I know my daughter shouldn’t watch any television at the age of one. We do try limit how much TV we have on, but sometimes, we just need a break. If I need a break to get dinner ready, or to clean up the kitchen, I will definitely put Sesame Street on for her.
We don’t have the television on all the time, but my daughter will still find the remotes. She loves them! She will carry them around everywhere. We even have old remotes that we’ve given her, but she knows the difference. (Just don’t forget to take the batteries out!) She knows which remote mommy and daddy use.
Sesame Street, especially Elmo’s World, makes my daughter squeal in excitement! She starts dancing whenever she hears the Elmo’s World theme song. She loves other baby’s too, so the “let’s ask a baby” segment is a huge hit. My 6 year old niece has even played that with her, asking her a question and giving her a ‘kiss-kiss’.
Do I feel guilty for letting her watch TV? A little. I try to remind myself that at least it’s educational. She gets to enjoy new songs and claps with excitement whenever Elmo appears.
I asked my pediatrician about screen time as well, and he actually said Sesame Street was better than most shows because there were less bright flashes of light. He obviously didn’t recommend her watching TV all day long (which she doesn’t), but he didn’t believe that one episode here and there would hurt her.
Parents have to do what works for them, and if a little bit of Elmo is what it takes to take a break, then so be it.
I know there are various studies pro and against screen time, but again, every parent gets to decide for themselves. What age did you allow your child to watch TV?
