It is very easy as parents for us to simply stick the television on to keep our young ones occupied during the days or even later at night, especially when we have plenty of work to do and need some peace and quiet. Whilst this may seem to do the job, ultimately you could be causing many more problems than you are solving.
Whilst the TV may seem like a miracle cure for children with a seemingly short attention span, the affect television has on a child is great and in the long run you are actually likely to be giving them a much shorter attention span.
In fact whilst it is very common for us to sit our children in front of the TV all day, experts actually recommend that children under 2 watch no TV at all, whilst those above the age of 2 watch no more than one to two hours a day. Whilst this seems like the babblings of over-protective people, the advice is well founded. The early years of a child’s life are all about brain development and learning. This type of physical, mental and social development is aided by playing with kids toys and exploring, whilst television will usually offer the opposite effect, keeping children entranced and in many ways numbing the brain and restricting development.
It is extremely important during the first two to three years of life that a child has regular social interaction with their parents and uses educational toys to help stimulate everything from spatial awareness and co-ordination through to numeracy and literacy. So whilst the TV may seem like a great way to deal with a short attention span, in the long run it almost definitely halts personal growth.
TV can also lead to children being overweight or socially inept, and also has been proven to increase how violent a child is likely to be. And whilst it may be tempting to use the telly as a way to get some peace, the right kids toys can offer the same effect and ultimately be something that you can get involved in too.
This is not to say that TV is a wholly bad thing. In moderation it can be extremely informative for those starting to learn to count or those learning the alphabet, whilst also providing great entertainment at the same time. It is merely that educational toys should be the main focus as a way to keep children occupied, with TV coming in as an educational treat once those children have passed the age of two. However, at such a young age it should be focussed mostly on the educational, not simple entertainment and escapism.
Interaction with your child is hugely important in their intellectual and social development, but it is implausible for parents to play with them all day, every day. But for those times when you can’t the right toys will almost always be the solution as opposed to just sticking them in front of the television.