Watching TV with a newborn in the room, is bad for my baby?
By: evelyn parkar * Updated 6 August 2024
Hi, new Mommy; how does it feel to be a mother?
There are many changes in life after becoming a mother. Everything changes, and the pace of life feels faster than before. I will say that enjoy every moment with your newborn baby. Do you have the habit of watching TV while working, or do you keep the TV on all day for background noise? Watching TV is normal, and we do our daily work. I do kitchen work by turning on the TV so that I can simultaneously know what is happening in the world. And a Seasons passionate like me who can stay up all night for her favorite show. You can guess it from the fact that I finished one of the seasons of F.r.i.e.n.d.s on the weekend with only three hours of sleep.
But after the baby, the question arises in my mind can I watch the news or my favorite show while working in the presence of the baby? This question arose when I was home with my first newborn baby. If all of you think the same, then these questions are because of love and concern for the baby. Otherwise, some mothers do not even care. I have seen many mothers trying to hold their newborns in their laps while the TV is also turned on, and they don’t care which type of stuff they are watching. And all this seemed strange to me even then and I used to think that just like the content affects our brain, it must also affect the baby. Then, after the baby, this concern increased and forced me to do proper research on whether I could watch TV in the same room with my newborn.
Imp to know According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, screen time for children under 18 months should be negligible. for toddlers the screen time is limited and for 2 to 5-year-old kids, the screen time is just one hour a day. But many parents say that their toddler loves to watch it. Did you know that you speak about 900 words when your toddler is around you, and when the TV is on, you only speak about 700 words? Vocabulary means your child is learning. |
After John came, I made many changes in our life. One of them was to keep the TV on all the time. It was set so I could see the screen coming and going while working in the kitchen. But after John, I started to wonder if the background noise of the TV was harmful to my newborn baby. Because John was getting used to watching TV, he would turn his neck towards the TV if I brought him to the lounge and at any angle. According to a survey, 40 percent of children are addicted to watching TV from the age of 5 months.
This statistic was a wake-up call for me. The constant hum of the TV can significantly impair a child’s motor skills. More alarmingly, our newborn babies, who are still learning to distinguish language, are at risk of having their IQ levels affected by these background noises.
Leaving the TV on in the background poses a serious threat to our children’s social development. It’s crucial to remember that language should primarily come from human interaction, not from a screen. Infants need direct, personal interaction to learn and grow, and the TV can’t provide that.
If the baby is a few days old and cannot even move his neck, is it still dangerous to turn on the TV for the background sound?
In this article, I will tell you what watching TV in the same room with the baby is like. Is it bad for us as mothers to make ourselves guilty, or is it a myth? Don’t worry, my lady, I will tell you all the research details and my experience.
So, let’s get started!
Watching TV with a newborn in the room: Why it’s wrong
Yes, screen time is harmful for children under the age of two. Screen affects baby’s sleep and growth. Newborns are attracted to bright colors and loud sounds. And because their grip is not strong on their head, they cannot concentrate elsewhere. And some babies, like my baby, watch TV nonstop, which makes their eyes watery. The effect of TV that I saw on my baby, affected my baby’s sleep cycle. The TV was broken for a few days; then, I found my newborn calm; his agitation had reduced to a great extent. You need to know when your baby’s newborn stage ends. Read this article when does the newborn stage end? Children’s brains grow three times faster in the first 12 months. All the activities that are happening around them are stored in their brains. Using TV all the time affects their language development, memory, and thinking ability. And all the time, the background noise of the TV amplifies all these things. If your baby watches more TV, it means you spend less time with them.
Have you noticed that taking a break from social media for some time makes our mood fresh, and we do our work with more energy than before? It is all because we are giving our brains extra information. It is the same with our We put our content on the TV and leave it without thinking whether that content is suitable for our baby’s age or not. Have you noticed that even on YouTube Kids there is a mention of the age of children for poems, rhymes, and videos? the age group is preferred for study, how can we parents let every news on TV go to our children’s ears? Lots of war-related news ,Or a horror movie or story based on a ghost, the background sound sends a sensational wave through our body, affecting our newborn.
Watching TV for 3 months in the room
can watch a tv with newborn in the room is daunting question for new parents but can we watch tv with 3 month old where newborn stage mostly ends. Where TV is not bad for a three-month-old baby, it is also not good. A three-month-old baby comes out of the newborn list. And then we put the baby in the car seat and take him shopping. Read our detailed article about how to put the car seat in the shopping cart He gets to recognize a little voice. When you listen to the news on TV, he doesn’t seem to understand it, but it is stored in his memory. And this is not a good thing. your baby may become addicted to watching TV continuously. It may make it difficult for him to focus on his tasks and study, so it is better to keep screen time limited.
Toddlers display time
Even for toddlers, screen time should be limited because children are more attentive to TV and less likely to jump and do mischief. What you see on TV is beyond their understanding, but it is enough to influence their analytical brain. Even if your TV is on, give them a paper and pencil. Draw some lines, and engage them in healthy activities. At this age, children notice everything quickly. Read poems with them; hide and seek is a favorite of children at this age. Spend as much time with them as you can because the whole universe of your little one is only you.
Conclusion
Of course, your newborn does not understand what is going on on TV, but these sounds and noises are affecting his mental health somewhere. So keep screen time away from your newborn and spend time with your baby to make their childhood incredible.
FAQ’s
Is it ok if my newborn looks at the TV?
Infants are drawn to the changing bright images on TV, but their brains struggle to interpret these rapid changes before 18 months. Babies are naturally wired to engage, learn, and bond with the people around them. Introducing TV to children before they reach 18 months can lead to developmental issues, hinder learning abilities, disrupt sleep patterns, and increase irritability. Just as positive affirmations can shape our brains, the sights and sounds our children are exposed to can influence their developing minds, potentially leading to concentration problems later in life.
What is the safe distance from a TV for a baby?
Parents are also concerned about the safe distance between children and the screen. Although LEDs have now replaced children’s TVs, children also spend much time on tablets and mobile phones. Blue light is emitted from LEDs, damaging sensitive cells that enter the retinas of children and infants. Therefore, it is better to have a distance of 8 to 10 feet while watching TV. Although watching TV closely will not blind our children, it causes muscle spasms and physical irritation. I have noticed that when my children spend too much time on YouTube, videos, or video games, they don’t listen to me or focus on their daily learning and school work. And to tell the truth, they are irritated. Therefore, I, as a parent, take the responsibility to allow them screen time depending on their age. As John and Mary are between the ages of 4 and 2 and a half, I allow them only 1 hour of screen time daily. And believe me, I have noticed many positive changes in my children by reducing their screen time. Why? Then it became confirmed that extra information is in our minds like junk food is in our bodies.
Can TV over stimulate a newborn?
Yes, screen time overstimulates and fussy the newborn. Children feel uncomfortable with bright lights, strange people, and loud noises. This process is accelerated from two weeks to 4 months. Therefore, the World Health Organization advises children before 18 months to avoid watching TV. Due to being overstimulated, children cry and beat their hands and feet. Yes! Your newborn senses all this and reacts to it. And if TV affects the mental health of our children, we reduce the ability of children to learn. As parents, you have the power to reduce TV time and make your baby feel your presence; maybe he is missing your womb attachment. Please turn on the white noise machine, place it on his head, and gently tap his back. In these ways, you can calm down your overstimulated children.
Does TV sound affect newborn?
Newborn listen tv sound if it is in background slow or loud and it affects their IQ level or cognitive behavior. Many parents use TV as background noise during breastfeeding and bedtime. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, TV noise is inappropriate for children under two. Because at the age of two months, babies start making vowel sounds. And at the age of 4 months, they start babbling. The parents’ voices and words are stored in their memory, and the noise of the TV, even if it is loud, distracts them. And it also affects children’s ability to speak. There may be difficulty in paying words and solving problems. The habits of life include getting scared very quickly and not being able to talk to other children.
What TV shows are over stimulating babies?
Many children are captivated by Coco Melon. The rapid succession of images, the fluctuating sound, the changing colors, and the captivating music make it a successful show for children. However, this success also means that children often demand to watch it repeatedly. It’s important for parents to understand their role in guiding their children’s screen time. Infants and newborns are receptive only to colors, light, and noise. The more children watch these shows, the more their emotions become uncontrollable. And they show overstimulated behavior. Many parents expressed fear that ADHD and autism problems are arising in children, but screen time and overstimulated shows do not cause these problems. First, it’s crucial to understand that TV is not suitable for children under 18 months of age. As a parent, you have the power to guide your child’s viewing habits, distinguishing between beneficial and harmful shows. One effective way to do this is to avoid any show that doesn’t have a single scene for 4 seconds. Research shows that TV shows can significantly influence the behavior of preschool children, underscoring the importance of your role in this aspect of their development. Instead, their effect on the brain is so intense that babies look like ADHD patients. Therefore, it is recommended that other experts also encourage watching low-stimulated shows. Additionally, many low-stimulating shows are not harmful to children. Here are the names of some best of low stimulated shows.\
- If you give a mouse a cookie
- Trash truck
- Guess how much I love you
- The snowy day
- Stella and Sam