I used to feel a constant sense of guilt every time my children watched TV. I felt guilty because child ‘experts’ said kids shouldn’t watch too much TV each day. Obesity experts said children who watch more than two hours per day are more likely to be obese. Psychologists said we had to monitor what they watched so they wouldn’t grow up to be serial killers. Is Big Time Rush okay for my children to watch? I know it’s a kid’s show but they do sometimes push each other into the pool. Am I desensitising my impressionable young children to violence?
However, now that the parenting pressure has moved on to smart devices, I feel like I’ve been handed a bit of a reprieve. Now I have to monitor my children’s computer use, iPads, iPods, smart phones and other gaming devices.
Noted.
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Fetch TV. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.
In the meantime, my nine-year-old son Philip and I spent the long weekend catching up on episodes of our favourite show, Judge Judy (I think it’s educational for him) and endless episodes of Star Trek. My four-year-old daughter launched a protest. She’d been waiting to watch Despicable Me 2 all day and we’d ‘taken the TV away from her and had to give it back, now’.
Okay…
Is it really a big deal that children watch TV? These days, as long as you have any of the number of ‘on demand’ services you can be the director of your children’s viewing. You can select the TV shows they watch live, and record the ones to watch later when the homework is done. You can block the ones you don’t want them to watch and then use catch up TV to watch on anything you’ve missed due to your insanely busy lives.
Top Comments
I wonder if you have, respectfully, missed the point of what the experts are trying to say.
TV is fine. It's a part of our lives. It gives us down time and chill out time. We can learn from tv. We can find common interest from tv shows.
It's not TV per se that's concerning, it's the quantity of time in front of the tv and it's the type of programs on the tv that children are being exposed to.
When kids watch too much tv, it's what they ARE NOT doing that's the concern. When they are spending too much time in front of the TV, they aren't outside playing excercising and strengthening muscles, getting sun, fresh air, sensory stimulation, fine and gross motor coordination development.
When kids watch tv that's educational, that's great. But what they are not doing is reading books or exploring education and environment in other ways which is much better for brain development and leaning. TV is also a passive activity; even when educational it's a passive way of learning. It doesn't challenge in any way.
I'm not knocking tv or kids and tv watching. I agree leaning can happen. I'm just saying that there are often better ways which provide kids with much more reward and brain development than tv.
I thought it must have been Peanut butter!!!