Over the years, among the most controversial topics in the world of parenting has concerned television viewing. How much TV is okay for our children to watch, or should it even be allowed at all? Having two young daughters myself, I certainly understand the challenge of moms and dads trying to do the right thing. Like most of you, I was faced with determining at what age they could first be exposed to TV, as well as what types of programming could provide the most benefit to them.
While it’s true that some parents may occasionally use television when they need to prepare dinner or perform other household duties, it’s important to realize that it can actually be used as a valuable tool to enhance the advancement and education of our children. It falls on us to do our research — checking out what is available and seeking out high quality programs designed by experts in the field of development.
95% of babies in the United States watch television, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Because I approach life from a practical perspective, I don’t look at the question as, “should children watch TV,” but instead, “what are they watching, how much and under what conditions?” And when you come down to it, it’s really all about the content. If the programming is appropriate, educational and non-violent, children can definitely benefit and enjoy a very positive experience.
Be sure to vary the type of content your children watch. Babies and toddlers tend to favor shows they’ve seen before and prefer repetitiveness rather than variety. Over time, the nurturing effectiveness of TV will diminish with overexposure, so it is important to continually refresh the content you select. By offering your child exposure to new and exciting things, their interest will be maintained and you’ll be maximizing their development.
Of course, as with all aspects of parenting, you should aim for a healthy balance when it comes to television viewing and your kids. Just because a TV show is educational doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be limits on how much is watched. By allocating plenty of time for reading, creative play and spending time outdoors, you’ll be assured of a happy, healthy youngster!
Bonding between children and parents can be greatly facilitated by watching television together. The activity provides immediate positive reinforcement to a child, which can be especially critical when they are too young to communicate verbally and can aid in their emotional growth.
Family viewing also provides the opportunity for parents to participate as interactive parts of the viewing experience. Ideas and concepts that are presented to your child can be readily reinforced and expanded upon. As an example, memory skills can be exercised following the conclusion of a TV show. Your son or daughter will benefit greatly by responding to your questions about what they saw and heard, including the names of favorite characters, noises the animals made and songs they enjoyed the most.
Speaking personally, I’ve found that my own daughters have benefited greatly by watching age-appropriate educational television with me — they even learned sign language!
The company I co-founded, BabyFirst, produces a television series called, I Can Sign, which helps parents communicate with their very young children before they’re able to speak. My girls were communicating and interacting with me long before they were talking. Connecting with them at such a young age was really quite amazing and it fostered a special bond between us. That was a few years ago, but we still use it as a “secret language” between us.
The debate concerning television viewing and child-rearing will continue for the foreseeable future, but the approach I’ve chosen for my own family has been balance and sensible choices. Because TV is a reality in today’s homes, I think parents and their children would be best served by taking advantage of it as a very versatile tool that can open up a host of new ideas, while reinforcing early education.
About Sharon Rechter The Author Of TV Viewing and Children – A Balanced Approach
Co-Founder, BabyFirst
Sharon Rechter, along with business partner, Guy Oranim, conceptualized and co-founded BabyFirst (www.babyfirsttv.com), which is a global TV channel for tots. In her role as executive vice president, she leads the business development and marketing activities for the company – with a clear passion to bring quality, new educational programming to families of babies and toddlers.
Rechter has a broad background in television programming and recently served as the vice president and head of operations for The Israeli Network (the Israeli television channel in the U.S.). She was responsible for the general management of the network, and focused on areas including business development, advertising and subscriptions. Before entering the television broadcast industry, Rechter headed the strategic planning department at GNS Advertising in Israel where she was responsible for developing strategic plans for a variety of lifestyle brands.
