SOCIAL MEDIA

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Why Screen Time is OK in Our House

If you're a parent, chances are you've read an article or two about how screen time is harmful for children under two.  I'm sure you've also spoken to parents who swear that their TV is always turned off when their children are around.

In our house, we allow screen time to a degree.  Scarlett's favorite show is Sesame Street and she's learned so much from it and loves all of the characters.  You don't realize how much your child picks up from a show until they show you.  Just this morning she was watching it and The Count came on and he was talking about the number eight.  Scarlett repeated the number eight and was very pleased with herself.  I can also thank Sesame Street for helping Scarlett to know some of her ABC's, color's, and shapes.  I'm sure since the show debuted I'm one of millions of parents that can applaud the show for helping to teach their child.



The only other show that Scarlett watches is Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.  This show teaches life lessons like sharing, doing the right thing, apologizing when you're wrong, trying new foods, and any other lessons that toddlers can relate to.  It's a cute show and Scarlett enjoys it.

We try to limit her to watch only two or three 30 minute shows a day.  Sometimes it's more depending on if I have work to do or if I'm cooking or cleaning.  I always make sure to limit how much she watches and ensure it's not too much. My husband and I read a lot to Scarlett to make sure she builds her vocabulary and is taught by books too. 

Another great resource that we implement is YouTube videos.  Scarlett has a favorite series from Busy Beavers which teaches numbers, shapes, colors, ABC's, and nursery rhymes.  She requests to watch it frequently and absolutely loves it.  It's been very beneficial and I know she's learned a lot from it.  Scarlett does not use my phone and I don't have any apps downloaded on it for her. 

I don't see any problem with a child watching online videos or shows when it's kept to a minimum. It's very hard to completely shelter a child from TV and I don't think it's necessarily a good thing. Scarlett is a happy, healthy toddler who is learning everything she needs to know in a fun and relatable way.  

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