Dear Marshall,
Everyone has their own opinions about how to take care of a child, and they can get downright nasty if you disagree with them. This can be quite a problem for new mothers, unsure of themselves, not knowing whether to trust their own instincts or listen to someone else. Personally, I don’t mind advice, but I can’t stand being told what to do, so I usually don’t try to tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t do. Except your father, of course. He’s a special case. 😉
So why I got so judgmental on your Auntie K the other day, I don’t know. I ranted about moms parking their kids in front of the television. That was before she told me how much she lets her daughter watch TV, and it’s a lot. Oops. She claims that the television is good because it allows her more time for herself and her child learns all sorts of wonderful things, like how to count to ten in Spanish. In her opinion, television is a free and educational babysitter, so who says she shouldn’t take advantage of it?
The American Academy of Pediatrics, for one. They recommend that children under two not watch television at all. Their policy is to “discourage television viewing for children younger than 2 years, and encourage more interactive activities that will promote proper brain development, such as talking, playing, singing, and reading together.”
Sure, I’d like to have a little more time to myself, but I accepted long before you were born that my personal life would, essentially, be put on hold for a few years while I devoted myself to your care. You deserve to learn about the world in real time, not at the hyper pace of television, and you deserve to learn from real people with real emotions, not actors tossing off prewritten lines.
Without the aid of television, it can be difficult to keep you busy. I have to get inventive. I make puppets out of socks and forts out of sheets. I chase you around the dining room table shouting, “Mommy’s gonna get you!” I bounce you on my knee and play “This Little Piggy” with you. We read together and sing together. Since ranting at your auntie, I’ve become even more conscientious and now we also play games involving colors and numbers. Your father has his own set of games that he plays with you, too.
It’s tiring, but how many of your precious laughs and smiles would we have missed if we’d left you staring vacantly at the TV every day? And if we provide you a strong foundation for an active, creative life, then we’ll have gotten an even greater value for our time.
Don’t worry. This ain’t “Little House on the Prairie,” kid. When you’re a little older, after we’ve gotten your brain wired correctly, we’ll let you watch some television. In the meantime, you can hold the remote control. 😉
Love,
Mom