 Everything
in moderation including TV!
Continued from page 1'
American psychologist Dr Aric Sigman hit the headlines when he
called for a complete ban on television for children under the age of
three.
Immediately after Dr Sigman's concerns caught the front pages, BabyTV
issued a press release of their own to try to allay parental fears about
toddler television exposure.
We spoke to Dr Richard Woolfson, a child and educational psychologist
who sits on their advisory board, for his reaction to the warnings.
"It is inevitable that most parents will allow their
children to watch television"
Dr Woolfson understands where Dr Sigman's concerns about television are
coming from but thinks that asking for a total ban on television viewing
is nonsensical. "I wouldn't have become involved with Baby First if I
didn't believe that television was harmful to children," he states.
"If Aric Sigman had said that watching too much television could have
a detrimental effect on children I would have been sympathetic. However,
to suggest a complete ban is ridiculous and doesn't acknowledge the fact
that it is inevitable that most parents will allow their child to watch
the TV from time to time." To prove that television does not necessarily
harm toddlers, Dr Woolfson gives his own children as an example.
"Both of my daughters watched television when they were little," he reveals.
"Now they're aged 26 and 24; one is a paediatrician and the other has
just gained a first-class degree at Cambridge. Obviously television did
not stunt their intellectual development at all."
"Too much of any activity isn't helpful"
When asked about Dr Sigman's views that watching television does not
help develop parts of the brain in ways that other less passive activities
do, Dr Woolfson is equally sceptical. "Granted, when you're watching television
you're not stimulating certain parts of the brain but you are using
others.
If you sat and read all the time that wouldn't be any good either. The
key to good and steady development in children is a wide variety of activities,
and television can be included within that
. However, the way in which television is used can be key to making it
a beneficial pastime."
Top tips for making the most of the box
This seems to be the crux of the argument; unsupervised and unmoderated
television watching is not a great idea. This is what all the professionals
can agree on. Dr Woolfson expands on this advice, "Television is one of
the few activities that parents and children can enjoy together for a
more sustained period of time," he explains. "Used appropriately it can
be a mutually rewarding experience.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you can enjoy time in front of
the telly with your toddler and relax in the knowledge that they are benefiting
from it."
- Make it age appropriate "Make sure the programmes your child
watches are age-appropriate, as they will have been developed specifically
for your child's learning level and needs. Letting them watch Coronation
Street might not do them any harm at all but it certainly won't
do them much good educationally."
- Make it inspirational and educational The programmes should
have good inspirational and educational content. At the end, your child
will hopefully have learnt more about the topic than they knew before,
whether it be colours, languages or animals."
- Make it an opportunity to interact "We all are guilty of using
the television as a babysitter from time to time but programmes should
not always be seen as an end in themselves. Sit down with your child
when you can and share the experience with them. Ask them questions
about what they are seeing and hearing on the screen. This makes it
more of a learning experience."
- Make it a part of a range of activities "Television should
form a part of an overall diet of stimulation for a child. No single
activity on its own, no matter how 'healthy' is good if it's the only
thing they are doing. Vary your child's pastimes so they are getting
a good range of things to do."
- Be prepared to use the 'off' button! "Don't be scared to turn
the telly off and to try something different to do with your child.
Watch out for the warning signs that they have had too much, including:
glass eyes, lethargy, boredom, and a lack of motivation to do anything
else. If your child cannot think of other ways in which to amuse himself
other than watching the TV, he probably is getting too much."
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