Kids
Maybe allowing the kids to watch TV isn’t that bad.
A variety of studies make us believe that good parents don’t allow their children to watch more than a millisecond of TV. However, this isn’t necessarily the case.
According to Jean Crawford, director of PBS Parents, if parents pre-screen shows and learn about their themes, they can help children actually use the programs as a jumping- off point to learning and discussion.
In addition to the content of the show itself, Crawford says parents can help their children become critical viewers by asking them questions, like how it made them feel or what they thought about it.
That kind of critical viewing is also helpful when it comes to commercials. “Discuss the reasons why there are commercials on TV and how advertising tries to get you to buy toys and other things,” says Stacy DeBroff, author of The Mom Book Goes to School. “Even toddlers can begin to acquire a skeptical, savvy approach to commercial messaging.”
But do parents worry too much about the TV thing? Staci Schoff, an Oregon mother who writes a blog called “A Mommy with an Attitude,” believes so. Schoff admits that, before she had children, she planned on strictly limiting the amount of TV she would let her future children watch. But then the reality of motherhood set in. Finding herself with two preschoolers under foot and no babysitter, she found solace in PBS.
“[Letting] children watch a little TV each day really makes me a better mom,” she says. “I find that most moms I talk to are relieved [when I tell them I let my boys watch TV]. They agree and pour out their hearts that they feel guilty about letting their children watch television. We all grew up watching TV, and we turned out OK!”
—Joanne Cronrath Bamberger
TV isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have in your entertainment repertoire. Here are some tips from the PBS Parents Guide to Children and Media that can help parents make TV watching a positive experience:
Tv Tips:
1. Be active viewers. Talk about the TV programs you watch: Who made the shows? What are the shows trying to say? How could they be different?
2. Question all sources of information. Think about how you know what you know: Is your view based on only one news show or magazine articles? Since every source has its own point of view, it’s best not to rely on just one
3. Be skeptical of advertisements. Ads promote more than products. Notice the unstated messages ads convey, such as what is beautiful or why something is desirable.
4. Speak out against stereotypes in the media. Have an ongoing talk with children about how certain people and cultures are shown in the media. What’s wrong with always showing cultures or genders the same limited way? Keep track of which groups are left out of television shows and movies.