TV time is a very important time at our house. Well, at least my three year old thinks it is. Like most kids his age he is completely entranced by the characters he sees on his movies and on television. Oh, and we all know how nice it is for mom when a kid will sit quietly on the couch for a couple hours without interrupting you every five minutes with “Mom, I need…”. Sometimes you just want to get stuff done, you know what I mean?!
So what’s the big deal? You need to get stuff done. Why not just turn on the TV? It’ll keep ’em quiet….you know you want to.
Well, you may want to. Heck, we all want to, but should you? Why is there always that nagging feeling of guilt in the back of that cranium of yours that makes you think that perhaps you’re letting them watch too much.
Lets ask the American Academy of Pediatrics why you’ve got this nagging feeling of guilt (they know lots of stuff):
…the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly discourages television viewing for children ages two years old or younger, and encourages interactive play.
For older children, the Academy advises no more than one to two hours per day of educational, nonviolent programs, which should be supervised by parents or other responsible adults in the home.
Knowing that we parents might not be so keen on the idea of not being able to employ a media-nanny they gave us some reasons why television viewing may not be the most enriching activity for the kiddos:
In general, while watching television, your child is probably not doing any of the following:
- Asking questions
- Solving problems
- Being creative
- Exercising initiative
- Practicing eye-hand coordination
- Scanning (useful in reading)
- Practicing motor skills
- Thinking critically, logically, and analytically
- Practicing communication skills
- Playing interactive games with other children or adults (helpful for developing patience, self-control cooperation, sportsmanship)
Also, as AAP points out, numerous studies have found that excessive television viewing can lead to attention problems in children.
They are careful to make the point that some TV viewing can be beneficial if the parents choose quality, age appropriate programs. I would add that when your child is watching a program, help them get the most out of it by (depending on the age of the child) pointing out or asking about the emotions the characters are feeling, why they are feeling that way, or what they are doing. Ask critical thinking questions like, “what do you think will happen next?”, “why did so and so do that?”. You can ask these same types of questions later in the day (especially good for younger children). This will help with information retention and relaying skills.
Probably the most difficult age to regulate media time is when the kids get older and start playing video games (yep, that 2 hour TV viewing time now becomes 2 hours total for all you child’s media needs–TV, computer, video games). A recent study found that 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade children who exceeded the AAP’s two hour recommendation for TV and video games are “1.5 to 2 times more likely to be above average in attention problems”. Interestingly, and kind of frighteningly, young adults “showed a similar association, suggesting that early video game exposure may have lasting consequences”.
So, I think we can conclude that “Start ’em while they’re young” might not be the best slogan for child television viewing. When you do decide to “start ’em” just remember a little in moderation can be great if you choose quality programs and stay involved.
What do you like to do to make sure your kiddos don’t sit in front of the TV all day?
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About Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom
My kids love to draw, water color, play make believe, and now that they are old enough 6 and 4 (big YAY) they can play outside on their own. When little sister is awake I will take her out to play and sit and read or something else while they play.
I have to say that when my kids have a structured morning without TV and minimal TV during the day it is so much more peaceful in our house. I can also say that I am very familiar with the opposite of having too much TV during the day or week. My boys are much MUCH more likely to act out their aggression and have temper-tantrums throughout the day or week.
Big Brother still asks to watch a lot (the TV is in the family room where all his toys are so it's a constant temptation), but he knows he is only allowed to watch one movie, or 3 shows on PBS Kids, per day so it's not too hard to regulate.
I like this post and the pics, Amy. I think the list of things your child is probably not doing while watching TV is shocking and makes a great point. Maybe what America's children need most is not more prescriptions for Ritalin, but just fewer unaided hours in front of the tube and little more parental interaction?