PlayIsTheWork.com

When I read this article I wanted to stand up and cheer, figure out this woman’s email so I could congratulate her on her honesty until I realized it was written by a “him”–a dad! “How guilt-ridden parents can live with the TV” is a frank and honest assessment of what it’s like to live in the real world with two kids, oh and having to occasionally work on the side while caring for them. I guess I really shouldn’t have been surprised that this was written a dad—we moms have such a hard time admitting we’re not “perfect” and to suggest that we sometimes use the television as a tool to free up time and space would certainly make us “less than.” 

I know I’ve shared my bias directly and often with you about the controversy surrounding young children being exposed to television. And it’s not that I agree with the free pass he’s given himself in this article for his dependency. For instance, the Kaiser Family Foundation recently came out with a report that states “one fifth of children under the age of 2 have a television in their bedroom” – he admits, his child is in that category. When I first read this statistic in the report I’ll admit, I was horrified. To my thinking—there’s really no reason for a two year old to have their own TV. As a matter of fact, I remember having my children at a play date when they were about 2 and the little boy they were playing with not only had his own TV but a full Xboc set up as well. He was not yet 3! It’s not fair to expect a 2 year old to self regulate and yet that’s the position they find themselves in. 

What I do agree with is his assessment of how to “live with it” –that means the device and the guilt. He speaks of moderation and monitoring. This seems like common sense and yet why do so many parents live at the extreme other end of the spectrum? I hear all the time, “NO TV” (of course this is mainly the answer from friends I have with only one child) and when I ask why the answer is always “well, I don’t want myself or my child to become dependent on it.” Or, “I heard it wasn’t good for them.” This makes no sense to me. Do you ever have a glass of wine? Are you an alcoholic? No. It’s true, some of you may be but that’s usually not from drinking too much—it’s a disease. The same logic seems like it should apply. We are the grown ups and the ones who decide what, when and how much. A little of something, a healthy balance is sometimes what I need to get through the day. Some days are more challenging than others and I don’t recommend, no matter how hard you hit the wall, sitting you’re tot down in front of the tube for hours on end. But for me, on those days, a little down time goes a long way. I can come back after a brief break more enthused, engaged and ready to be with my children again. The other point he makes is ensuring that the content is developmentally appropriate. There is a difference between good content and bad content at any age. The view of my company, Braincandy, is that it is strictly your choice whether you expose your child to television. Some of you choose not to and I completely respect and understand that point of view. But for the others who are utilizing this device, they should have choice of good, enriching content that take a more organic approach to learning and entertainment. That what we’re all about and I hope you’ll give us a try.  In the meantime, let’s try not to be so hard on ourselves and realize that our children’s lives, we hope, is a long journey with many milestones along the way. Tackling this issue might be one of the first but certainly not the last.  

 

 

Posted on August 2nd, 2006 by Sam
Filed under: Uncategorized