Here is What the Experts Say
According to the American Pediatric Association, kids below 2 years of age should not watch TV. This is because the first 2 years of a kid’s life are important for the growth and development of the brain. During this time, kids must play, explore, and interact with people. This helps the learning process and enhances physical and social development. Watching TV might get in your child’s way of playing and exploring the world and can negatively affect early brain development. Your decision on allowing TV viewing or not can help establish healthy lifestyle habits for the future.
A few suggestions on the matter:
Games to play with your baby if he or she wants to watch TV:
• Offer your baby toys that make different noises or toys of different colours and sizes.
• Look at pictures in a magazine or at photos of friends and family.
- You are the role model. Limit the TV time in the house. If the TV is always on, your baby is surely going to get hooked on to it, now or later.
- Do not use TV to distract your child from other situations or to stop your child from crying.
- Do not allow TV watching while feeding your baby.
- Instead of watching TV, take your baby outside and play together.
- Arrange for play dates with babies of his or her age.
- Buy attractive baby picture books and read them with your baby.
- ide objects - Take a small object and place it under a cup. Allow your baby to look under the cup and act surprised when your baby finds the object.
- Put on some good music and dance.
- Play puppet games and enact voices of animals and family members.
- Simply sit together as a family and chat. Involve your baby by talking and laughing together.
- In case there is an elder sibling in the house and you can’t completely stop your baby from watching TV, try and limit the TV time.
Baby videos are available in the market. But they cannot be compared to the personal interaction that your baby can have with you or other family members.
Remember, healthy habits are rooted in childhood! Give time and effort to grow up your little one. Don’t go the easy way!!
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