Whether we care to admit or not, babies today are not born in the same kind of environment they were back then. Instead, they’re entering straight into a world of digital devices. Parents today are tasked with the important duty of striking some balance to this — They have to navigate their way through this fact, specifically in figuring out what role these arguably important gadgets should play in the lives of their young offspring.
The current international advice is, no television (or screen media such as computer games, videos, or DVDs) for children under two, and we’re much inclined to agree with this. For children over age two, the recommendation is no more than two hours per day for television or any screen media.
Television and your young child
While there are many educational programs aired on the TV, some even meant for very young users, babies and toddlers are still found to learn best from interactive, hands-on experiences — touching, feeling, shaking, stacking, problem-solving — with the people closest to them, e.g. parents, caregivers, siblings, etc. If TV time is inevitable in a family, however, it’s crucial to pick and choose the programs that you allow your young child to watch, while keeping in mind that this is the age when your child learns and absorbs the quickest. Your choices will make an impact.
What you can do:
Talk about the program they’re watching. Ask your toddler how he feels about the program and also, what he thought it was about. Ask too, which characters he liked and disliked, and why.
If your child asks questions, answer them! Very young children may not necessarily know what they’re watching for some concepts and ideas are still alien to them. Sometimes they need your help to make sense of what they’re seeing on the screen.
Point and name. Point out and name things that appear on the TV screen. This way, you’ll be making the most out of screen time by enriching their vocabulary too.
Encourage movement while watching TV. Dance to the music, or hop around like the character in the program. This may help discourage the habit of being sedentary for too long.
Make connections whenever you can. Connect what your child saw on TV with real-life scenarios that have similarities. For example, if a character was seen having breakfast, remind your child about it during his own breakfast time.
When the show is over, turn off the TV! Avoid using television shows or videos to put your little one to sleep. This makes it more difficult for them to learn to fall asleep on their own. Remember, young children could do with the love and comfort that comes from naptime routines (a warm bath, storytime, lullaby) shared with their loved ones and not by relying on a TV program to fall asleep.
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