TV for Tots

Ethan doesn't really "get" TV. Yes, we have one. Yes, we watch it occasionally. But, Ethan doesn't get it! He is usually more interested in the power switch and volume controls than what is going on the screen. (Or he shuts the cabinet doors!) Lately, I've been slightly worried about this. Should he at least be interested? Though I know I don't want to build an appetite for uncreative entertainment, I have to admit, there have been times (like on a trans-atlantic flight) that I have been frustrated that he won't pay attention to a movie or TV program. (My own laziness comes out, eh?)

On Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn's Blog, they happened to be posting on the problem of a teenager who watches a great deal of television. They then quoted from limittv.org:

1. In "Effects of Preschool Television Watching on First-Grade Children," the authors report: (a) that the more preschoolers watch TV, the less well they do academically in the first grade; (b) the more preschoolers watch TV, the less well-socialized they are in the first grade.

2. Jerome L. Singer and Dorothy G. Singer conducted field studies on children to see if TV can stimulate imaginative play. They subjected four groups of children to different types of classroom situations; two incorporated TV into the sessions, one was a control with no TV, and the last had no TV but an adult present to stimulate imaginative play. The greatest increase in imaginative play occurred with the last group, no TV but an adult present to engage the children.

3. In "Turned-on Toddlers," Halpern writes about the potential over-stimulation of young children that may result from watching TV. This over-stimulation may tax their still-developing neurological systems, and that may result in a short attention span and hyperactivity.

To learn more about non-TV activities for children, please see the section on alternative activities.

Needless to say, I was encouraged that Ethan is not behind in his development because he isn't interested in the television. He may actually be ahead of the game for it. Phew.