April 20-26 is National TV Turn Off Week
Discover the unique joys of life without television and reconnect with family. Visit TVturnoff.org to register as a participant.
By Kyla Steinkraus
No matter how much you love your baby, once in a while you just need a few minutes to yourself to shower, make a phone call or eat a sandwich. Although the Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies and toddlers refrain from watching television, it may not be practical for you to entertain your child 24-7. A University of Washington study revealed that 40 percent of 3-month-olds and 90 percent of 2-year-olds were regularly exposed to TV anyway.
“The AAP’s recommendation is because television time replaces important parent interaction, and not because of any harmful effects of television viewing,” says Dr. James Sears, M.D., a noted pediatrician and co-author of The Baby Book.
If you make it a priority to get in lots of cuddle and play time to stimulate your baby’s brain the rest of the day, you can stop feeling guilty about letting your toddler watch an educational DVD every now and then. Dr. Sears suggests a limit of 30 minutes a day for children under 2. The AAP recommends a maximum of two hours of media exposure (including video games and computers) a day for kids ages 2 and up.
Too much TV is detrimental for kids of all ages. Excessive television viewing by young children has been linked to lowered cognitive development, ADHD, obesity and according to one study, possibly even autism.
What your child watches may be just as important as how much he watches. Make sure your toddler is viewing age-appropriate material, especially if there are older children in the house. Nix any kind of violence, even cartoon violence.
“Your child can’t really recognize that the images on the television are not real, and this can have important implications in terms of mental and social development,” warns Dr. David Perlmutter, M.D., FACN, a neurologist and author of Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten. A recent study published in Pediatrics revealed that preschool-aged boys who watched violence on television were more aggressive and antisocial at ages 7 to 10.
So what’s appropriate? Nature programs or educational shows like “Sesame Street” or “Blue’s Clues” are excellent choices for babies and toddlers. Cable channel Noggin features commercial-free programs for young children.
You have enough to worry about without adding guilt to the mix. Think balance. Go ahead, turn on the TV and tend to yourself for a few minutes. After all, a well-showered mom is a happy mom—and a happy mom can better tend to her baby’s physical, emotional and cognitive needs.
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