Parents often doubt how much time their young children should spend in front of the television. For many of the fathers and mothers it is a time when they can dedicate themselves to doing other things while their children are 'entertained' by looking at the screen. But, in no case is it appropriate for young children to be in front of the television as if it were a kangaroo.
Using the screen in a timely manner doesn't have to be a bad thing, but using the television routinely so you can get things done, then you will be modeling the brain of your child so that he does not know how to entertain himself in the future, your brain will become lazy and bored easily. Risking your child's brain development is too high a price to keep him busy.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children younger than 2 years old should not watch television and that children older than 2 years of age limit themselves to one hour or no more than two hours of quality programming daily, and never random programming, for what parents should be very clear about what their children are seeing on the screens and the time they spend in front of them.
This would be about 10 hours during a week, but the reality is that children In our society, they watch television for more than 30 hours a week, and this is a problem for their child development.
Why television is a problem for child development
Television changes the brain development in young children, in addition, it cancels their creativity and their ability to learn. In addition, it is necessary to be aware that young children need time to be children, that is, to play, run and create, and of course, to interact with other people. These activities teach children self-regulation and are the foundation for the next stages of learning.
Television is addictive and this makes children establish it as a habit in their life, all children who grow up with addiction on screens, may have a more lazy brain in the future. Do you want television to negatively affect how your child's brain develops? The most likely answer is no.
Television and games on the computer or tablet stimulate the development of your child's brain in a different way, And many of those changes appear to have to do with shortened attention span, reduced impulse control, and increased aggression. There is growing evidence that the more television children watch, the more likely they are to have ADD and ADHD symptoms.
Young children's brains are designed to develop optimally by interacting with the physical world and developing imagination, like storytelling, for example, rather than feeding it with passive pictures that 'kill' their creativity altogether.
Things that cannot be lacking in child development are: fantasy games, building with blocks, works of art, social interaction with their peers and siblings, cooking with their parents, climbing, swinging, watching stories, etc. These activities help your child's brain develop as it should, giving him problem-solving skills, expanding his potential for creativity, as well as creating a foundation for the math and reasoning he will need in the future.
Nor is it that I never watch television
Television doesn't have to be the 'forbidden fruit' either. If you ban television in your home, your child will not question it the same as he will not question if you do not allow chocolate in the pantry. Children who do not drink soda while growing up generally do not develop a taste for them. If you are concerned that your child will feel left out of what other kids are doing, you can always change your policy when the kids get older and peer pressure makes it "essential" for your child to watch the latest kids' fashion show. If your child starts watching television later, the likelihood of addiction is lower because it will no longer affect his brain as much.
Tablets are usually better than televisions because they are interactive, but most experts recommend delaying the introduction of these devices or strictly limiting the time they use them, because tablet games through applications are also designed to be addictive.
It is better to delay the exposure time of children to screens, and while they dedicate themselves to being children or for example, that they have time to do other things such as reading or board games.
What to do instead of watching so much television
Most young children who have never been exposed to television or devices are used to keeping busy by themselves. If you want your children to reduce the time they spend in front of the tablet or television, you can start by allowing them to listen to audiobooks, which also helps them to enhance their imagination and creativity. Audiobooks are not addictive and offer children downtime during which they are engrossed in something and less likely to need your attention.
Another idea is to have 'the boat against boredom' which consists of having a note where there are small papers where they put activities to do in moments of boredom. This way your child will know what to do when they 'don't know what to do'.
But it is important that you keep in mind that children also need their parents' attention and quality time with them. When this happens they will not need the television or screens either, because the children where they are best is next to their parents doing fun things together, even if it is only the housework.
It is also possible that your child does not need a structured activity, he simply requires to play as a child that is to fantasy games or with his toys. Children must learn to entertain themselves, and when they know how to do it they will love it. This has great benefits for your imagination and self-regulation, and in the long run this is priceless! Learning the ability to manage your time and entertain yourself is an essential protective gift. for children growing up in our over-programmed and digitized culture.