The issue of children and television viewing has been debated for many
years, including whether they should be allowed to watch at all. As the mother of two young girls myself, I
understand the challenge of determining at what age they can be first exposed
to TV, as well as what types of programming can provide the most benefit to
them.
While some may regard television simply as an electronic babysitter, I
think it’s important to understand that as with many other activities,
television can actually be used as an important tool to enhance the development
of our kids. It starts with parents
doing research on what is available, and seeking out the kinds of shows that
are designed by developmental experts.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 95% of American babies watch
television, so from my practical perspective, the question isn’t “should
children watch TV,” but rather, “what are they watching, how much and under
what conditions?” Content is absolutely
key. If it’s appropriate, educational
and non-violent, children can learn and have a very positive experience.
It’s also important to vary the types of programs your kids watch. The younger the child (especially babies),
the greater will be their natural tendency to gravitate toward their
favorites. Be sure to continually
refresh the content you select, offering your child exposure to new and
exciting things. In the long-term, this
will help keep their interest, while nurturing their development.
Of course, just because a TV show is educational, it is essential that
limits be set on the amount of time that children are allowed to watch. As with all aspects of parenting, a healthy
balance should be maintained, with plenty of time allocated for reading,
creative play and spending time outdoors.
Ideally, parents should watch television together with their
children. Not only does this foster
bonding, it also allows you to become an interactive part of the viewing
experience. Concepts that are introduced
during viewing can be reinforced and built upon by moms and dads. An easy way to do this is by exercising their
memory skills after a program has concluded.
Ask your child about what they saw and heard, such as the names of
favorite characters, noises the animals made and songs they enjoyed the most.
Moreover, watching together provides an excellent opportunity for
emotional bonding. Providing immediate
positive reinforcement to a child, especially when they may be too young to
communicate verbally, can be critically important to their emotional growth.
Ultimately, each child and family’s experience with television will be
different. In my own experience, I’ve
found that my daughters have learned a great deal from age-appropriate
educational TV. They even learned sign
language!
The company I co-founded, BabyFirst, decided to produce a television
series called, I Can Sign, that helps
parents communicate with their very young children before they’re able to
speak. I found it to be an amazing way
to interact and connect with my girls, and it really fostered a bond with them
long before they had learned to talk.
That was a few years ago, but we still use it as a “secret language” between
us.
There is constant debate as to the “right way” to raise a child, and
most parents ask a lot of questions and experiment quite a bit before they find
what works best. Because television
viewing is a reality in today’s homes, parents can take advantage of it as very
versatile tool that can introduce their children to a wide variety of new
ideas, while helping to reinforce early education.
About Sharon Rechter
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.
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