Rant
Posted by Robin Haws on Friday, October 23, 2009
Under: Rant
So, I ran across a blog today with a post about the Baby Einstein dvd's. This blogger wrote about the AAP recommending zero tv time for kids under 2 and the fact that all people who bought Baby Einstein dvd's in the last five years will be able to get a refund. The blogger seems to be in complete agreement with the AAP and all the denials of the educational value of these dvd's and the horrors of letting a child watch tv.
Poppycock.
Yep, I said it.
I read through the comments on that blog post and felt bad for those women. Guilt and shame is obvious when a real woman and busy mom is served up a discussion like this. There is no reason for it. In my opinion, the AAP is doing the same thing that all the other organizations do. (I like to call them the "initial powers")
Making blanket observations, assumptions and generalizations about children is terrible. I cannot count how many times I see something from an Initial Power that is designed to be a blanket statement about ALL kids. Why? Are we supposed to think that all kids are exactly the same? How many times have you heard (or even said) something about a child not teething on scheduling or crawling on schedule or talking on schedule? What is this schedule? Because an Initial Power decided the schedule, all kids must adhere to it? One little example...my husband didn't speak when he was a toddler. A single word here and there. No doctor visits or internet searches. My in-laws knew he'd speak sooner or later. And he did. With no babytalk or misspoken words. One day, out of the blue, complete sentences, perfect speech. ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT.
How many of us watched tv when we were little? I'm fine. Everyone I know is fine.
My kids watch tv. They always have. I will say, with no guilt or shame, that my children watched brief spurts of tv from the time they were very young. The AAP wants people to believe there is no educational value in a young child watching tv. Really? My son could name over 10 different types of dinosaurs by sight way before he was 2. I guess there is no educational value in knowing that. And yes, I will totally admit that he did not learn that from me. He learned that from tv. He has continued to learn from tv. I actually use tv and channels like PBS as learning tools. One of my husband's nieces could speak spanish and japanese before she was 2 because of shows she watched. I've seen tons of kids that can speak spanish before they are 2 because of shows like Dora and Diego.
So, all you Initial Powers and anti-tv parents out there, I am not going to say you are wrong in the choices for your own children. I will say that it is very important to remember that all children are different and just because you see no educational value for one child doesn't mean it is the same for all children. No parent should feel guilty for utilizing the tv as a teaching tool or something to let you get the laundry folded.
All things in moderation.
All children are different.
Poppycock.
Yep, I said it.
I read through the comments on that blog post and felt bad for those women. Guilt and shame is obvious when a real woman and busy mom is served up a discussion like this. There is no reason for it. In my opinion, the AAP is doing the same thing that all the other organizations do. (I like to call them the "initial powers")
Making blanket observations, assumptions and generalizations about children is terrible. I cannot count how many times I see something from an Initial Power that is designed to be a blanket statement about ALL kids. Why? Are we supposed to think that all kids are exactly the same? How many times have you heard (or even said) something about a child not teething on scheduling or crawling on schedule or talking on schedule? What is this schedule? Because an Initial Power decided the schedule, all kids must adhere to it? One little example...my husband didn't speak when he was a toddler. A single word here and there. No doctor visits or internet searches. My in-laws knew he'd speak sooner or later. And he did. With no babytalk or misspoken words. One day, out of the blue, complete sentences, perfect speech. ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT.
How many of us watched tv when we were little? I'm fine. Everyone I know is fine.
My kids watch tv. They always have. I will say, with no guilt or shame, that my children watched brief spurts of tv from the time they were very young. The AAP wants people to believe there is no educational value in a young child watching tv. Really? My son could name over 10 different types of dinosaurs by sight way before he was 2. I guess there is no educational value in knowing that. And yes, I will totally admit that he did not learn that from me. He learned that from tv. He has continued to learn from tv. I actually use tv and channels like PBS as learning tools. One of my husband's nieces could speak spanish and japanese before she was 2 because of shows she watched. I've seen tons of kids that can speak spanish before they are 2 because of shows like Dora and Diego.
So, all you Initial Powers and anti-tv parents out there, I am not going to say you are wrong in the choices for your own children. I will say that it is very important to remember that all children are different and just because you see no educational value for one child doesn't mean it is the same for all children. No parent should feel guilty for utilizing the tv as a teaching tool or something to let you get the laundry folded.
All things in moderation.
All children are different.
In : Rant
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