TV and Babies

I have very mixed emotions about our television right now.  I noticed that Owen started watching TV when he was around 2 months old.  When he turned 3 months old I bought him a Baby Einstein Video with Mozart.  He really didn't care for it.  I thought this was strange.  After all,  it was made just for 3 month olds and he loved the TV.   Over the months I have gone back and showed it to him and he doesn't pay much attention, but if the nightly news is on or the Today Show he's frozen in his tracks.  He will lay on his tummy on his blankets and hold his head up and drool.  There is a program On Demand called Baby Boost, much like the Einstien videos and he LOVES it.  I can turn that on and it's like Pavlov's dog.  We thought it was cute to see how he changes mood when it comes on and how content he is with the music.  But is this bad for him?  I have even caught him zoning out to Terminator and other action shows with his Daddy.  At first I thought it was kinda cute, but now I am starting to rethink TV for him.  I've asked around and other Moms say their babies didn't notice the TV until they were a year old or so and they don't have this problem.

I have been hearing that it may be the cause of ADD in some children and studies are showing that educational programs don't make them smarter, but yet maybe the opposite.  Looks like Baby Einstein sales may be going down now.....So what to do?  We have a large flat screen in the living room that I keep on for back ground noise during the day.  The only shows I like to watch are Today with Kathy Lee and Hoda and sometimes I look at Ellen for a chuckle.  Any other shows we want to watch are viewed after goes to bed.  So it's not like I am stuck on the TV, but it does seem terribly quiet when its off all day.  Kinda sad that I have become so dependent on the other noise.  Before James and I dated I never watched TV.  He laughed when he came to my apartment for the first time and saw what I called a TV.  He couldn't get over that I didn't have cable and it was so small.  I told him I liked to be out and about with people.  So I know for me, there was a time when the TV didn't need to be on all day. Maybe I need to get out more with Owen (its been so hot) or get more creative. 

So here I am typing this morning (tv off) and missing out on Hoda and Kathy Lee.  To be honest that show isn't any good, but for some reason I have grown to like them. Oh well, so I watch.....Owen is on his matt busy talking up a storm, which he doesn't do when the TV is on or maybe I can't hear him.  Hmmmm.

So I guess I just helped myself solve this one.  The TV must stay off for now! 

Here's an article about the topic. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/03/babies.watch.TV/index.html