To a large degree I am a conformist; my underwear is worn under my clothing and my baby does not ride on my lap in the car. Even to a small degree I am a conformist; I wear clothing that I see in magazines and I purchase baby products that my peers have vetted and recommended. So, recently when I was confronted by two incidents where my parenting style was portrayed as so non-conformist it was practically alien (we do not let BF watch TV) I found myself wondering if there is such a thing as conformity when it comes to parenting styles.There are some general rules of parenting that I think most well meaning Americans would agree upon. For example a child should have enough food to eat, she should be loved, and every child should be kept out of harms way. Beyond these general rules there is an endless amount of room for individual style choices which of course means plenty of room for criticism.
As I mentioned, BF does not watch videos. She is eleven months old. In addition to the theory that there is a whole world out there for her to explore in person (not through a TV screen) an important study was published recently clearly indicating that TV has a detrimental impact on the brain of a young child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television at all for children under the age of two. (Here is a link to a TIME article if you want to know more http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1650352,00.html).
So clearly conformity has taken on new rules if I am looked at cross eyed for not letting BF soak up the boob tube! In my my book, preventing development delays would be a new general rule of parenting that everyone would abide by. I guess I am back to my original claim that I am a conformist, I just need to figure out how to let everyone else know that I am!
What do you think...
- Mama Flava
2 comments:
Sometimes it's best to go against the grain. My 19-month-old, unfortunately, sees the TV at times when my 7-year-old watches it, but thankfully that's really only for a bit on Saturday mornings. Then there's the weekend football part-- she actually loves that... so, we're probably more average than I'd like!
BTW, my hubby knows your hubby and I've been reading your blog a bit-- I'm impressed with the foods that you make and your child will eat! Ours are not as 'adventurous'...
I agree that going against the grain is good at times, but it has to be for the right reason. I've met some other newish moms recently who find it perfectly ok for their babies to watch tv and dvds. Recently we were all having lunch and someone brought up what their baby watches. When I said we don't let our 6 month old watch tv most of the moms seemed shocked. I was really surprised that so many of them seem to encourage tv watching, because several of them are teachers, and are aware of the brain research. Now, I have to admit that we do sometimes bring our daughter in front of the computer to finish a quick email or check something out on the web. I totally realize that there is no difference between the screen of the tv and the computer so it is not like we are perfect in this department. I just know that she does not need to spend her time passively playing in front of a screen.
Post a Comment