Television time for children has been a hot debate ever since the TV box was produced to be accessible within the home. Several studies over the years have been conducted many of which have had conflicting results. I personally take a viewpoint similar to the Canadian musician Raffie.
Young children need to be able to run around to develop motor skills and they need to be able to interact with real people in order to develop communication and social skills.
The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than age 2 and recommends limiting older children's screen time to no more than one or two hours a day. The Mayo Clinic wrote an article regarding the necessity of limiting children's television time, the effects of too much television time on children's health, as well as some tips and strategies on how to limit that time. You can read the full article HERE.
I know that we are supposed to limit TV time for children, and for the most part I feel that I do an alright job at that. My children have limited TV exposure before the age of 2, and like Number 3, most of my kids were always more interested in running around than sitting and watching TV.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that all television is bad. My mindset falls in line with the philosophy of The Child Development Institute.
It’s Not All Bad!
Since television is definitely here to stay, parents need to look at it as a resource and not necessarily as a menace. A good way to start is to consult the listings of the public television stations which offer magnificent programs on nature, literature, history, current events, the arts, etc. Also, consider:- Studies have indicated that television does increase the general vocabulary of children, especially when it involves term referring to outer space.
- Television does provide opportunities for children to learn about all kinds of things, although whether they do so to any great extent depends largely on the specific programs the child actually watches.
- Television can increase a child’s range of interest since it exposes him to a variety of activities and topics he might not otherwise encounter-archeology, science of all kinds, architecture, music, etc.
- Television has probably been the most effective of all the mass media in making people aware of a wide range of human problems ranging from pollution to homelessness. It also has increased awareness and acceptance of various kinds of illness, both physical and mental.
I generally limit the TV time for the older two kiddos. Not because I am concerned about how much they watch, but more because stuff needs to get done first (ei: homework or picking up a little). What TV time they do get, I get involved in. I know what shows they are watching and what type of content is in them. For the most part I like the shows they watch. Sometimes, though, the shows can get to me with how repetitive they get.
Some days I want to pull my hair out if I have to hear the screeching of the children with British accents sing about Thomas and his friends.
Now, my older children are pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. (Not to toot my own horn, or anything.) I will never forget the evening when I was channel surfing for a tolerable show for my oldest and I to watch before bed. As I was flipping through the channels heading to the usual channels he watches, he tells me to wait and stop on a channel well before we get to his usual line up.
My son sat mesmerized as the screen flashed machinery left and right of an assembly line. I asked if he wanted to continue looking for a show and he replied "No, I want to watch this.". That show was How It's Made.
Another show that my kids like to watch with me, I introduced them to it. It is a cooking show that matches science with fun cinematography. That show is Good Eats. Alton Brown the show's star and creative engine finds fun within the scientific explanations of food in a way that my children can relate to. I started watching Good Eats back in 2005/2006 and I will watch it every chance I get. My children have grown to love the show too and if given the choice, will choose it over any cartoon.
Sadly though, Good Eats is no longer in production. It did have a very long run and has since (much to my and my children's delight) been released on Netflix. If you have a Nexflix subscription you can watch them HERE. If you have not checked them out before, I would highly recommend you do.
If nothing else, the two shows that I have discussed, created some common ground for me and my kids. It is something that we can all agree on when it comes to our TV time, and that creates one less battle for me to have to fight.
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