The baby who didn’t like TV

Anyone who has been reading for a while knows I’m (cough) pretty lax about the idea of kids and TV. Baby Einstein came crashing on to the scene just about the time Tristan was born, and I have fond memories of plopping him into his exersaucer and queuing up the Baby Mozart for 30 minutes of blissful diversion. We were equally charmed and perplexed by the boys’ addiction to the DVDs, and called them “baby crack”.

By the time Simon graduated from DVDs to broadcast TV, we had a dozen or so of the Baby Einstein DVDs kicking around — some of them even free enough of scratches, fingerprints and drool that they still play. Not that it does us any good. (As a side note, it’s kind of funny to look back and see what background TV each kid was exposed to. Tristan watched a lot of Trading Spaces on TLC when he was a baby, and Simon listened in on a lot of Tristan’s Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine shows. Lucas, on the other hand, gets a steady diet of Sponge Bob.)

Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that, in this house of four people who are hopelessly addicted to the electric nipple, Lucas shows absolutely no interest whatsoever in baby TV. And don’t think I haven’t tried. Little heretic doesn’t even make it through the first five minutes without fussing.

Scandalous, I know. It’s like Tiger Woods’ kid choosing a paintbrush over a golf club. A child of mine who doesn’t watch TV. Hmpfh.

There is good news, though. There is one thing he seems to particularly enjoy watching, sprawled out on his blanket in front of the TV. He is fascinated by Rock Band on the Wii, and will lie contentedly for long stretches, watching song after song as Mommy and Daddy rock out on the guitar and drums.

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(I’d come back from washing my hands after a diaper change and he had inched his way over and grabbed hold of the whammy bar. Rock on, little dude!)

Author: DaniGirl

Canadian. storyteller, photographer, mom to 3. Professional dilettante.

7 thoughts on “The baby who didn’t like TV”

  1. You better get that boy a gitaure and soon. Looks like he’s ready to play that puppy!

    Too cute. And don’t worry Dani I still use the t.v to keep my sanity but it doesn’t work all the time anymore. he’d rather be outside…GASP!

  2. Electric nipple….stop, I’m sore from laughing so hard!!

    My 9 month old is less than interested in anything tv/dvd/video, whereas the 3yo loves the same T and S do at your house. Funny how that happens.

  3. I think Lucas is headed for a career in a rock band.

    My little guy is being rocked to the tune of ‘So You Think You Can Dance. I feel he’ll be foxtrotting in now time.

  4. The Boy was weaned on Trading Spaces, and the Little Guy has a steady diet of HGTV Real Estate shows. They both love tv far too much for me to pretend that I even try to keep them away from it anymore.

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