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How are Children Affected
by Watching TV?
Are
preschool children watching
too much TV?
Recently we've seen a lot of news reports
about the effects of television watching on children. Kids watching too
much TV being overweight. The bad example violent television gives to
young children etc.
Kids watching TV has been linked to obesity, adhd, autism and bad
behaviour.
Rather than focusing on the cons and pros of children watching
television, this article, from the Department of Education, takes
a balanced view on the advantage and the disadvantages of watching
TV.
More importantly, it provides expert opinion on TV watching for kids
and supplies
useful guidlines on setting family rules for watching television.
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"Taking
Charge of TV"
Many children enjoy
TV, and they can learn from it. Keep in mind, though,
that young children often imitate what they see, good or bad.
It's up to you to decide how much TV and what kinds of shows your child
should watch.
- Think about your
child's age and choose the types of things that you want him to see,
learn, and imitate.
- Look for TV shows
that :
- teach your
child something,
- hold his
interest,
- encourage him
to listen and question,
- help him learn
more words,
- make him feel
good about himself, and
- introduce him
to new ideas and things.
"Sesame Street,"
"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," "Blue's Clues," "Between the Lions," "Reading Rainbow,"
"Barney & Friends," "Zoom," and "Zoboomafoo,"
are
some shows that you may want to consider.
Many other good
children's programs are available on public television stations
and
on cable channels such as the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
- Limit the time that
you let your child watch TV. Too much television cuts into important
activities in a child's life, such as reading, playing with friends,
and talking with family members.
- Watch TV with your
child when you can. Talk with him about what you see. Answer his
questions.Try to point out the things in TV programs that are like your
child's everyday life.
- When you can't watch
TV with your child, spot check to see what he is watching. Ask
questions after the show ends. See what excites him and what troubles
him. Find out what he has learned and remembered.
- Go to the library and
find books that explore the themes of the TV shows that your child
watches. Or help your child to use his drawings or pictures cut from
magazines to make a book based on a TV show.
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We think this is all great advice on children's TV watching.
How much television should children be watching? What should kids watch
on TV? Its for parents to decide.
And if they're not watching TV, what can kids do? Well you'll find lots
of ideas here. Why not take a look at .Activities
and Games for Kids to Play Now.
"Toddler Report",
our newsletter, regularly contains preschooler activities and play
ideas you can use. Why not sign up for it now?
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