You have probably seen a toddler transfixed in front of the TV, eyes wide open, “concentrating”. As time goes on you see the jaw slacken, the mouth hang open and should you walk in front of him or talk to him, he leans over to keep watching - in a world of his own. Is he learning anything at all?
Research conducted in 2004, reported by the Journal of Paediatrics, examined more than 2 500 children younger than 36 months, and found for every hour of television watched daily, the risk of attention problems at age seven increased by 10 percent.
These children were more likely to be easily confused, impulsive, restless or obsessive about things in their lives - problems similar to those associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
A study of 1 000 families done by the University of Washington found that for every hour watched between the ages of eight and 16 months they understood six to eight fewer words than babies not exposed to these programmes.
The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends no TV before the age of two and that children over the age of two be limited to one or two hours a day of educational programmes, preferably a DVD.
Young children believe that what happens on screen is really there in the box. You could test your three-year-old toddler by recording a cereal advert. Pause it when the bowl is full and ask what will happen if you turn the TV upside down. Young children will almost always believe that the cereal will spill. Many of them think that they can reach in for whatever they see “inside” the TV if only they could break the glass.
According to Lizette van Huyssteen, watching hours on end of TV can literally rewire the toddler’s brain. When watching TV, the brain sidesteps the language and thinking areas and tends to react to information without understanding. This becomes the standard way in which the toddler processes information in the real world as well. At school-going age we then have children who listen without actually hearing or see without comprehending, leading to auditory and visual processing problems.
It’s not all bad news. TV has come to stay - use it to your advantage. So here is how.
* Limit TV time. It’s not a babysitter and TV won’t teach your little one language skills.
* It’s important to interact and communicate with your toddler.
* A good way to do this is through reading books and talking about day to day life.
* Remember to switch off the TV. Having a TV on all day will encourage the toddler to watch.
* DVDs are a better option than watching endless hours of CBB programmes. Better yet - record some of these programmes and use them like a book. Pause and talk about what is happening. If Barney is jumping, pause and do some jumping with your tot. If he is talking about a red square, pause and go and look for some squares talk about the shape and colour. Repeating those DVD favourites are actually really good for them.
* Make TV watching an active instead of a passive activity. Talk about the programme before and after watching it. Instead of letting them sit or lie on the couch, use a pilates ball (30cm for toddlers aged up to four and 40cm for older children). Their legs have to be at a 90-degree angle when sitting on the ball. This engages the core muscles, as they have to balance to keep on the ball. This strengthens the core and back muscles, which is good for posture.
* Find out more about the programmes your child finds interesting. If he shows an interest in the big cats, look for ways to bring them to life.
* Print pictures, let him cut them out and paste them in a book. Move like a lion, growl, etc.
* TV can be bad for your toddler, but it’s what you do with it that will determine whether it has an impact on learning later at school-going age.
As of today, be TV-wise with your children and make every moment a learning experience. - The Mercury
* Liz Victor is the director of TOPTOTS Early Learning SA. You can locate your nearest branch by visiting www.toptots.co.za or e-mail Liz at [email protected] with any questions you may have.