We all know how important it is to monitor our children’s screen time, but it is even more important to monitor WHAT they are watching! Children are so impressionable and use their schema, or background knowledge, to process, take new information in, and make decisions. Their schema as a toddler is built around what they see modeled for them by their parents, their environment,…. and the shows they watch! I have found proof of the positive and negative side affects of the time spend in front of the television in oldest son’s thoughts, words, and actions.
Positive Affects:
My three boys were in the childcare facility at the gym yesterday while I did a spin class. Afterwards, I asked my oldest son who is almost 4 how his time was there. He told me another boy that he didn’t know pushed him. I asked, “How did you respond? What did you do afterwards?” He said he told the other boy about Daniel Tiger and he should take a deep breath and count to 4! He then proceeded to tell me to invite that boy and his mommy over so we could watch Daniel Tiger together. My heart melted!
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a show on PBS that is based on the Neighborhood of Make-Believe from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. We all know how amazing that show and Mr. Rogers were, so this show takes it to the next level! Every episode is full of songs that stick with your child and help them process their feelings, emotions, events around them, and how to handle it. If you haven’t watched this show… DO IT RIGHT NOW!
Negative Affects:
When my oldest son when to daycare, his teacher asked me one day if he was watching any shows that had a lot of fighting or wrestling. They said he kept making a “PYOW! PYOW!” sound and tackling other kids in class. Wracking my brain, I remembered my husband had just started binge-watching the Star Wars cartoon with him! He was playing Jedi and pretending to fight with light sabers. Now, don’t get me wrong… this is amazing and we have real light sabers that we actually use for family Jedi-training sessions, but this wasn’t the best behavior to do in group play with children his size or younger. He didn’t know how to “turn it off..”
It’s All About Balance:
My almost 4 year old loves superheroes so we are not going to deny the occasional Lego Superhero cartoon, but I am going to balance that with shows that will help grow their emotional awareness and coping skills. PJ Masks has both components for him and countless other shows.
In the comment section, I’d love to hear which shows your children watch and what affects you have seen from their screen time!