Anna watched her first show on TV last night

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

My wife and I are well aware of the studies that show the negative effect of exposure to too much TV on kids under two, so we've avoided showing Anna anything up to this point. In the past few weeks, she's gotten good about using the potty, getting rid of her bottle and singing the alphabet song. We decided that she was a big girl, and could watch something.

The first thing she saw was "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from the Fantasia 2000 DVD. She knew who Mickey was, of course. Then we watched Donald Duck's Noah's Ark sequence. She loves the two or three Noah's Ark books that she has, and as soon as she saw the ark she was saying "Noah Ark! Noah Ark!" Then she named all the animals she could. And of course she knew who Donald was, too. We finished off watching the whale segment.

We're still going to keep the TV off most of the time, but I've got a bunch of Disney Treasure discs for us to go through.

Here's the little lady herself chatting with a friend.

<a href="http://seanvarney.smugmug.com/photos/90320890-L.jpg" target="_blank">http://seanvarney.smugmug.com/
photos/90320890-L.jpg</a>

 

Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan

She's very hairy and much bluer than I expected, but her friend is adorable! ; )

 

Originally Posted By 4Disnee

What a cutie!

 

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

At least she has my ears, 2oony.

 

Originally Posted By ajnhollysmommy

She is adorable!
We never let Andrew watch tv very much when he was a toddler. He now plays outside as much as he can. There are times where I need a brake and beg him to watch a movie. Holly has zoo moveies with classical music she loves- and she likes Clubhouse Mickey

 

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

I've noticed that with Anna, ajnhollysmommy. She is so much more active than her friends that watch a lot of TV. She can spend a good 20 or 30 minutes by herself playing with Duplos or her baby dolls in our living room. She'll read books to herself.

She'll get a chance to see the classics before going to Disneyland in a couple of years, but I hope it's a long time before she has to watch something with commercials!

 

Originally Posted By ajnhollysmommy

All of Andrews friends and most of my familys kids get this zombie look, mouth half open and there eyelids droop and sometimes even have to suck the spit back into there mouth.LOL

 

Originally Posted By ajnhollysmommy

They get really mad when I tell them there is no tv during the school week at our house

 

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

We'll be doing that, too. And other than important news events I doubt that we'll be watching much live TV at all.

 

Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy

Very cool, Tom...and cute pic.


<Then we watched Donald Duck's Noah's Ark sequence. She loves the two or three Noah's Ark books that she has, and as soon as she saw the ark she was saying "Noah Ark! Noah Ark!" Then she named all the animals she could. And of course she knew who Donald was, too.>

What about Daisy?! Poor girl, Donald gets all the publicity for this one...but I feel even worse for Minnie because out of the big foursome of Mickey/Minnie/Donald/Daisy, she's the only one to not be in a "Fantasia" segment (well actually she does have a tiny cameo with Mickey in "Noah's Ark", but I mean story-wise and something that is on screen for more than .5 secons, lol). Sometimes I wonder if Minnie is secretly jealous that Daisy got to be in one and she came along long after Minnie herself debuted with Mickey---again, which she got no fanfare for---or if Minnie is just really so big-hearted that she doesn't mind and still considers Daisy one of her dearest friends (please don't call the men in the white coats).

That's my favorite F2000 segment. It has the perfect blend of emotions and humor, and only here can I say that the bitterly ironic tale of two hurt animated ducks and their joyous reunion moves me more than any two humans on screen ever have.

I can't wait until you let Anna watch "D Alphabet" and "Madrigal Alphabet" from "Sesame Street Old School".

 

Originally Posted By Pixie Glitter

Cute story!

And I'm with you on the TV restrictions, Tom. My kids are 9 and almost 12, and they are still restricted to one hour per day total media time (TV, Game Boy, computer, videos, etc.) on school days and two hours per day on non school days. Believe it or not, we have the most stringent restrictions in this area of anyone we know. But, surprise, surprise, our kids are very imaginative and capable of happily entertaining themselves for hours on end.

 

Originally Posted By Lisann22

She is so cute, Tom! I totally respect the restrictions. I believe if I were a parent, I'd be following similar guidelines.

 

Originally Posted By Inspector 57

<<We decided that she was a big girl, and could watch something.>>

AAAACCKK! TV as reward! Use the potty, get some tube. Ugh!

So when Anna is 16... "Honey, your report card is so good this term that your mother and I bought you this crack. Enjoy!"


Okay, okay, I'm half-joking.

"Half"-joking because you're using the term "TV" to refer to both (a) the monitor itself and (b) what we all commonly think of as "TV," which is network broadcasting.

The monitor is a household tool, as useful and as innocent as a vacuum cleaner or a microwave oven. It allows you to stay abreast of current events, to learn about the history of Germany or German Shephards or German punk music. It is just there -- stupidly, because it's a machine, ready to serve -- when you decide that you want to view a DVD that you have deemed worth your attention.

"TV," as in network broadcasting, is, for the most part, an evil plot to lower the intelligence quotient of the citizens of this country.

THAT's the part I don't quite see as a legitimate reward. "Great, honey, you've cleaned your room. You can go become stupid now!"

 

Originally Posted By Inspector 57

Double AAACCCKK!!!

I forgot to say that Anna is absolutely adorable!!!

 

Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy

Yeah, I also thought the thread title was misleading since she technically didn't watch a "TV show". But I let it go. ;-)

But for some folks, TV really is a reward. Depending on what sorts of shows one would watch, if one has an interest in acting, writing, directing, the environment, history, etc., then more power to TV.

But if you're just gonna watch "reality stuff" on MTV or whatever (or snow or those colored bars with the high pitch tone), then that's more "viewing for viewing's sake" viewing.

 

Originally Posted By Inspector 57

<<But for some folks, TV really is a reward. Depending on what sorts of shows one would watch, if one has an interest in acting, writing, directing, the environment, history, etc., then more power to TV.>>

And lest I come off even more cranky thank I have on LP lately...

Yeah. For the most part, I am disgusted with network TV.

But I can understand that once you've worked all day and then mowed the lawn and then helped the kids with homework you might legitimately decide to sit down to a favorite program.

As long as "TV" is a specific destination, and not a default.

 

Originally Posted By Inspector 57

Aaargh. "thank" should be "than" above.

I must have watched too much "Maury" or "Judge Judy" or Fox "News."

 

Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy

*sigh*, I wish I had a lawn to care for...

 

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

Don't worry, Inspector - we never told her it was a reward. Her language development is going like gangbusters and we felt like it was time. We talk about what we're watching and make her tell us what she's seeing. She's not a passive watcher.

Anna is not going to be watching any programming with commercial breaks for years. If I have anything to say about it, the first time she'll see a commercial will be at a friends house or somewhere else outside our home. (Thank God for Tivo!)

TV will not be a default for her. It will be a destination. I'm not going to cheapen the magic of storytelling and learning for her by letting her use the TV as a babysitter.

 

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

>>*sigh*, I wish I had a lawn to care for...<<

If you want to spend a summer in Seattle, you can live in our garden shed.