“Chloe, I Said No TV!”

To be honest, I don’t watch much TV… Never did when I was younger, nor do I now… When we were younger, my sisters and I used to play in the toy room or outdoors… There wasn’t much time for TV, and I suppose in those times, TV wasn’t that popular – and now, looking back, I didn’t really miss it – and I’m real glad…

Chloe is 5.5 months and already, when I walk past the TV whilst holding her in my arms – her head will quickly turn towards the tv… There were a few times where I tried to breastfeed her whilst watching the tv and she wouldn’t feed! She kept looking towards the tv! I had to goto a quiet room or switch the tv off, in order for her to concentrate! How crazy is that!?!??!

The tv here is often on and is often very loud – when Chloe is awake and asleep!… And although I do not like it – there is not much I can really do, as (i) it’s not our own house, (ii) it’s Mama’s past-time… The only thing I can do is get her away from it as much as possible…. I mean, the benefits of parent-child interactions are already proven…talking, singing, reading, listening to music, playing, going for walks are far more important to a child’s development (mentally, socially and physcially) than any TV programme…

Although I try hard to get her to stay away from the tv when it is on… I wonder how bad it is for her to be able to hear the tv in the background – almost constantly?!?!? I mean, sometimes when the door is closed and she is sleeping in the cot – even I can hear the tv from the room!

Recently, I had noticed that she is more calmer when the tv had not been on at all that day – I mean, she spoke (made baby noises) more, had her naps at the correct times, was more interactive and didn’t fuss or cry at bedtime… Maybe it’s just me.. So I decided to research it! This is what I found…

Q1) What does television do to young minds?

•Shown to impair brain development.
•When the tv is on, even if a baby is not watching it, it distracts him/her from allowing him/her to complete his/her own thoughts and problem-solving quietly.
•Takes away precious time that babies can interact with parents and their environment.
•Several links have been found between tv watching and subsequent attention problems in children.
•Children under 2 rarely understand the content of a tv program, and often confuse pretend with reality.
•Tv watching can be addictive – the more they see, the more they want to see! Daily viewing can easily become a habit.
•Children who watch tv in their early years have been shown to be at higher risk for obesity, poor social development, and aggressive behavior.

Q2) Does the American Academy of Paediatrics recommend against TV viewing for children under the age of 2?

“Yes.
In 1999 the American Academy of Paediatrics issued a policy statement about media and children. In it, the organization discussed the benefits media education can have as well as the health risks TV poses to children, especially those under the age of two. Specifically, the AAP said:

‘Paediatricians should urge parents to avoid television viewing for children under the age of 2 years. Although certain television programs may be promoted to this age group, research on early brain development shows that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interactions with parents and other significant caregivers (eg, child care providers) for healthy brain growth and the development of appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Therefore, exposing such young children to television programs should be discouraged.’

Q3) Does having a TV on in the background – either in another room or in the same room where a child is playing – matter?

“Yes, background TV can be a disruptive influence.
According to a recent study conducted by a group of scholars and published in American Behavioral Scientist, the television is on approximately six hours a day on average in American homes. Yet little is known about the impact of growing up in the near constant presence of television. They studied the prevalence and developmental impact of “heavy-television” households on very young children from birth to age 6 drawn from a nationally representative sample. Thirty-five percent of the children lived in a home where the television was on “always” or “most of the time,” even if no one was watching. Regardless of their age, children from heavy-television households watched more television and read less than other children. Furthermore, children exposed to constant television were less likely to be able to read than other children. Also, other research has shown that one-, two-, and three-year-olds’ play and attention spans are shorter in length in the presence of background television, and parent-child interactions are also less frequent in the presence of background television

Q4) Can TV help a young child’s language development?

“Yes and no, depending on what the child is watching.
Studies have found that children at 30 months of age who watched certain programs (one study focused on Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, Clifford and Dragon Tales) resulted in greater vocabularies and higher expressive language whereas overall television viewing (including adult programs) has been associated with reduced vocabulary.”

********My mind made up!**********
No tv for Chloe at the moment – esp. when she’s under 2 years old…. Although tv can help her in the future – much older than 2! (certain kiddies programmes and documentaries) – too much can be a bad thing… so, it has to be a good mix I suppose!

Anyways, the less she watches, the less she’ll be obsessed with a kiddies programme, the less she’ll be obsessed with buying the DVD, the matching bedsheet, comforter, doll and all the toys and gadgets with their favorite characters on them! Phew – money saving tip!