TV Watching...

Hmmm...

So, should Summer be watching TV? Or is the question: CAN SHE SEE the TV? From a website:

Three Months: Distance vision begins to develop. You may notice your baby staring at you from halfway across the room or examining objects that are several feet away.

Four Months: Distance vision develops fully. Your baby will test his newfound gift by staring at a distant television screen or looking out the window. His response to color is greater, too, as he begins to decipher a full range of colors and shades.

So, she's about 3 months now... I've always read about ADD and the TV's influence on creating that problem...from another website:

As a kiddie viddie baby sits "mesmerized", neural paths are not being created. This is crucial brain development that stops by age three.

and:

No reliable research has been done on how television viewing affects children younger than 2, Dr. Hogan said. But the academy based its recommendations for such children on knowledge of what babies need for proper brain development - notably, close-up interaction with older people - and the commonsense notion that, if they are watching television, babies are not getting those other essential stimuli.

So, what do we do now that she can see?? Is she looking at me, or the TV?


Here, she is for SURE watching TV:


So, yeah, she can definitely see the TV. About if we're going to let her watch ANY TV...We have the Baby Einstein DVDs, and I have let her "watch" golf and poker with me a few times. Those seem slow and we postulate the fast cuts from some shows and commercials are the bad part. Up 'til now she only saw colors and lights, just like on her swing. But now that she can see, we'll have to be more careful to avert her eyes. We figure moderation is key.

As mentioned on the linked websites, some people have TVs in the baby's room, etc. That is not going to happen with us. We've already discussed her TV habits and she can have a radio in her room, but TV watching is a family endeavor. Video games will also be a family room activity...I'll be teaching her and playing with her. No GTA for her...

So, as getting in the car today after work, there was a Sublime song on KROQ that has explicit lyrics. Some beeped out, some considered OK for radio, but not in my mind. Not for Summer...so, I'll be programming the radio for Radio Disney (AM 1110). :-)

So, the coughing never seemed to materialize into anything. Maybe a hairball from the kitties? Maybe allergies, maybe she was only a tiny bit sick and is already OK? She never seemed to be in pain or anything, just coughed a bit and had a runny nose that one morning. She's back to good.

Jess mentioned we need to get some more video of her. So, when I got home, before letting her pass out (she tends to crash after all the stimuli of daycare) I got her playing a little in the activity center, but she started crying, due to being tired. I then held her and rocked her and she passed out. She's down now. She's so adorable when she's sleeping. Adorable when awake, too, of course...I'm sure you know what I mean, if you've been reading this blog at all...she's the greatest! :-)

Oops, while typing all this (It takes some time, ya know) Jess came home and Summer woke up...Jess is walking her...maybe will feed her, but she seems to be falling back asleep a little...nope, now I hear Summer pulling some hard swigs off her bottle. And now that I'm actually finishing up....Jess is putting her in the crib and playing the mobile a few times. See ya when ya wake up in about an hour, Summer!