No screentime for Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven Etheridge
Actress Tammy Etheridge, 33, has shared on her blog that she and wife, singer Melissa Etheridge, 46, won’t let their twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven, 14 months, watch TV or deal with anything with a screen. She writes about their arrangement after seeing a mother at a mall who was asking her son why he spends so much time behind the computer and TV.
In accordance with our household theory, the babies have mostly wooden toys. Big Legos were introduced recently, but otherwise, they just play with things that are made…how to ’splain…toys that are made of "nature."
They don’t watch screens (except that [Kansas City] Chiefs loyalty thing for 3 minutes), they only have dolls with only dots for eyes, and half-circles of yarn for mouths; they don’t watch TV, videos, DVDs, or anything with a screen; and they won’t for a long, long time. Perhaps next year they can watch the family movie that [Melissa] makes every year.
Oh, yeah. and everywhere I go, I am told the twins are the best behaved babies X person has ever been around. Or they are the calmest babies that Z person ever saw…
Tammy explains that she believes if a child is used to a lot of noise, he/she may have difficulties at school.
I think of it like this: if I fill my children’s senses on overload: TV for hours, or video games that mock behavior I don’t want the child displaying later (shooting people) … then it would only make sense that later, when my child is in school, the room will be deathly quiet, and only the teacher’s voice is filling my child’s world — a world that has gotten used to BANG! ZIP! MOVE OUTTA THE WAY! GET IT! GET IT! SHOOT IT BANG BANG ZIP ZAP — my child might feel ready to jump out of its skin due to such "unnaturally quiet" surroundings.
My child might be tempted to behave erratically to change the atmosphere in the class to match a more comfy atmosphere for himself/herself — something louder, more chaotic, and with more anxiety (am I gonna get my guy killed? how many guys do I have left? I need to shoot the bad guys before they shoot me!).
But doctors don’t talk about that either. So they’d probably call my child difficult, and diagnose it with ADD or ADHD, gimme drugs to pacify the damage being done by continuing to let him live in Screen World, and move on.
Source: Tammy Lynn’s blog
Thanks to CBB reader Lisa.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you agree that TV and computer games can damage a child?
- Posted on Jan 15, 08 at 9:57AM
- Permalink
- 43 Comments
January 15th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I absolutely think that too much (or any, really) TV can be damaging to a child. I observed this firsthand this weekend while watching my nephew sit about 4 inches away from the TV with the volume turned up. When he wasn’t in front of the tube, he was running around talking as loud as possible/screaming/crying, etc. The kid is just plain overstimulated from things like television and the oodles of toys (that make noise!) that he has. Our 11-month old watches no television at all (obviously), and seems to have more fun playing with his wooden blocks and pots & pans that with any of his more “boisterous” toys. My sister-in-law doesn’t seem to get that her son needs a little more one-on-one interaction, and a little less visual stimulation (via the TV, anyway!)
January 15th, 2008 at 10:41 am
i can see what she’s talking about but i still think for me anyway that no tv for a very very long time may be extreme..my little sister adores cbeebies which airs in the uk and its educational and not loud at all however its her perogative and its not going to be detrimental in my eyes
January 15th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I’ve never thought of that but it makes so much sense. I completely agree with her. 100%. I think kids today are SO overloadred with….stuff. TV, video games, rooms full of toys and more toys, hand-held video games (that you can take with you in the car with you when you leave the house!!) and going here and there and everywhere….what ever happened to wooden blocks and rag dolls? Or tire swings and sprinklers? Or….reading a book?
January 15th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I agree that babies should not watch TV, etc. As they get older I’m a firm believer in everything age appropriate in moderation. Watching some TV with my children 11,9,7 has been great. My daughter, the artist, loves the older cartoons. They are all bright imaginative kids that would rather play outside (chalk is great)then with video games. It’s our job as parents to monitor and even participate.
January 15th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Sounds like they practice Waldorf pedagogics. I like that.
January 15th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I see this every day in my kindergarten class. Kids (boys mostly) who have never had to listen, sit quietly, pay attention, and the parents just think it is because they are kids. No. They should be able to sit quietly without the need for TV to entertain them. I actually had a parent ask how they could get their 5 year old to watch less TV.
January 15th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I don’t think they “damage” a child, but I believe in restricting the use of electronic media is a good idea. My 14-month-old daughter doesn’t really have an interest in television yet, but occasionally we “watch” Arthur or Little Einsteins. When she gets older, I will see nothing wrong with allowing her to watch Sesame Street. I don’t think that television or video games should serve as a child’s babysitter, though. If my daughter’s watching Arthur, I’m sitting, watching with her.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:00 am
My kids will wait a few years before they are allowed to watch television and at which time, it won’t be for more than an hour. That’s just my general rule. As for the ADHD comment…blah to them on that. I didn’t watch tv for almost 4 years as a kid (We lived in Alaska and it was a luxury we couldn’t afford at that time) and then I was able to watch an hour at 5 and at 6 years old in AK. That was it. I’m ADHD straight across the board, not due to a tv overload and not for a lack of discipline. Outside of that, I’m on board with them for everything else they’ve done raising their kids.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Too much of anything is not always good. TV and computers should not be used as babysitters but I let the kids watch it and infact think some of the shows are very educational and movies like Snow White and Cinderella which my niece loves gives kids a sense of imagination. Of course TV watching and computer time should be in moderation. But to answer the question, No I do not think that it’s damaging unless your not monitoring what they’re watching or seeing then it could be.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Everything in moderation. And too much of even a good thing, is a bad thing.
Appropriate aged tv (or any technology), for appropriate lengths of time = good thing.
All technology, all the time = bad thing.
We live in, (and I might add, Tammy posts in), a technological world. For better or worse, it is what it is.
Denying the children access to technology can be just as damaging as allowing them to live there.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:31 am
TOTALLY agree with NO tv..or “screens”..like movies, videos. As a career nanny, mother of 4, it is not necessary and is often harmful. Just remember, the people who invented all this electronic stuff, grew up without it, and were still intelligent enough to invent something. Parents often think kids need this stimulation for brain development. Not so.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I agree totally. We got rid of our tv a few years back and, although we watch movies at home, we don’t do so when our 10 month old is awake. I don’t really see any value in tv for a child under 2 and it seems likely that there could be harm. Once he’s older, I wouldn’t try to stop him from watching (age-appropriate) tv at other people’s houses, but I don’t expect that to be a common thing. I’d much rather he be reading or playing outside than sitting slack-jawed staring at rapidly moving images on a box.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:44 am
No tv at all? Dolls with only yarn for eyes? What else? Only sorghum and a rye flat for lunch?
If they’re going to restrict everything flashy and stimulating to their children, let’s hope they themselves are following suit by living in a modest split level and driving a 1986 Aries Dodge sedan. Lead by example, right?
January 15th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I agree with some of what she said, but a true ADD/ADHD diagnosis is because of a chemical difference in the brain and has a genetic basis. However, as someone who has worked with kids with various psychological disorders, I do believe that too much TV can create symptoms in kids that mimic ADD/ADHD and lead to a kids getting diagnosed with those disorders when they don’t actually have them. I just hope Tammy doesn’t believe that cutting out TV, computers, and many kinds of toys will totally eliminate any behavioral problems.
January 15th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Sounds Waldorf to me as well. I’m sorry, but there’s really no such thing as “educational” television— that’s a total myth. Your child can learn shapes and colors (or have an imagination) without some marketed character telling it to them.
My kids do not have access to cable or DVR anymore and I control which movies they see through the library.
It has made a total difference in them from when they saw television. They play much more on their own now and are using their imaginations. Less tantrums when time to turn the video off, too.
I’m not sure when television became a “must” for growing up, but I’m happy that we’ve majorly cut back. The Etheridge family is doing good.
January 15th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I agree with her some what, for us realistic moms who are running after 2 or 3 kids sometimes putting an Elmo Dvd helps us keep calm, I bet they have nannies that help them with their beautiful twins. I feel like she looks down at those that let our kids watch some tv. But to each its own.
January 15th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I have to say, I hear what everyone is preaching about “no TV for kids,” but I tend not to agree, based on my own experience with my 2 and a half year old. He does watch age-appropriate shows (Dora, Blues Clues, etc.), and I truly believe it has only enhanced his behavior and education. He can sit and listen and focus for a stretch of time (which is handy for listening to books that we read daily). His vocabulary is amazing, which I realize is not 100% attributed to TV, but it does account for some of it…especially his use of Spanish (he can count to 5 like Dora and the other day told me “vamanos, Mommy”). Granted, I’m usually watching the shows with him, making comments or asking questions, and he’s not watching the evening news or pointless cartoons…it’s all about how you can use it to your advantage. I do not think TV is as “evil” as everyone makes it out to be – used correctly, it can be a wonderful tool for your child’s development.
January 15th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I agree with everything in moderation. My childhood was some television mixed with a lot of “go outside and play–blow the stink off you.” And we never had a VCR until I was 10, so I had to make do with whatever was on tv.
I think this has less to do with television and more to do with parental laziness. I grew up on old school Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers, so by the age of 3, I could count to 10 in Spanish and knew how peanut butter was made. My mom wouldn’t let me watch anything inappropriate.
If I got bored, I read a book or played with toys. I do think kids aren’t overstimulated by tv as much as bored by having nothing to do but watch it, so they act up to burn off energy. I’ve always found that a kid would much rather draw a picture than watch a movie. Come on, even a two-year-old is going to find Elmo grating after a while. But if parents provide options and encourage their children to do other things besides JUST tv, it turns out alright.
But this Ethridge approach of isolating her children from the outside world is going to do little more than make them socially incompetent, because kids are very quick to pick up on what they do or have or are that makes them different from others. For moral reasons, my mom would never let me have a Cabbage Patch Doll but I AT LEAST knew what they were.
January 15th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I love how persons in the spotlight give out parenting advice for us ‘other’ parents (you know the ones who dont have a person who cleans our home, cooks our meals and watches our children for us)about tv viewing and the like.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Wow, she found the cause of ADHD? I hope she publishes her findings in a scientific journal.
My husband and I grew up watching a lot of television but yet we still managed to get advanced degrees (he has a PhD and I a MA). I think there are far more factors leading to ADHD and other issues than just television or computers. My 1 year old son doesn’t watch television. I do think it is better for creativity not to watch it. Plus I would rather go play at the park if it is nice outside than stay indoors, my son has no choice but to come along.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Ya know when my daughter was a baby, I had the same values. No TV, etc… I gave in and I noticed a major change in her learning patterns. Her vocab became bigger. Her speech was more understandable and pattern recognition was remarkable. This was at the age of 2. I was getting many compliments by seasoned elementary teachers of her educational skills.
However, I do NOT let her play video games, like Nintendo, PS or Wii. I do let her play games on the computer 3 times a week for 1 hour a day. As long as they are educational.
Now she is in Kindergarten and her teacher wants her to be tested for sage. (Classes for the educationally gifted).
TV can only hurt your child if you let it. In moderation, along with reading to him/her and books and materials for him/her to go through daily.
She plays with Barbie’s and Lego’s as well. And she is socially skilled as well.
TV is not a babysitter, it is a brain booster.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Wow. They sound very judgmental.
I agree that TV and video games are not babysitters, but I will admit that we let our kids watch TV. If I need some peace to make supper, I will absolutely put a video on for them. And they watch age appropriate shows. And we will let them play video games, but I will certainly not be letting them play shoot ‘em up games when they’re in elementary school. Again, age appropriateness, moderation, all things we do/will continue to do.
My sister-in-law’s family does not have a television. She feels that some television is good, in that it allows the kids to understand how whales swim (which can’t be shown in a book).
Also, wouldn’t a classroom be loud and boisterous with 20+ kids in it? To me, being understimulated can cause challenges in a classroom, as the child won’t know how to work when there is stuff going on around them.
Pros and cons to each side I guess.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
When my niece was 6 months old we would let her watch the Baby Einstein shows and she loved them even from that age. Of course she didn’t watch them more then once a day. But it was nice for her to see the colors, hear the music, etc. She is 3 and can sit and watch PBS sprout and count out the patterns, sing, answer the t.v. if a question is asked. She’s very bright and smart. She watches t.v. here and there throughout the day and if she request a show I have no problems allowing her to watch one as long as it’s appropriate. She of course watches less t.v. when the weather is nice bc we spend more time outside. But she also will sit and do a puzzle or color as well as play with her toys quietly. She has a very productive day of all kinds of things that also includes t.v watching. There are shows however that I do not like her to watch that her parents do but I can’t control what they do when she isn’t in my care.
Kids won’t be under your control forever and one day they’ll discover t.v., video games, candy/sweets etc and they’ll want it. And knowing they can’t they are most likely to find a way to sneak around to get it. You may say I’m wrong but being in the childcare business for 10 years I’ve seen it all LOL
January 15th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I think the main point here is that these two probably have plenty of help to ensure this “ideal” environment. If I fired their nannies and gave them my salary instead of theirs I suspect they may have to let their lofty notions slip a bit. And their kids would be perfectly fine. In my opinion, the extreme in either direction is to be avoided- rag dolls and wooden blocks on the one hand, and hours of tv and video games on the other. It’s all about balance. This is yet another example of “fear-based” parenting where the goal is to micro-manage every aspect of your child’s development in case they turn out to be less than perfect. I don’t have TV but a movie here or there is totally fine (and buys me some much-needed time to myself). My oldest daughter was reading and writing by the time she turned 4, so it doesn’t appear to have destroyed her brain. Oh, and I didn’t care for the holier-than-thou tone to her interview either. Really put me off these two.
Sarah’s note: I believe that they don’t have nannies and Tammy is a SAHM.
Re: the interview, it’s not one, just something Tammy blogged on her personal site.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I agree mostly with what they think, but think they are a bit over-the-top. I, too, try to buy my son toys made from wood – mainly because: a) they’re sturdier and often safer and b) it encourages him to use his imagination more than a toy with bells and whistles
Regarding the tv thing – I think too much tv is bad, but I allow my son 1 hour of shows a day. Some days he watches nothing, sometimes he watches the full hour (in two segments). Either way, he really enjoys it and I actually think he’s learned a lot from the shows he watches. He loves the show “Yo Gabba Gabba”, which teaches a lot of lessons, like how to wash hands and not to hit your friends – all through music. He sing the songs all day long and is much more verbal than nearly all of his friends. I think if you limit the tv and spend mot of the day doing active play, the child isn’t going to get crazy from tv.
January 15th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I totally agree with her and hope to put the same ideas into practice when I have children.
January 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Well as a mother with a child who has auditory processing disorder. I can relate and I totaly agree. ONe of the first things they asked me is if I allowed my daughter to watch TV a lot. The profesionals that tested her said that too much TV, Noisy Toys and Computer games at a young age can cause Aditory Processing Disorder, Sensory Disorders and contribute to ADHD. Not in all cases but it can. Now I was like them I only allowed wooden blocks and she was not allowed to watch TV tell 3. So hers is genetic in nature. However people should be aware to much is not good. Children Under two should never watch TV. Its not good for their developing mind and latest research has linked that to ADHD. One reason its not recommended by the Pediatrics advisory board. So people should lay off and allow them to parent the way they feel fit. I believe as a country with obesity at its highest should realize sitting in front of a TV is not the ideal way to raise a child.
January 15th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I agree that everything should be in moderation. If my kids want to see some cartoons after a long day at school and their homework is done, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. I wouldn’t let them see The Sopranos at 6, but if they wanted to watch, say, WWE wrestling, I probably wouldn’t have a problem with that.
To the poster who forbids video games, I actually think TV is potentially more harmful. It is completely passive without much participation. Video games, on the other hand, often call for engaging your mind to solve complex problems. The Wii also allows you to physically participate in some of the activities, so it is actually a form of exercise. I tried the boxing game, and was actually winded when I was done. Also, studies have shown higher IQ scores for subjects who played a video game beforehand, suggesting that the games encourage people to approach a problem from multiple angles until it is solved.
January 15th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
ADHD is hereditary and a medical condition. TV does not cause it. It just irks me when people think that other people’s medical problems are a result of bad parenting.
Plus, it sounds like she thinkgs all video games/tv programs are people shooting people and that there aren’t any educational materials out there for young children. Just because I let my child watch TV and play video games it doesn’t mean she’s watching blood and violence. Ugh this whole blog thing completely irritated me.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I don’t think babies should be watching TV, but I think introducing lmited screen time as they get older is important – because whether we like it or not – we live in a technological age and a technological cultural age (unless of course you’ve made a purposeful decision to remove yourself from that era).
One of my brothers had a pre-kindy year at a Steiner school, where the philosophy was no screens, no labels toys. The problem is the strictness of this turned most parents and children into liars. They would cave in and give their children a brand-name toy (eg Barbie) and let them watch TV but then say “Don’t tell you teachers”. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we don’t live in pre-industrial Europe anymore, so some of the philosophies are a little outdated. I agree with moderation, certainly, but can you imagine setting an 18 year old free into the world with no experience of screen culture or computers?
January 15th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
As a kindergarten teacher I can completely agree that some of our children are too overstimulated which causes problems for them in the classroom. Of course, as with everything, this isn’t every child. And some children truely have ADHD due to a chemical imbalance. However, each year I am seeing more and more children who need constant stimulation. Also, a lot of children (especially boys) make constant noise, not talking, but just noises! And the noise is not only constant, but loud! Several of my students have no idea what an appropriate voice volume is. Everything needs to be shouted out above everyone else! And yes, anytime you get 24 5 year olds together you will have noise and movement, but not to the extreme I am seeing.
I am not an expert on Child Psychology or anything, but I do whole heartedly agree that too much TV/Loud Music/Video games are part of this ever growing problem. Don’t get me wrong, I think there are plenty of educational video games and TV programs out there. It is all in how you utilize the media all around us that matters.
January 15th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I also strongly believe along with Tammy & Melissa that babies and toddlers should have zero screen time of any kind. Even the AAP says no TV before age 2. I wonder sometimes, what did all of the parents do before the 1950s (without TVs)? Were the communities different and more moms/families helping each other out?
Here’s my reasoning: TV creates passive thinking – the content is fed to the child, the child can answer back to the TV but never has a dialogue to learn and ask questions about what they’re watching (unless a caregiver or older child is watching too and explains). Of course, they absorb stuff from the educational programs, but it’s not the ideal way to be learning about the world IMHO.
However, I can empathize with parents who let their kids watch TV. If their kids are that unruly and only give them a break if they watch a show, well…, it’s none of my business.
Not every kid is content playing independently – I consider myself lucky that mine is imaginative, creative, and entertains herself without any screens. It really depends on the temperament of the child combined with parent’s guidance.
January 15th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
I don’t allow my four kids ages 4, 9, 12 & 14 to listen to Melissa’s music.. it is totally against our religion.. so.. to each his own!
January 15th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
there’s actually no evidence that if a child watches tv all day it will harm his/her mind.
(sorry! I’m still in college, but I have learned that much from psychology). But our fear of our kids watching/learning from television is paralleled to our fear of eating bugs, even if we know they have been sterilized and are extremely nutritious (in that it’s an irrational fear without evidence of harm).
I played with barbies when I was little, as well as water guns, and watched my share of television, and I do not consider myself obsessed with body image nor do I want to shoot people. In fact, I can probably say the same for the majority of my class here at Georgetown.
Television is not bad. It stimulates our senses and helps us think in different ways. Hence why it is involved in many college courses today.
I have ADHD and I’m offended that someone thinks that television could have caused my disorder. shame on those who believe such fallacies.
January 15th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Each to their one, I guess.
Our daughter watched PBS Kids Sprout from a very early age and still watches it now at age 6. She also loves Charlie Brown, Looney Tunes,. Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music etc.
We allow her to watch certain channels that we consider appropriate.
We have also watched some of news together, and she is interested in hearing about current events and issues, such as Hurricane Katrina, the life of Princess Diana, and the election race.
We ensure she has outside playtime with friends and we take her on educational trips every chance we get – museum, conservatory, sightseeing etc.
She is very smart and articulate. She has learned quite a bit from educational programmes on Discovery Channel and we watch HGTV together too.
When children go to school they listen to their peers, whether parents like it or not. They talk about movies or programmes they have watched and sometimes your child comes home and wants to know why they cannot watch a certain thing.
It is all about parent guidance and discipline. Raise a child the way he should go… etc.
I wonder if Melissa let her older children watch tv? Hmmm!
January 16th, 2008 at 1:37 am
I don’t think TV or other media damage children when used reasonably — which is, of course, completely subjective! My son, now 3, refused to watch any TV at all of his own accord until he was around 2. He was too busy doing other things! Now he’s selective about what he’ll watch, but he loves things with trains and I enjoy watching IMAX movies with him. He knows a surprising amount about rockets and sharks and whales, which of course he gets from books as well, but I don’t see anything wrong with seeing them in action on the television either. Personally I try hard not to restrict him and so far he’s self-regulated his television viewing in a way that’s acceptable to me.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:42 am
I will not lie– my almost 3 year old watches TV more than he probably should, especially since I’ve been on maternity leave and pretty much bedrest. Even before then he was a big fan of movies and a loyal fan of Thomas the Tank Engine. Even with TV, he’s one of the sweetest, most intuitive, well-mannered, helpful children I’ve ever met. He has incredible imaginative play, a terrific vocabulary, and is very independent. He loves to be read to, and learns easily. He learned his colors by comparing them to the colors of the trains on Thomas TTE. He is loud, but that is when he is running around and playing with a group of other loud children. My son has not suffered from television at all. I think each child is different, and parenting for each child should be as well. There is no magic formula that works for every child.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I think it is great that the kids are not allowed to watch TV — I would never have contributed overstimulation of the brain to hyperactivity but it makes sense.
You guys ROCK
A fan— Kammi
January 17th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
i disagree and agree i disagree because my son who is 18 months old i do let him watch videos baby einstein and baby genius dvd’s and there is no violence or adult anything in those videos and we watch them together and he laughs like dancing when theres music on these videos claps and i agree some tv should not be shown to kids at any age but that is for each parent to decide to say all tv is bad is wrong theres tv for adults and tv shows that are age appropriate it is up to us to make sure we are there if there is anyhting not appropriate to not let them see it or be there to explain that this is not the right thing to do not the tv
January 17th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
it’s all about parental control- taking charge of WHAT your child views an plays with and not allowing them to play violent games or watch loud crazy programs on the television…
there are many educational shows for babies and tot’s that were worked hard on by educators, writers, performers and child therapists…. which are specifically made for parents and child…
i do think tv and games can be toxic to a child growth, physically and mentally- but shouldering all the blame onto them is wrong…
it’s the parents that don’t control what their children watch and for how long that are in the wrong…
they should know better!
i think allowing your child to watch a little of the pg programs will be good for them too-
one day they might get overwhelmed…
because the world is very “BANG zip blam whoops, get out of my way! scrrreeeeecchhhh and so on…”
as for not allowing their children to watch anything with a screen, or only play with specific toys- well that’s their choice…
but their kids WILL get older and will see other toys and will want them… are they going to not allow their children an innocent doll because it doesn’t have eyes they approve of?
January 17th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Wow! That’s really good for her and Melissa to make this decision. Recently, I learned in my communication classes here at university that it is not good for children aged 3 and under to watch TV.
As for her older children, I doubt they watch TV either. They wouldn’t be able to keep the twins away from the TV if the older two were always watching it.
I think kids should be playing with toys and running around outside. What older children can find entertaining on the TV can also be found in books and games.
January 20th, 2008 at 12:03 am
My nephew was subjected to tv at a very young age. His father would strap him in his booster seat give hime pepsi, turn on the simpsons and then go into the other room with his friends to smoke pot, eat shrooms, drink and have sex. My nephew is now 8 years old. He has adhd, is just now starting to read and cannot sit down to have a simple conversation. I have and will still continue to buy him learning games and toys. He prefers to sit in front of the tv, rather than going outside to play sports. When my partner and I have children, I will follow suit and have no tv or movies but items to learn and play with.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:19 am
They have two nannies, so even though Tammy might be a SAHM mom she has it easier than most stay at home moms.