Ask Me Help Desk - Television and Children

My fiancee's 6 year old daughter always wants to watch Tv. I Know its normal for a kid that age to want to watch TV, but that's all she does unless her Dad or I end up saying something to her. I think part of the problem is that when she goes to visit her mom that's all she does there because her mom doesn't pay much attention to her. I try to limit the TV to like a couple hours here and there and make her spend time doing other things but she always seems to end up in front of the television no matter what I do. I just feel its not necessary for a kid to spend so much time in front of the television and they don't really learn much from most of the cartoons that are being played these days. What is a reasonable amount of time to allow her to watch Tv without being too harsh?

When I was six, few people owned one. Many people considered it a fad. If I had my say, our family wouldn't own one.

When she would be at my house, we would be playing games, reading books, making cookies, painting pictures, playing outside, etc. If I'm busy with something, I would set her up at the kitchen table or a little desk of her own.

TV time? An hour maybe? And it would have to be a fantastic program.

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Originally Posted by Miller11

Miller11 agrees: I totally agree Thank You I'll try an hour at a time and see how it works

That means, of course, that you are going to have to knock yourself out with planning activities for and actually being present with this little girl. And do you know what? As she gets older and when she becomes a teen, she will remember that you were the one who cared/cares about her and was/is willing to put yourself out for her. And do you know what else? Your fiancé will treasure you! Oh, yes, one more thing -- you will feel very good about yourself too, because of the efforts you have made in her behalf.

An hour?! Are you kidding me?! There is absolutely nothing wrong with watching TV. Some people make it sound like the scourge of life. Well, it is not. There are PLENTY of awesome shows on Disney and Noggin that teach and promote kindness, responsibility and kids can actually learn from them. Please, don't get me wrong, I spend a lot of time each day with my daughter reading, writing, making crafts, blowing bubbles, playing outside, etc. like any good and responsible parent would. However, there are shows she really likes to watch. She even likes the old Scooby-Doo and Pink Panther cartoons from the 60'2 and 70's. The point is this: I watched and still watch a lot of TV and am a High School science teacher with 2 Master's Degrees. My daughter likes to watch TV and she watches more than an hour a day and is VERY well adjusted, polite, kind, shares with her friends and is an all around good student (all this and going through our divorce at 6 years old). By the way - I EVEN TAKE HER TO McDONALD'S EVERY NOW AND THEN!! OH NO!! Just monitor what she is watching and if you don't like the results, make a change. Yes, there are some kids who can't handle a lot of TV. Do I have a problem with my daughter falling asleep whilst watching Go Diego Go or Dora the Explorer? Not at all and I don't see why any parent would.

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Originally Posted by dglennware

An hour?!?!? Are you kidding me?!? There is absolutely nothing wrong with watching tv. Some people make it sound like the scourge of life. Well, it is not. There are PLENTY of awesome shows on Disney and Noggin that teach and promote kindness, responsibility and kids can actually learn from them.

A child sitting in front of a television is inactive. There is no give-and-take, no effort made by the child or expected by the child. TV is simply entertainment. Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo in particular tried to make their shows somewhat interactive by asking questions of their viewers or attempted to engage them with conversation, but of course could not hear the responses, so the effectiveness of that may be a moot point. Watching someone being kind or being told to be kind does not teach a child to be kind. If a parent follows up with real-life lessons, good, but that could have been done without television. My children never learned kindness from Sesame Street. They learned how to be kind when the adults in their lives gave or showed them opportunities.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

A child sitting in front of a television is inactive. There is no give-and-take, no effort made by the child or expected by the child. TV is simply entertainment. .

I suppose an active mind does not count? Listening and learning CAN happen. I mean, school is not an entertaining experience all the time. Children will sit sometimes for 45 minutes listening. But, learning takes place. I don't understand how someone can say a child watching a character they like (Dora, for example) be kind, etc. will not teach a child, but MUST only take place by an adult. These children's shows are not made and produced by animators just filling a job. They are made by educators and professionals in child development. True, not all television will teach and promote good things. However, to totally discount the good things a good show can give to a child is shortsighted. I never said adult interaction is not needed. It is required. I would venture to guess that hundreds of thousands of children were helped in their reading and math because of shows like Sesame Street. It is not the only tool a parent should use, but it can be a tool nonetheless.