How much T.V. do your children watch?

"Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF):

• two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day
• kids under age 6 watch an average of about 2 hours of screen media a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs
• kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video games

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.

The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development.

As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family.

Of course, television, in moderation, can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it — TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.

But despite its advantages, too much television can be detrimental:

• Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
• Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
• TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.

Children's advocates are divided when it comes to solutions. Although many urge for more hours per week of educational programming, others assert that no TV is the best solution. And some say it's better for parents to control the use of TV and to teach kids that it's for occasional entertainment, not for constant escapism."

For the full article go to http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html#




How does this make you feel? If you're someone who limits your children's TV intake, how do you do that? Do you wish other Moms/Dads did the same and why? Do you notice a difference in your children's attitudes and behaviors?

If you don't limit T.V./Screen time, why not? Do you supplement with other activities, such as family game night once a week, or outdoor sports?


Personally, I was one of those mom's who let the T.V. babysit my baby for his first year, it was not a conscience decision, but an accident based on convenience. It was nice that he would watch Dora (or Oprah, or whatever was on) and I could do the dishes and other chores. I liked it too because it made my day go faster and distracted me from thinking about other pressing issues, like the many apartments that needed repairs (at the time we were apartment managers). Before I knew it, my husband was coming home from work, and the T.V. had been on since he had left.

After learning about the detrimental effects it can have on the development of a child's brain and movement - if not kept in balance - I turned it off. I know this has helped my son. In the month since we've kept it off, he's learned to crawl, he is MUCH more vocal, and he sleeps better. Plus the greatest bonus of all, is I play with him more! He has the best toys available that are supposed to foster learning and encourage development, but because I wasn't actively showing him how to play with them, he didn't use them and got bored. Besides the fact that obesity is a growing epidemic in our country, and that I was not very active as a pre-teen/teenager due largely because I spent a lot of time in front of a T.V. or on a computer (I'm feeling the effects of it now), I want my son to have an active and healthy lifestyle.  I love my son very much, and being a Mom on a Mission, I know what I'm learning and sharing with others will benefit him and our relationship and can help others as well.

Feel free to leave your comments about the article, what you do as a parent to help your children, or just general thoughts! 




Afterthought:
I thought I'd put in a picture of a TV for emphasis and found this:

I don't know if you can read this, but it's a 2005 graph showing the average daily household viewing for various countries.  United States is at the top with over 8 hours!  That's the average!  The bottom is Sweden, with just over 2 hours. No wonder why there's an obesity epidemic in the United States

The Importance of Play-based Learning

Want to get your kids into college? Let them play

By Erika Christakis and Nicholas Christakis, Special to CNN

December 29, 2010 7:57 a.m. EST

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Erika and Nicholas Christakis says they see students at Harvard who have trouble getting along
• They say kids better equipped to learn, interact, if taught using play-based curricula
• "Drill and kill" skill-based learning, requires more social isolation, they say
• Writers: Play-based learning builds empathy, better self-control, and problem solving skill

(CNN) -- Every day where we work, we see our young students struggling with the transition from home to school. They're all wonderful kids, but some can't share easily or listen in a group.Editor's note: Erika Christakis, MEd, MPH, is an early childhood teacher and former preschool director. Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, is a professor of medicine and sociology at Harvard University. Together, they serve as Masters of Pforzheimer House, one of the undergraduate residential houses at Harvard College.

Some have impulse control problems and have trouble keeping their hands to themselves; others don't always see that actions have consequences; a few suffer terribly from separation anxiety.

We're not talking about preschool children. These are Harvard undergraduate students whom we teach and advise. They all know how to work, but some of them haven't learned how to play.

Parents, educators, psychologists, neuroscientists, and politicians generally fall into one of two camps when it comes to preparing very young children for school: play-based or skills-based.

These two kinds of curricula are often pitted against one another as a zero-sum game: If you want to protect your daughter's childhood, so the argument goes, choose a play-based program; but if you want her to get into Harvard, you'd better make sure you're brushing up on the ABC flashcards every night before bed.

We think it is quite the reverse. Or, in any case, if you want your child to succeed in college, the play-based curriculum is the way to go.

In fact, we wonder why play is not encouraged in educational periods later in the developmental life of young people -- giving kids more practice as they get closer to the ages of our students.

Why do this? One of the best predictors of school success is the ability to control impulses. Children who can control their impulse to be the center of the universe, and -- relatedly -- who can assume the perspective of another person, are better equipped to learn.

Psychologists calls this the "theory of mind": the ability to recognize that our own ideas, beliefs, and desires are distinct from those of the people around us. When a four-year-old destroys someone's carefully constructed block castle or a 20-year-old belligerently monopolizes the class discussion on a routine basis, we might conclude that they are unaware of the feelings of the people around them.

The beauty of a play-based curriculum is that very young children can routinely observe and learn from others' emotions and experiences. Skills-based curricula, on the other hand, are sometimes derisively known as "drill and kill" programs because most teachers understand that young children can't learn meaningfully in the social isolation required for such an approach.

How do these approaches look different in a classroom? Preschoolers in both kinds of programs might learn about hibernating squirrels, for example, but in the skills-based program, the child could be asked to fill out a worksheet, counting (or guessing) the number of nuts in a basket and coloring the squirrel's fur.

In a play-based curriculum, by contrast, a child might hear stories about squirrels and be asked why a squirrel accumulates nuts or has fur. The child might then collaborate with peers in the construction of a squirrel habitat, learning not only about number sense, measurement, and other principles needed for engineering, but also about how to listen to, and express, ideas.

The child filling out the worksheet is engaged in a more one-dimensional task, but the child in the play-based program interacts meaningfully with peers, materials, and ideas.

Programs centered around constructive, teacher-moderated play are very effective. For instance, one randomized, controlled trial had 4- and 5-year-olds engage in make-believe play with adults and found substantial and durable gains in the ability of children to show self-control and to delay gratification. Countless other studies support the association between dramatic play and self-regulation.

Through play, children learn to take turns, delay gratification, negotiate conflicts, solve problems, share goals, acquire flexibility, and live with disappointment. By allowing children to imagine walking in another person's shoes, imaginative play also seeds the development of empathy, a key ingredient for intellectual and social-emotional success.

The real "readiness" skills that make for an academically successful kindergartener or college student have as much to do with emotional intelligence as they do with academic preparation. Kindergartners need to know not just sight words and lower case letters, but how to search for meaning. The same is true of 18-year-olds.

As admissions officers at selective colleges like to say, an entire freshman class could be filled with students with perfect grades and test scores. But academic achievement in college requires readiness skills that transcend mere book learning. It requires the ability to engage actively with people and ideas. In short, it requires a deep connection with the world.

For a five year-old, this connection begins and ends with the creating, questioning, imitating, dreaming, and sharing that characterize play. When we deny young children play, we are denying them the right to understand the world. By the time they get to college, we will have denied them the opportunity to fix the world too.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Erika and Nicholas Christakis.

You can find the article here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/29/christakis.play.children.learning/index.html

What is a Mom on a Mission?

I'm a Mom and I love it! What I don't love is how hard it is today for children to find a balance between "screen time" and playtime that helps children develop and grow.
Did you know that the average child spends over 30 hours per week in front of a screen: TV, computer, game boy, etc?
Did you know that it's so important to spend time on the floor playing with your child?

As a Mom on a Mission, I want the best for my family and for everyone I know and care about.  That is why I've dedicated this space to sharing information that will help parents and children know how to play and find that quality time together that is so important for happy family lives.

I first heard of Moms on a Mission through a good friend with Discovery Toys, a great company that has been providing the highest quality educational toys for over 32 years.  I grew up with these toys, so I know how fun and great they are.  And now I have them for my son, and I love how I can see him learn through play and enjoy the time we spend together.  Plus, Discovery Toys gives me the opportunity to stay at home by allowing me to earn an income alongside my family and other activities.

Would you like to join me? The more Mom's sharing the news, the more children that are helped!