You have no doubt heard a lot of negative comments about kids and television. It seems that many people fall into the guilty trap of using the screen as a sitter. It leaves you with a guilty feeling because you have been told over and over again that kids, especially toddlers, should not watch too much TV.
There is good news, however. Television is not so bad after all. There are some redeeming qualities when it comes to toddlers and the television. In fact, your toddler can actually learn quite a bit when he watches certain TV shows. Here are some tips for making your toddler's screen time more educational.
Pick Television Shows Wisely
First of all, you need to be choosy. It is easy to fall into the trap of letting your toddler watch anything that comes on, but this is a mistake. There is a lot of good TV out there and a lot of bad. Your job is to make sure that your toddler is watching the good. Pick the shows that will teach your children skills, morals, or that have educational values. Otherwise, your toddler could wind up watching the screen without understanding anything that he is watching, and this is obviously a waste of productive time.
Take an active role in finding educational programming. Look at the ratings on each show and this will help you some. Now what you should know that is that just because a show is rated "Y," it does not mean it is educational or good for your toddler. Flip around and do some research, and then choose a show. The top three well-known networks that offer educational programming for toddlers includes:
- NickJr
- PBS
- Disney Playhouse
Limit the Amount of Television Your Child Watches
Next on the list is limiting the amount of shows your child watches. If you know that you need time to cook dinner or clean the house, then let that time, and only that time, be TV time. In general, a toddler should not sit in front of the television for more than one hour each day. Many experts also say that the one hour should also include computer and electronic game time, as well according to the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. At any rate, there will be days that your child will watch more, but let those days be an exception, not a rule.
Finding Shows that Teach Vital Skills
You can also find lots of shows and videos that teach children skills and languages. Look for shows that teach Spanish, such as Sesame Street or Dora the Explorer. Toddlers can also learn from shows that teach sign language, beginning reading skills, music, art, reasoning skills, and beginning math. Baby Einstein is a great choice for teaching toddlers to master these skills. Multi-cultural shows are also good choices for kids at this age. These are excellent choices for toddlers, and you can feel good knowing that they are actually learning while watching TV.
When your toddler is starting to learn new things, you can enrich your child's learning by allowing some TV. Just look for good quality TV shows, or even videos and DVDs. If you can stay in control of your toddlers viewing habits, you can be sure that your child will learn vital skills. Your advantage is that a young child will view what he sees on TV as entertaining, and won't even know that he is learning in the process. This makes it easy for him to carry the skills taught to each new level of learning, making learning a breeze.
Television can never substitute as your child's teacher. You, the parent, will always be the number one teacher for him in these early years. Use TV in moderation, and be sure to keep spending quality time with your child, so he can truly learn from the best - you.
 |
