Making the Most of 102 Minutes

We’ve seen it said by experts, or maybe we’ve said it ourselves, “television should not be a babysitter for your child,” and while I do wholeheartedly agree with this statement; I can only agree with it most of the time. I’m a mom of three, certainly not a certified expert in child development but I think I have a grasp on this whole parenting thing. Or at least I’m doing a great job pretending that I do. I’m a stay at home mom, which means of course, that I have all of the time in the world to do crafts, activities, make amazing homemade meals, bake cookies, keep a clean house… you get the picture. So why do I let television occasionally babysit my toddler…

Pros and Cons of Screen Time for Toddlers

Screen time is something that I’ve struggled with since Squeaker was old enough to figure out how to operate a tablet. That would be around 14 months of age, maybe a little bit sooner. She will be 2 in December, and I understand that many children are figuring out how to operate tablets at younger ages. This both amazes and saddens me. Still, I wanted to weigh the pros and cons of screen time for toddlers before making a definitive decision. Whether it was watching her sister, her brothers, or myself use a tablet or Kindle; Squeaker has always been fairly aware of the goings on with electronic devices. She also watches a few television programs with us, though it’s usually limited to Jeopardy, Wheel…

TV For My Toddler

Last month, I think, I remember reading a few posts on Scary Mommy and perhaps BuzzFeed about TV shows that younger kids watch. As a parent of a child with autism, I haven’t escaped those sets of shows since Sweet B was a toddler. Though they’ve changed, like no more Teletubbies (thank goodness), some are still the same. Some aren’t. Recently, Squeaker has taken more of an interest in what’s on TV. We do try to limit her screen time, but there are times that it’s on in the background and she watches in spurts. TV for My Toddler TV Shows That My Toddler Enjoys That Don’t (Always) Drive Me Crazy