Our Tots and Television: Using TV as a Babysitter for Your Children

I have for many years been hearing people complain about how television was turning into the newest babysitter for our children. I was determined that I would never let me child befall victim to this terrible evil. I would spend all day playing with him, and reading books, and going to the park. I couldn't believe those people who just let their kids watch cartoons all day, what kind of parenting was that? Low and behold, I had a child. As a newborn, he couldn't really do much, so I would find myself watching TV as I was feeding him, or putting him to sleep. Somehow it seemed okay to let him be in front of the TV if he wasn't really watching.

Kids grow up quickly, soon he was watching television. I am still a good mom though. Disney channel and Nickelodeon were educational, so there is nothing wrong with that. He learned to count, learn his colors, his alphabet, even some spanish, all from these couple shows he watched during the day. Not that the TV was the babysitter, but while he was getting educated through that little screen, I was able to catch up on housework. Keeping up with the laundry, dishes, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting and cooking can be difficult with a little one hanging on your leg all the time. I convinced myself that letting him watch these few shows was actually good for him, so I had nothing to feel guilty about at all.

All of the good preschool shows ended in the early afternoon, so I soon found myself putting in a wholesome Disney movie for him in the evenings. While he was watching these great movies, I would be able to get clean up from dinner and do whatever odds and ends I didn't finish during the morning shows. Once my housework was completed for the evening, I would sit with him on the couch and watch with him. We called this family time, watching our movie together. In fact, he enjoyed these movies so much, that for his birthday one year, I found myself buying him a TV and VCR to keep in his room, so he could watch whenever he wanted.

Eventually he got bored with Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer and started changing the channel. He was still watching cartoons, only now they had no educational value what so ever! It had become such a habit to let him watch in the afternoon that I didn't even realize it right away. Our evening movies started changing also. Instead of our wholesome G rated Disney, I found us watching PG or PG-13 movies. He thought it was cool to watch a grownup movie, and a person can only take Disney for so long. I made sure that there was nothing too graphic and he didn't get most of it anyways, he just liked hanging out with mommy.

I have finally realized that I did in fact turn the TV into my babysitter. I kept rationalizing my reasons, but the truth is, sometimes I just needed a break. My son is very smart, still likes to play outside whenever he can, plays with his cars and trains in his room for hours every day, enjoys to have his friends over, and still watches probably a little too much TV. I am not supermom as much as I had thought I would be. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our child, is to be sure we are happy and relaxed. When raising your child, sometimes you just have to go with your instincts. Television should be viewed as one of those gray areas, not black or white. It is alright to take advantage of the technology available to us. Laugh together at a good movie, or learn something new on animal planet. Television doesn't have to be an evil thing avoided at all costs, nor should you feel guilty just because you and your child enjoy some entertainment.