Parent Guilt and TV
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 by:There have been so many studies lately linking children and TV time to everything from Attention Deficient Disorder to lack of brain development that I’m starting to feel guilty whenever I turn on the television set when my children are in same room.
Most recently a study published in the Pediatrics found that viewing television and playing video games are associated with increased subsequent attention problems in childhood. Will Disney now cause problems later?
I’ve always been of the opinion that moderation is the key.
Most public health officials, including the Canadian Pediatric Society recommend no screen time for children under two and a maximum of two hours for children two or older. While my 20-month-old does watch Dinosaur Train with his older brother, I am strict when it comes to the two hour a day rule and usually allow my children to watch much less. I also aim for days when the television set doesn’t go on.
Am I doing enough by avoiding extremes?
Results of the CAMH’s annual Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey found that hundreds of thousands of teens are spending at least seven hours a day in front of TV or a computer. As parents how do we best teach our children moderation now, to prevent excess later?
For me, the best I can do if offer my children is a wide range of stimulation most of the time, while occasionally allowing for some down time with a movie or tv show. Then, I can just hope that when they’re old enough to make choices on their own, they’ll be smart enough to want to balance reading and sports with chill out time.
Tags: CAMH, development, guilt, parent, pediatrics, studies, tv
July 14th, 2010 at 8:31 am
[…] you experience ‘parent guilt’ when putting your kids in front of the TV? — Just the Facts, […]
July 14th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
There is absolutely nothing wrong with watching TV, in fact, it can be educational. Growing up we didn’t have any restrictions, and we all are very successful, I have two degrees, my sister went to harvard. In life, a child will ultimately do as they please.
July 15th, 2010 at 6:21 am
I don’t think anyone can accurately say “tv is good” or “tv is bad” yet. However, some children who are prone to addictions can defineately benefit from a structured, disciplined day to day routine that includes lots of physical activity. Since we don’t know if our children are prone to related addictions I would avoid all game consoles or at least limit game play to smart and active choices like Wii Fit.
Games like War Craft are extremely dangerous to any hat has or could develop addictive personality. It is more similar to giving your child a cigarette each day than comparing it to “educational tv watching”.
July 15th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Lets not forget that TV and Games are HIGHLY marketed. That means that Marketing companies are hired with the objective of “maximize children’s TV watching so I can sell more expensive commercial time” (and none of us should be surprised if that objective does not include the health and safety of the child; never forget the cigarette companies!).
Good example, there is a popular soft drink company worth billions of dollars; 90% of their worth is spent on Marketing, and only 1% is spent on actually making the product. If you watch their “marketing” none of it is about telling us why their product is good for you – and that should be a huge caution sign for us all.