It may look like Camille and I are just snuggling on the sofa, but that’s not all. As it turns out, Camille is a big fan of Wheel of Fortune too, which is what we were watching a few weeks ago when Lee snapped this photo.
Our sweet girl has discovered TV. I never realized how often we have the television on, but it has become like background noise. Always on, even though I’m not always watching.
But one day, as Lee and I were playing with Camille in the living room, she kept turning her head and craning her neck to see the TV screen. Sometimes, if the TV is on but we won’t let her face it to watch, she’ll fidget and even start fussing.
I’m trying to decide how I feel about this. I don’t want her to be a TV junkie who won’t go outside and play because another Smurfs cartoon is coming on. Do the Smurfs even come on anymore? Maybe it’ll be Dora the Explorer instead that keeps her glued to the tube. I don’t think some TV is bad for kids. I just don’t want her to watch a lot of TV.
At this point in her development, I imagine our big TV is like the brightest mobile she’s ever seen. All the colors and shapes swim across the screen, and I can understand why that would seem captivating.
But if I let her watch TV now, then I’m setting a precedent. I don’t want to suddenly decide when she’s 2 years old that she watches too much TV and take it away. That could be confusing.
So for now, Lee and I have curbed much of our TV usage while she’s awake. We’ll Tivo our favorite shows and watch them in the evenings after she’s in bed. Every now and then, I’ll watch a little bit with her if I just really need a break and want to chill out for a minute. Like the Wheel of Fortune moment above.
And hey – maybe if she watches enough Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, she’ll be a crossword puzzle and trivia master one day.