Photo by Aaron Escobar
This post was originally published on June 2, 2009.
Television is a hot
topic these days. Some families kick theirs to the curb (literally).
Most Americans veg in front of it for multiple hours each day. Is there a
middle ground? A way we can intentionally use tv to enhance our
family culture? I think so.
In our family, we try to limit screen time
when possible. I've mentioned before that my children have never seen a
commercial. I'm not a fan of child-directed advertising, and will
happily avoid exposing my kids to it for as long as possible.
On the other hand, I
think my children have benefited from their television viewing. What I'm
advocating isn't necessarily network television, but high quality
programs on video/DVD.
This post refers to children over the age of
two. We completely avoided any viewing time for our kids until age one.
Then we allowed a maximum of 30 minutes a day (in general) until age
two. This was due to our concerns over research suggesting correlations
between television watching and increased risk of ADD.
For slightly older
children, though, there are seasons where a little extra screen time
might just be a blessing. But often moms (like me!) feel guilty about
it. So let me help you shed your guilt.
Here
are three reasons to let your children watch quality television:
1. Studies have found
that there are positive effects on learning (in terms of higher test
scores) for children who watch up to 10 hours of television a
week.
Children who watched more than ten hours had lower test scores. As in most of life, moderation is everything. Positive television viewing can provide a child experiences they might never have otherwise.
Photo by Anthony
Kelly
2. Television can be a wonderful way to learn about the world.
Through television children have a chance to explore interests, see things in motion (impossible with books), or get intrigued about a new topic.
Recently my three got
so excited when we were reading a book about Ecuador and the Galapagos
Islands. They already knew about the giant tortoises who live there from
an episode of Go Diego Go. We also bought a Math
DVD that the kids ask for almost every day.
3. Let's be practical here, ladies - a little tv time enables Mom to get some stuff done.
Photo by Desirea Rodgers
I've had busy times when I try to complete an important task with the kids "helping" me. But this sometimes leads to unnecessary frustration. It's better for them to enjoy a little extra screen time, especially when it's a high quality program, then to end up with a cranky Mama.
Like most things in our home, the television isn't positive or negative in and of itself. It's just a tool, and we can maximize its benefit for those in our family.
**What's the television philosophy in your home?**
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this post, I hope you'll subscribe
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Jamie
is
founder of this spot called Steady Mom, editor of the blog Simple
Homeschool, mama to three cute kids born on three different
continents, and author of Steady
Days: A Journey Toward Intentional,
Professional Motherhood.
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