The first time I watched television, that I can remember directly, was Sesame Street. But, fortunately, my parents restricted my television exposure to one hour per day. This is a good recommendation. This kind of restriction does not leave your kids completely void of the opportunity to watch television (which almost all of us enjoy)--but this type of restriction does make more time available for your children to be creative, learn, and be active--which are essential aspects of how a child develops. There is no doubt television has too much influence on many families, especially those involved in a divorce parenting class.
It is amazing how television affects the brain. We can try to remember other, real life events--and the memories just slip away. However, we remember in detail the events and stories we learned in our "TV lives". For example, I cannot tell you the name of my first or second grade teacher--but I do remember what the first movie I watched was as a kid when my parents bought our first VCR. There is no doubt television has too much influence on many families, especially those involved in a divorce parenting class.
I have two sisters and a brother, but they were also allowed only one hour of television per day. We spent the rest of the time playing, reading, practicing dance or piano or basketball. Now we all enjoy reading more than watching TV and are also each very artistic. An incredibly interesting thing I have noticed that concerns child development in relation to television is that when a child has been watching a lot of TV they have less energy, they do not smile as much, and do not have as much to talk about with their parents and friends. There is no doubt television has too much influence on many families, especially those involved in a divorce parenting class.
On the opposite side of things, I have watched children come in from playing outside or reading a book, dancing, building things or coloring and observed that these kids have much more energy, much more to talk about and many more creative ideas. In regard to child development, it is proven that a child's mind develops better, and more learning and discovery occurs at younger ages when there is less television involved in children's lives. There is no doubt television has too much influence on many families, especially those involved in a divorce parenting class.
Unfortunately, some parents feel they do not have any option. Despite the fact that television can be bad for your kids, many households cannot survive unless there is a dual income--so when the parents get home from work they simply do not have time to play with their kids that much. They feel that their kids have to watch TV to be entertained. Or the babysitter thinks the best way to do his or her job is to stick the kids in front of the TV until you get home. There is no doubt television has too much influence on many families, especially those involved in a divorce parenting class.
But there are many other ways, find something or some things that your child enjoys doing and he or she will play with toys, read, or play inside for hours--entertaining themselves without gazing blankly at a screen. There is a way to compromise how much TV your child watches. And there is no better reason than the simple fact their brains will develop more efficiently when such adjustments are made--and I am sure you will feel better about that.
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