What is Your New Year's Resolution?

As a new year approaches, many of us begin to think about making positive habits to improve our lives. No, this isn't about the latest diet fad or the best way to work exercise into your busy day. Instead I have decided to provoke your thinking about screen time in hopes that this resolution will be added to your list.  Screen time; the amount of and the content included, has been a hot topic of debate for educators and parents alike.  There are many assumptions that research debunks. You will be both surprised and motivated by the information shared.

The first assumption by well intentioned parents is that content that is labeled educational is good for young children.  If you switch the channels of the television you will be inundated by children's programming claiming to be such. If the program teaches something  it must be fine; right?  Not necessarily.  The educational value of the program depends on two things:

1.  Is the information presented in a manner that is developmentally appropriate for your child?

2.  Does your child have the ability to comprehend the information in order to learn from it?

Children learn through repetition. They also make connections when the learning is in a meaningful context.  Watching a show about friendship and what it means to be a friend doesn't result in kind interactions between peers.  This result comes from repeated interactions along with the support from adults who can guide their play. Children learn the concept of friendship in the context of  interactions and they will connect positive behaviors and friendly words when they see and hear them repeatedly. You will know that they've learned when you observe them apply the  ideas of friendship in a new situation.

The next assumption is that the television is just background noise and that it doesn't affect children.  A study by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst looked at how children interacted with toys; both with and without the television playing in the room. The results were that the noise and the picture flashes of the T.V. acted as a distraction for children; causing them to lose focus and move from one toy to another.  The study also found that while the television is on, the amount of time that parents spent interacting with their children decreased 21%.  As a parent to adult children who grew up before the blink of my eye I can tell you to turn off the T. V.!

Finally, the last assumption  is that scary T. V. shows or movies just go above the children's heads.  Content made for adults won't be understood by young children and therefore there is  nothing to worry about...

Pediatrics reported  research that found exposure to violent television programming resulted in sleep problems for  young children.  At their stage of development, sleep is critical; impacting growth and cognitive development.  A program implemented to remove the viewing of violent content by young children positively correlated to a decrease in sleep problems.

This concern recently became real in a classroom filled with young viewers of The Walking Dead. As we observed the children acting out zombie scenes, we knew that this disturbing play was the result of children trying to make sense of the violent content that they were both too immature and too inexperienced to watch. Exposure to violent T. V.; beit The Walking Dead or a newscast reporting on violence, can affect the social-emotional growth and regulation of young children in addition to reducing their well needed sleep.

Less screen time is a win-win.   This results in more quality time together learning in meaningful contexts and learning from you. When you do decide to flip on the television, sit with your child and view together. Talk about what is happening, the way it makes you feel, what you have learned and relate the content to real-life experiences to help connections between what they are seeing and what they already know.  They grow up so fast; enjoy every minute...

By the way, my resolution  is to use less cliches.

Happy New Year!

Which Toy? Why?

Tis the season of gift giving! While it sounds like fun, giving gifts comes with a lot of stress; especially when thinking about just the right toy for a child.  When my boys were young, I would consider dozens of toys before deciding on the winner. While some of my choices were hits , I have to admit that I've spent my good money on many items that were quickly disregarded and then discarded.

As my boys have grown into men, gift cards are always a sure bet. They are useful but have lost the glitz and glamour of a large colorfully wrapped box.  While I do my best to decorate the pieces of plastic to look as special as their recipients,  in the end they are lackluster. Despite my children growing up, this time of year always brings toys to mind.

Go into any store at this time of year and you are inundated with toys; big toys, small toys, colorful toys and the like. As a parent who has a hard time making up her mind, this can be overwhelming!  Sensory overload is just a piece of the stress, many questions flood my mind as I agonize over choosing just the right toy to gift to a child:

 1.  Is the toy going to be safe?  Are the pieces too small to pose a choking hazard for a toddler?  Are there any sharp pieces? Strings that could cause strangulation concerns?  Lead paint?  Will the toy break easily?  Has the toy been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission?

2.Will the toy provide any fun for the child?  Does it move, surprise or otherwise entertain?

3.  Is it age appropriate?  Will the skills needed to interact with the toy correlate to my child's skill set?

4.  Is the toy any good?  Is it well-designed, easy to manipulate, open-ended and appealing?

5.  Will this toy provide my child with opportunities to think, be creative and practice a skill?

6.  Does the toy perpetuate any stereotypes or biases?  Is it violent?  Are there any other negative traits associated with it?

7. Is the toy durable? Can it be thrown without shattering into pieces or at least be washed when needed?


While this list of questions isn't exhaustive it does give me reason to pause and scratch my head!  How did my children's toy room end up like it did with all of these questions that needed to be answered before  the purchase of a toy? 

Lucky for you I've found a solution. Dr. Toy!  She is one of the nation's leading experts on toys and she has been generous with her knowledge. To check out Dr. Auerbach's list of awards, please visit the link below:

                                             http://www.drtoy.com/

Happy gift giving season!