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Mums hit back on TV warning
Wednesday 15th October 2008, 7:00PM BST.
Baby programmes and channels aimed at pre-school children could damage their development, new research has claimed.
But Shropshire mothers today hit back, maintaining that television could be part of a young child’s daily routine as long as it was responsibly included in family life.
Ofcom, the British TV regulator, has asked its counterpart in France to send over research on the subject after tough new measures were introduced in that country to protect the young.
Across the channel there are claims that parents use dedicated channels such as BabyTV, which broadcasts 24 hours a day, as a form of babysitting.
But mothers in the county said that while they would never use the small screen as a form of babysitting it was impossible to completely avoid television when “the reality of modern-day parenting kicks in”.
Gina Cox-Roberts from Arleston, Telford, a natal hypnotherapy expert, said her one-year-old daughter Ember was allowed to watch for 20 minutes a day.
“When I was pregnant I read an article about how TV can affect a child’s brain activity and I resolved then that our child would never watch TV,” she added.
“Now she’s here and the reality of modern-day parenting has kicked in that resolution hasn’t stuck, though.
“She now watches one programme for 20 minutes each day as part of her bedtime routine, but we watch it with her and comment about what’s happening on screen so it still feels like an interactive experience.”
Fay Bailey, from Shrewsbury, said she tried hard to limit her one-year-old son Isaac’s exposure to television but added that he wasn’t really interested in it.
“I know these precious days are numbered as once he gets older he will certainly ask to watch television. As long as programmes are carefully screened by parents and a time-limit set I honestly don’t think allowing children to watch some television is that awful.
“Obviously plonking children in front of television for hours on end is less than desirable but life is busy and stressful for most parents.
“We would all like to think that we have the time and energy to give our children undivided attention but the reality is very different.”
Researchers in France say they found that watching television delayed language learning and could cause sleep disorders.
From November TV channels and programmes in France will be banned from promoting the proclaimed “educational benefits” of shows aimed at under-threes which will have to carry a warning before they start.
Ofcom stated that at present there is no evidence that proves such content is harmful but has said it will consider in detail this new research on the topic.
By Women’s Editor Tracey O’Sullivan
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Well I have to agree that TV has its place but kids should be out exploring the real world for real life education. Or they will end up as teachers.
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There is 110% nothing wrong with the TV for kiddies. It keep’s them quite and carlm all day and they also make progres. I have let my kiddie watch the TV for most of evry day since he was born and now he is 4 he is starting to talk! I think this fast progres shows the important helping part that TV has had in his life. Were wuld he be now if he had no TV to help him?! Walking and playing around outside, talking to strangers and getting into truble, that is were!! Better to have TV as his best frend than many of the peeps round here, I do think!! THANK YOU TV!
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What a load of rubbish, my kids watch tv, there’e nothing wrong with their language and they all sleep very well. They also get lots of play time and fresh air. There is nothing wrong with watching a few hours of TV aslong as they get plenty of other activities.
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depend what you watch on TV.
Many youths/hoodies of today act the way they do as they have been emotionally scarred at watching teletubbies at a early age.
I have often heard gangs of 14-17 years old on street corners looking for tubbie custard.
SHOCKING!!!!
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I don’t beleive there is any real research about it. Both my children watch tv. I grew up watching tons of tv. we are all fine. Baby tv is a godsend in our house!
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‘Chavney Asbo’
I do hope your joking..
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I grew up watching the Clangers and Captain Pugwash. The Clangers scared the life out of me, but Captain Pugwash was good even though I didn’t appreciate the inuendos at the time.
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Lucy W – A girl of the 60′s then?
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Sounds like Lucy W is a 70′s child like myself, although sad to say that the innuendoes you refer to in Captain Pugwash do not exist, they are an urban myth.
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what are you on about lucy, “the real world” you refuse to use public transport because you find other people smelly.
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owd: Have explored public transport. A regular commuter on the London Tube and believe me it stinks with tramps going round and round on the circle line keeping warm under a pile of rotten sleeping bags. And then there’s the Yuppies smelling of booze and garlic! I dont know which is worse – at least the Yuppies dont beg you for money and spit on you if you dont give them any – they just spit when they talk naturally.
Then there’s the train commute from the smoke to the sticks. I always seem to get a weird bloke who tells me his life story so I had a walkman, but then old fuddy duddies complained the headphones were too loud – honestly! *tut*
And why do escaped psychatric patients always sit next to me on the bus telling me they used to be in the SAS?
No, I soon learnt that commuting by cars was far better and driving in London is the least stressful option.
I am proud to say that the last time I used public transport was 1997, and that was only because I was off to London for a boozy re-union.
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Lucy W “weird bloke who tells me his life story ”
You have met Devon Salopian then :o)
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oh how cutting lucy w, i do my little bit to liven up these pages and keep harold and tory boy in check. anyway i was brought up with muffin the mule, andy pandy, bill and ben etc
my favourite tv childrens programmes were in the 1970′s that was trumpton, chigley and camberwick green, windy miller was ace and my favourite tv character, the frightening childrens cartoons i see now and again convince me that today’s childrens programmes are rubbish with one notable exception.
let us hear it for blue peter 1958-2008 and that great tv producer joan (biddy) baxter. i must not go on preaching my life story otherwise lucy w might explode.
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Chavney Asbo there is nothing wrong with children watching TV, but lets just hope that you are not teaching your children how to spell, but will they be able to learn this from the TV like you must have done, did you no harm did it. What a laugh sit the children in front of the TV all day with a load of sweets or crisps I bet instead of playing with them yourself, keeps them quiet for you so you can do what.
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disagree! “Eh Oh” is not educational!
Power Rangers just encourages fighting, all parents know that children WILL copy!
Chavney Asbo – they watch TV ALL day!!! Do you have relationship with your children? This is why children these days have no respect for anyone including their parents… This is why we have an obese nation, kids need to be active, taught how to have an imagination, taugh manners. TV does not teach this.
This is why we have so many louts on the streets these days. They are bored!!! they are not out to cause trouble, they do it for as it’s something exciting to do as all they know is watching TV! I’ve never blamed these kids, i’ve always blamed the parents for being lazy!
People will come back and abuse my comments, but the fact is i’m right, it’s been proven!!!
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Lets hear it little Emily’s cat – Bag Puss!
I used to love Tom and Jerry cartoons and was shocked to see the new T&J cartoons are dumbed down due to political correctness saying that a mouse hitting a cat with a frying pan is too violent for kids! Honestly *tut*
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