The issue of children and television viewing has been debated for manyyears, including whether they should be allowed to watch at all. As the mother of two young girls myself, Iunderstand the challenge of determining at what age they can be first exposedto TV, as well as what types of programming can provide the most benefit tothem.
While some may regard television simply as an electronic babysitter, Ithink it’s important to understand that as with many other activities,television can actually be used as an important tool to enhance the developmentof our kids. It starts with parentsdoing research on what is available, and seeking out the kinds of shows thatare designed by developmental experts.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 95% of American babies watchtelevision, so from my practical perspective, the question isn’t “shouldchildren watch TV,” but rather, “what are they watching, how much and underwhat conditions?” Content is absolutelykey. If it’s appropriate, educationaland 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 theirfavorites. Be sure to continuallyrefresh the content you select, offering your child exposure to new andexciting things. In the long-term, thiswill help keep their interest, while nurturing their development.
Of course, just because a TV show is educational, it is essential thatlimits be set on the amount of time that children are allowed to watch. As with all aspects of parenting, a healthybalance should be maintained, with plenty of time allocated for reading,creative play and spending time outdoors.
Ideally, parents should watch television together with theirchildren. Not only does this fosterbonding, it also allows you to become an interactive part of the viewingexperience. Concepts that are introducedduring viewing can be reinforced and built upon by moms and dads. An easy way to do this is by exercising theirmemory skills after a program has concluded. Ask your child about what they saw and heard, such as the names offavorite characters, noises the animals made and songs they enjoyed the most.
Moreover, watching together provides an excellent opportunity foremotional bonding. Providing immediatepositive reinforcement to a child, especially when they may be too young tocommunicate verbally, can be critically important to their emotional growth.
Ultimately, each child and family’s experience with television will bedifferent. In my own experience, I’vefound that my daughters have learned a great deal from age-appropriateeducational TV. They even learned signlanguage!
The company I co-founded, BabyFirst, decided to produce a televisionseries called, I Can Sign, that helpsparents communicate with their very young children before they’re able tospeak. I found it to be an amazing wayto interact and connect with my girls, and it really fostered a bond with themlong before they had learned to talk. That was a few years ago, but we still use it as a “secret language” betweenus.
There is constant debate as to the “right way” to raise a child, andmost parents ask a lot of questions and experiment quite a bit before they findwhat works best. Because televisionviewing is a reality in today’s homes, parents can take advantage of it as veryversatile tool that can introduce their children to a wide variety of newideas, while helping to reinforce early education.
About Sharon RechterCo-Founder, BabyFirst
Sharon Rechter, along withbusiness partner, Guy Oranim, conceptualized and co-founded BabyFirst (www.babyfirsttv.com), which is a global TV channel for tots. Inher role as executive vice president, she leads the business development andmarketing activities for the company – with a clear passion to bring quality, neweducational programming to families of babies and toddlers.
Rechter has a broad background intelevision programming and recently served as the vice president and head ofoperations for The Israeli Network (the Israeli television channel in theU.S.). She was responsible for the general management of the network, andfocused on areas including business development, advertising and subscriptions.Before entering the television broadcast industry, Rechter headed the strategicplanning department at GNS Advertising in Israel where she was responsible fordeveloping strategic plans for a variety of lifestyle brands.
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