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Some preschoolers in home-based daycares spend as many as two hours a day in front a television, according to a study that was the focus of an Associated Press article last week.
Seventy-percent of the home daycares and 36 percent of the centers acknowledged that they allow children to watch TV, DVDs and videos on a daily basis.
Babies and toddlers up to the age of 2 shouldn’t be watching any television, advised the American Academy of Pediatrics. Older children should have a daily limit of one to two hours.
The study, which surveyed 168 licensed child care programs in Michigan, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts, found that preschoolers in home-based day cares watch an average of 2.4 hours of TV. In comparison, those in centers spend about 24 minutes in front of the tube. The toddler average was 1.6 hours in home care and about 6 minutes in centers.
Instead of watching TV, children should spend their time being read to, playing outside, talking with other children and playing with blocks and other toys, advised Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle and a researcher at the University of Washington. Any time that a TV is on, kids don’t talk as much and are less likely to interact with adults.
What do you think? Is it OK for daycare centers to let children watch TV? How much television do your kids watch on a daily basis?
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kaydawn on December 07 at 3:45 p.m.
I believe there are alot of quality television programs available. There are also alot of quality DVDs or VHS programs.Compared to sitting around all day playing video games and game boys or on line games. Spending hours on the computer playing games and facebook. In fairness- lets compare these programs and types of media to the use of exercise videos and programs which adult use. Exercise videos-and or programs - for children and adults are bad? I remember my children watching Disney programs in the 80’s which had them up and dancing and moving and singing. They are involved in music now as adults. Shows which show how to resolve conflict- oh , that must be bad.There were and are programs and cartoons I don’t care like. Like most things- there must be some thought given to what will be watched- not the amount of time spent watching the program. Maybe the people who are writing these studies are spending too much time on their laptops instead of communicating with real people. Just a thought