minutes. HE liked to songs. It was perfect to just calm him down a little and give him and me a little rest. Then he was ready to just play calmly again. Other than that he's not seen much maybe glimpses here and there if we are watching something during the day but generally we wait until he's in bed. I think that most cartoons are so fast and crazy that they just wind kids up instead of calming them down. Also I've read that it really gets their brains wound up and confused so try to avoid it before bedtime. I obviously don't have much to say from experience but I read a lot and I've always felt that kids don't need a lot of tv. Usually my husband plays with levi while I get dinner ready, it's a nice time for them and I get some time to focus.
We're mostly music people....we have a stereo and speakers in every room of the house, so we usually have the radio or iPod on, which makes the TV just extra noise. Besides, I tend to get stressed out of the TV is on, which is counter-intuitive I know.
They are allowed to watch some TV though, like Sesame Steet in the AM, or when I'm making supper, though they would usually rather play and listen to the music instead. How much, or the time issue is rarely an issue because they'd usually rather be playing outside anyways. After dinner we sometimes sit down and watch Wheel of Fortune together, as its fun for the kids to see the wheel, and it's good practice naming the letters. Plus, we get a little bit of numbers practice in there, and some colors too, so it's all good.
As far as videos, they have Veggie Tales and Elmo, and a few Disney ones. When asked what they want to watch, Elmo takes the cake, and is also useful for keeping them in one spot for awhile. Videos are usually reserved for rainy/cold days, or when I need to take a shower if they're not napping and days when mom is pregnant or tired from being up with a baby in the night and needs a nap on the couch!
Oh yeah, and sometimes I do take the kids to summer movie camp on Wednesdays just for fun. It kills time during the day when it's hot, and they LOVE going to the theater. Surprisingly, they all sit through the movie with no problems. I think its the surroundings just as much as it is the movie. But they only show kid movies and if I don't approve (like when they showed Shrek) we won't go. It's a cheap ($1) way to entertain the kids for a couple hours and get out of the house.
We don't have the tv on much at our house but we occasionally (maybe twice a week) might watch a video like Mr. Rogers or Sesame Street. I save that for when I have lost my patience and can't listen to any more bickering or answer any more questions. We just read a lot and play mostly, so they don't even realize they are missing anything. One video my kids particularly like and I like because it is real kids doing real things is Preschool Power. They are from the 90's and we can get them through interlibrary loan. They are probably best for ages 5 and under.
Once a month or so we do like to have an easy dinner together in the tv room while we watch a full length children's movie. Everybody enjoys that!
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