Getting Real with Shadra Bruce

Sometimes as a parent you just can’t handle another episode on the Baby TV channel or Nick Jr. We’ve all been there, switching over to something else — anything else — even for just a half hour or so. You may think that your little one is not affected by dramatic episodes of CSI or Law & Order, but they are catching more than you think.

It is true that infants and toddlers do not understand a lot of the adult television that they may be exposed to. However, infants and toddlers are wired to take in amazing amounts of information, including your favorite TV show that may not be developmentally appropriate. Even as early as toddlerhood, children begin to form ideas about the world and what is in it. Knowing that, a dinosaur singing the alphabet is likely more preferable than a violent crime scene.

Something I didn’t know about children’s television programming is that they are mandated by federal law to be educational (if only the same was true for shows targeted at adults!!) Since your child is attending to everything around them all the time, offering the most educational environment possible can only help. It is a crucial time for learning and development, and when you combine educational television with parental support you’ve got a recipe for future success.

Of course, we all have days where we’re grateful to Dora and Boots (or whatever show is popular these days) for giving us a break, but play time and physical activity are more beneficial to infant and toddler development.

If you’ve got a show you’re dying to watch, it is probably best to wait until nap time.