As if mothers needed something else to feel guilty about - new guidelines recommend that kids under 2 don't watch any television.
I can see that it might not be optimal for their development to spend hours in front of the screen, but we don't live in a perfect world, and I reckon TV is a Godsend some days. It has a place when used wisely.
Communicating with your Terrific Toddler, Even When It’s Hard
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Those sweet months of snuggling your tiny helpless baby in your arms went
by in a flash, didn’t they? Now you have a spirited little person who is
moving...
3 comments:
TV is a tool in your arsenal !
At the other end of the spectrum ~ I once had to assist a Retirement Home with a water board issue. The manager told me that there was only one important issue in the complex - TV reception. Everything else was way down the list !
All these studies do not look at what the kids are watching. If they are watching things that are age appropriate and are encouraged to be active in their watching (ie. dancing to the Wiggles and answering questions)then DVD's esspecially can be a great tool. DVD's are best if you own them as kids learn from repitition and a DVD will go over and over something as no sane parent can manage. They can be great for enhancing language as they repeat phrases in song, assisting cordination as they try to copy and learn the movements. Also they can expose children to things that may not be readily available in their environment eg. looking at wild animals up close. Sure if you encourage your child to passively sit and watch movies then they are not going to develop but if your child is watching the wiggles and trying to stand on one foot and clap then that is as good as any outdoor play esspecially on a rainy day
Hi Suzy, yes I think you're right - they're also very useful for keeping a kid still if you want them to rest! (i.e. if they're sick.)
I think I do sometimes switch the tele on as a default though, instead of letting Hamish find his own entertainment. But I try to keep it to a minimum so it's more useful as an occasional aid.
UD, that is a funny story :)
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