The things that I remember most about my very early childhood don't include television or technology of any kind, because none of it existed. One of my clearest memories is sitting in front of a screen door watching my mother hang out clothes. This was a daily chore for her that took a very long time. I never remember being allowed to be in the yard with her. I think we had snakes due to our small cluster of chickens, so my mother probably felt that my sister and I were better off inside. Both of us also have memories of spending time in a playpen while our mother did her indoor chores. My mother never stopped. She made the energizer bunny look lazy. She did read to us and sang songs as she worked, but mostly I remember watching her work. My gosh, she would stand over the ironing board for the longest time making sure none of our clothes had wrinkles.
My mother would have probably loved educational television. It might have provided her with a little quiet time. My sister and I used to make up songs just to get our way. We sang them over and over again. My mother was tough, and we rarely got what we wanted, but we tried.
Getting a break from the kids is not the only reason to hook your kid up to technology. Some children under two are watching television a whole lot more than advised by pediatricians. A growing number of parents believe that the educational value offered by television is beneficial for their very young children.
About 40 percent of 3-month-olds watch television or videos for an average of 45 minutes a day, or more than five hours a week, according to the first-ever study of the viewing habits of children under the age of 2.
The study, by pediatric researchers at the University of Washington, also found that by age 2, 90 percent of children are watching television for an average of more than 90 minutes a day.
Such early exposure to screens can have a negative impact on an infant’s rapidly developing brain and put children at a higher risk for attention problems, diminished reading comprehension, and obesity, researchers said.
‘‘We have succeeded in convincing people that the first years are critical to brain development,’’ said Meltzoff, who is co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington. ‘‘The unfortunate consequence is that it has spun off to build a brainier baby enterprise, where people think they have to use technology to take advantage of this critical window."
At least, with DVR and TIVO, shows can be shortened so that the kids aren't watching commercials. When we first started watching television, Felix the Cat was big, and I don't think he taught us much. Okay, maybe I learned how to smile from him. Kidding aside, watching television does need to only be a small part of a child's day. It's much more fun to spend time doing things with them and listening to them laugh.