Pediatricians' View on Infants Watching TV
Contemporary Pediatrics magazine published an article last month that summarizes the major effects television is believed to have on children. (As you can imagine, it's not good.)
The authors, both pediatricians, report that children spend an average of 3-6 hours in front of the television or "other screened media" (I assume they mean computers, video games or movies).
They also stress that the American Pediatrics Association discourages TV viewing for children under age 2. There are other, they say, "more appropriate activities for children to engage in during that critical window of neurological development. "
And, to make matters worse, they say allowing our infants to watch videos targeted for their age group won't help turn them into a budding Einstein or Mozart. (Isn't that the reason we bought all those videos in the first place?)
"Despite explicit and implicit claims to the contrary," the authors write, "these products have no demonstrated ability to make children smarter, more musical, or more mathematically inclined."
Sometimes I think I've been focusing on this television-watching debate out of guilt. I know I shouldn't park Hendrick in front of the boob tube, but sometimes I just need a break.
Do these pediatricians know what it's like to take a shower while your toddler is running around the bathroom, sticking his head underneath the shower curtain, drenching half his body while he reaches for the faucets and turns off the cold water just as you're trying to rinse the shampoo out of your hair????
Probably not.
But then again, it doesn't matter. There's never a good excuse for promoting a bad habit.
I guess I'll just have to wait until nap time to wash up.
Here's the link: http://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/contpeds/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=412515&pageID=1&sk=&date
The authors, both pediatricians, report that children spend an average of 3-6 hours in front of the television or "other screened media" (I assume they mean computers, video games or movies).
They also stress that the American Pediatrics Association discourages TV viewing for children under age 2. There are other, they say, "more appropriate activities for children to engage in during that critical window of neurological development. "
And, to make matters worse, they say allowing our infants to watch videos targeted for their age group won't help turn them into a budding Einstein or Mozart. (Isn't that the reason we bought all those videos in the first place?)
"Despite explicit and implicit claims to the contrary," the authors write, "these products have no demonstrated ability to make children smarter, more musical, or more mathematically inclined."
Sometimes I think I've been focusing on this television-watching debate out of guilt. I know I shouldn't park Hendrick in front of the boob tube, but sometimes I just need a break.
Do these pediatricians know what it's like to take a shower while your toddler is running around the bathroom, sticking his head underneath the shower curtain, drenching half his body while he reaches for the faucets and turns off the cold water just as you're trying to rinse the shampoo out of your hair????
Probably not.
But then again, it doesn't matter. There's never a good excuse for promoting a bad habit.
I guess I'll just have to wait until nap time to wash up.
Here's the link: http://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/contpeds/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=412515&pageID=1&sk=&date
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