opinions on dvds please educational/stimulating or negative?

opinions on dvds please educational/stimulating or negative?
some leave them on all day and the kids still go off and read play sing, but have also the stimualtion of singing or talking or stories of dvds. some mums find it takes alot of pressure off them and stimulates the kids, and the kids still do all activities they dont just watch them like sombies

others work hard to do all other activities only without the help of dvds in the background or for a couple of hours while they attend to babies or housework.
sometimes those children are not stimulated enough and nag the parents with questions more than the normal inquisitiveness , simply out of boredowm, but those parents feel strongly that its best for the child that way despite that it can add alot of pressure to the family to entertain the child more.

what do others things please.

DD loves her Dora and I dont think that she is becoming a Zombie at all. She actually speaks some words in Spanish.

I use the DVD when i need to do house chores or when DD wants to chill out after a day outside.

So i guess depending on how much and what the kids are watching, imo, DVDs aren't all evil!

I think it's up to the parents - if they have strong feelings about DVD's (and alot of people do), you need to respect their view.

For me, its not necessarily that I need kids DVD's on but even before I had DD I liked havign the TV or music on so nothing has changed in our house. If the TV isnt on then the radio is.

DD is one of those children that doesnt sit down and watch hours of tv in fact its a win if she sits still watching somethign for 5min!!!

Sometimes its Oprah, music videos, cooking shows. She just sort of comes and goes liek I do! LOL!

I kind of agree with what BellaBambina is saying - if a family watches a lot of TV (and I have no idea how to define 'a lot' it's all relative lol!) then it will be on more and the kids will watch it more.

DP and I don't watch heaps of TV. We do watch it but not every day and it's not on during the day much at all. As a result, DS doesn't watch much. He has just recently in the last couple of months started watching In the Night Garden of an evening, but not every day. This is because he loves it and it's on at the right time of day 5:30pm, for myself or DP to get dinner cooked without grumpy whinging. Other times I will put a Wiggles DVD (thanks Bella!!!) on or Seseme street so I can grab a quick shower before he notices I'm gone :)

I think that TV is part of the modern, Western lifestyle and it can be quite difficult to avoid it. Kids are going to be exposed to it sooner or later. Parents will all make choices about how much TV their kids watch (and what they watch) that they are comfortable with.

DD1 watches Abc Kids in the morning, while I do housework, the tv goes off at 10 but if I finish in time I sit down with her to watch. Then if she needs a rest in the afternoon I put on a movie for her to watch and laydown or sometimes when she is full on at night when DF is working and I use some short episode dvd's while I try to cook dinner.

A lot of DVD's are very educational. They are even more so if the parents put the effort into sitting down and interacting with their child and the tv together, they get a lot more out of watching them. DD1 loves singing and dancing with us to the tv. Its personal choice whether your kids watch tv, and its just going to be one of those these that parents judge each other about.

I know that some have strong opinions on TV watching for kids but if it is educational and/or fun to watch for the child then I don't see the harm. As long as the TV isn't being used and abused to "babysit" the child then why not.

My 3 month old is mesmerised by the TV (much to my initial horror - she showed signs of this when she was 6 weeks old and the TV was on). I have been collecting Disney DVDs for years (for my future babies) so I put a Disney DVD on for her and we watch it together and I talk to her about the characters/ plot etc.

There is an excellent book called "The science of parenting" which has some wonderful insights into why it is unreasonable for children to have to entertain themselves for too long a period of time - talks about higher and lower brain not being properly developed and not just because the child is being difficult.

Sue x

We had the Wiggles dvds on all afternoon but it is windy and raining outside so the girls and I danced and sang along - we moved all the furniture out of the loungeroom and had a very energetic session.

Sometimes DD1 has quiet time when DD2 has a nap and she watches a dvd then but we do try to limit the amount of tv they watch and when they do watch it we like to talk to them about it or make it a bit more interactive.

A topic very close to our heart.

We have a bub who clearly heard too much music in the womb-- so loves singing and even dancing. To recognise Waybuloo at 5 months and find it so soothing is amazing, as is his pention for wiggle and learn.

He's no dill from it and many often remark on his cleverness/ awareness for age (like we all do!!!).

I have a bunch recorded that I can play, when you see the soothing and joyful reaction to the Wiggles singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, you know you are doing the right thing. we don't do it as a substitute, but idoes help settle a very tired bub, or give us time for chores or just a breather!

Moderation in everything--holistic stimulation is best I feel.