TV And Your Kids

Ever ball over a TV movie? I don’t know if I can get through a week of watching Lifetime Movies without having a good cry. The good kind of cry because you have just watched or witnessed something that stirs you up on the inside or simply melts your heart. So crying over TV is not new to me. But what was new to me was the recent crying spree I had while watching a TV movie.

My daughter was in the room playing at the time and she glanced at the screen while the two main characters shared a kiss during a wedding scene. My daughter immediately ran over to me and grabbed my face and gave me a kiss. She then ran over to her dad and did the same thing. It was such a sweet and innocent thing to do. But I found myself crying not over this beautiful moment but crying over the other moments that may come across my screen.

This was a powerful reminder of the impact that television can have on children. Now let’s be clear I’m a fan of TV. I know of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that kids under the age of two should not watch any television. Yep. None, nada, not even a little. While I understand that there is great reasoning behind this, for me limited television viewing can actually be a plus. My daughter has surprised me on so many occasions with things that she has learned from watching television, from phrases in other languages to even getting up and moving. My daughter loves to dance any time music comes on her favorite shows. We routinely engage my daughter in interactive videos that teach her everything from reading to counting and she has responded well.

But this experience has shown me the importance of monitoring her television viewing. I cried because I knew that my child would inevitably see drinking, smoking, violence, foul language and inappropriate sexual situations on television. And it will have an impression. As a Mom, this is a heart breaking fact.  But the fact is that TV is a tool that we can use to our advantage. For me, I am okay with my child being entertained by television on occasion. I think it is extremely beneficial when my child is educated by TV. But the education I want her to learn from TV is about the ABC’s, leave the birds and the bees to me.

What are your thoughts about kids and tv?