While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television viewing for children under two, and no more than two hours daily for children 2 and older, preschool children spend more time watching TV than any other single activity except sleeping. But too much TV time can negatively impact your child's development. Children benefit much more from interaction with adults than with a television.
To help parents tame the TV, National Center for Parents as Teachers offers the following tips: * Set time limits for how much TV will be allowed and keep the TV turned off when no one is watching. * Be choosy about what your child watches as well as what adults are watching when your child is around. * Talk to your child's caregivers about your expectations for TV viewing. * Talk with your child about what you're watching together. If something looks unrealistic, say so. Or ask, "Do you think that could really happen?" * Use TV to expand your child's world by watching shows about new places, people or things.
For more parenting tips like these, visit www.ParentsAsTeachers.org.
Surprisingly, preschool children are the single largest television audience in America. A shocking statistic is that the average child in the United States watches 4,000 hours of television before he starts kindergarten. That flies in the face of recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics that recommends no TV for children under 2 and no more then two hours a day for children 2 and older.
Watching too much TV can negatively affect a child's development and limits many important learning opportunities, says the National Center for Parents as Teachers. That's why parents need to tame the TV time in their house.
Q: Obviously, watching too much television means children aren't getting enough physical activity for their bodies. But how does it affect their development? A: It starts with how small children learn. Toddlers and preschoolers are active learners, meaning then need to move, maneuver, smell, touch and repeat as they learn. Since TV is mainly a visual experience, TV doesn't offer children much opportunity for interaction and to actively learn. Also, the constant changing stream of pictures, words and movements on a television screen is hard for young brains to absorb. The thing that may surprise parents is that kids aren't really zombies as they sit and watch TV. Their minds and bodies are actively working, although not necessarily in a healthy way. Their muscles are tensed, their heart may be racing and their brain is working to digest the motion, sounds and images flashing in front of them. This odd combination of inactivity and tension is actually very demanding -- and even stressful -- on a young body.
Q: How can watching television affect a child's behavior? A: It's tough for small children to tell the difference between reality and fantasy because they don't yet have the skills or experience. That comes from interacting with other people and playing with toys they can touch, feel and manipulate. Children often act out the behavior they see on TV, which could be dangerous if they don't understand what's real and what's not.
Q: Is what we consider "educational" TV OK for young kids? A: If any TV show is used instead of other things, such as talking, singing, playing and interacting with others to stimulate imagination and language, it can interfere with development. But technically, all TV is educational to children because they're picking up something from whatever is on. So parents need to make sure what children are hearing and seeing is helpful, not harmful. Also, don't assume just because a television show is in cartoon format, that it's appropriate for young children. Many cartoons today are created for adults rather than small children. The good news is developmental researchers have found that viewing positive, pro-social television can increase the pro-social attitudes and behaviors in children, especially when parents watch with their children. TV also can be used to expand a child's world by watching shows about new places, people or things. But the key with any television viewing is parental involvement and making sure TV time is limited and not taking the place of play and interacting with others.
Q: How does television viewing by parents or other caregivers affect children? A: Parents need to be careful what they're watching when children are around. Just because children may not be looking at the screen doesn't mean they aren't absorbing what they're hearing from the TV. Be sure to talk to caregivers about your expectations for television viewing for your child, too. Unfortunately, grandparents or other family care providers may keep a television on all day. First, the shows may not be appropriate for young children, and second, it means the children are not receiving the stimulation and interaction they need. And finally, if you as the parent are watching too much TV, chances are your children will want to do the same as they grow. And that's not the message you want to send your child.
For more information about taming TV time, look for "Parents as Teachers Tip" at the Fox2Now.com under the AM Show tab.
To help parents tame the TV, National Center for Parents as Teachers offers the following tips: * Set time limits for how much TV will be allowed and keep the TV turned off when no one is watching. * Be choosy about what your child watches as well as what adults are watching when your child is around. * Talk to your child's caregivers about your expectations for TV viewing. * Talk with your child about what you're watching together. If something looks unrealistic, say so. Or ask, "Do you think that could really happen?" * Use TV to expand your child's world by watching shows about new places, people or things.
For more parenting tips like these, visit www.ParentsAsTeachers.org.
Surprisingly, preschool children are the single largest television audience in America. A shocking statistic is that the average child in the United States watches 4,000 hours of television before he starts kindergarten. That flies in the face of recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics that recommends no TV for children under 2 and no more then two hours a day for children 2 and older.
Watching too much TV can negatively affect a child's development and limits many important learning opportunities, says the National Center for Parents as Teachers. That's why parents need to tame the TV time in their house.
Q: Obviously, watching too much television means children aren't getting enough physical activity for their bodies. But how does it affect their development? A: It starts with how small children learn. Toddlers and preschoolers are active learners, meaning then need to move, maneuver, smell, touch and repeat as they learn. Since TV is mainly a visual experience, TV doesn't offer children much opportunity for interaction and to actively learn. Also, the constant changing stream of pictures, words and movements on a television screen is hard for young brains to absorb. The thing that may surprise parents is that kids aren't really zombies as they sit and watch TV. Their minds and bodies are actively working, although not necessarily in a healthy way. Their muscles are tensed, their heart may be racing and their brain is working to digest the motion, sounds and images flashing in front of them. This odd combination of inactivity and tension is actually very demanding -- and even stressful -- on a young body.
Q: How can watching television affect a child's behavior? A: It's tough for small children to tell the difference between reality and fantasy because they don't yet have the skills or experience. That comes from interacting with other people and playing with toys they can touch, feel and manipulate. Children often act out the behavior they see on TV, which could be dangerous if they don't understand what's real and what's not.
Q: Is what we consider "educational" TV OK for young kids? A: If any TV show is used instead of other things, such as talking, singing, playing and interacting with others to stimulate imagination and language, it can interfere with development. But technically, all TV is educational to children because they're picking up something from whatever is on. So parents need to make sure what children are hearing and seeing is helpful, not harmful. Also, don't assume just because a television show is in cartoon format, that it's appropriate for young children. Many cartoons today are created for adults rather than small children. The good news is developmental researchers have found that viewing positive, pro-social television can increase the pro-social attitudes and behaviors in children, especially when parents watch with their children. TV also can be used to expand a child's world by watching shows about new places, people or things. But the key with any television viewing is parental involvement and making sure TV time is limited and not taking the place of play and interacting with others.
Q: How does television viewing by parents or other caregivers affect children? A: Parents need to be careful what they're watching when children are around. Just because children may not be looking at the screen doesn't mean they aren't absorbing what they're hearing from the TV. Be sure to talk to caregivers about your expectations for television viewing for your child, too. Unfortunately, grandparents or other family care providers may keep a television on all day. First, the shows may not be appropriate for young children, and second, it means the children are not receiving the stimulation and interaction they need. And finally, if you as the parent are watching too much TV, chances are your children will want to do the same as they grow. And that's not the message you want to send your child.
For more information about taming TV time, look for "Parents as Teachers Tip" at the Fox2Now.com under the AM Show tab.
