a week before hubby went to ardeche, our tv went kaputt. that means, we have been televesion-free for the last three weeks now. oh yes, it’s possible! it probably sounds abnormal, but except for some snippets of news, we don’t watch much tv anyway. when the war in iraq broke and they keep playing the same stories on the beeb for months, i’ve lost appetite for televiewing. and besides, we’ve got to set good examples for jan, who has never sat in front of the tv ’til he reached age 2. currently, at nearly three, he watches on the average about half an hour tv a day before bedtime.

the american academy of pediatrics recommends that kids under 2 watch no television at all. dr armin krenz, a professor for psychology in kiel, germany, even goes to claim that there is no reason why a child should sit in front of the tv or pc before it reaches age 4. and now i come across another reason why children should stay away from the box. it’s not just a question of getting fat and increasing the likelihood of obesity; early on, children start leading a sedentary lifestyle, which can later on pose more health risks as they grow. more than these, what i worry about is what children are not doing when they are glued to teletubbies, barney and spongebob. there are so many things toddlers and young children should instead be doing. things that are crucial not only for their physical, but also for their social and mental development. it is sometimes sad how most parents would be enveloped in paranoia worrying whether their children’s physical development is up to par, but would be uninformed (or apathetic?) as to how crippling television could be to their kids’ mental development.

on the other hand, television can be used as a learning tool. but parents should increase their own awareness as to which programs and shows are relevant and suitable for their kids’ age group. much as it is tempting to use tv as a babysitter (and yes, i know what a temptation it is, having given in to it a number of times myself!), parents should be more proactive in forming the televiewing habits of their children. just because it’s cartoons or marketed as kid-friendly doesn’t mean it is suitable or recommended for all age groups. bob the builder, for example, is a character you ubiquitously find in children stuff, from milk bottles to pajamas, but parentcenter’s common sense review recommends it only for children 5 yrs and up.

oh well, the long and short of it is, we’ve replaced the kaputt tv. i’ve been lusting after a flat screen LCD i can hang on the wall to free up some space, but seeing how we (don’t) use it , we’ve settled for a cheap ersatz.

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