Letting your baby watch television? Is it good or bad for the baby?
Can the baby watch television – A big debate is going on! Well, we are living in a fast paced world, where many moms could not find adequate time to spend with the baby! Busy moms find television as a great resort to make their naughty babies rest in a single place! Although it is not a healthy practice, watching television has some benefits for the babies.
What are the benefits of babies watching television?
Entertainment and enjoyment:
Television is undoubtedly a great source of entertainment and relaxation, even for the babies. Eat, play, sleep, cry, etc are the routine of the babies. Watching television gives a new sort of entertainment to the babies. For instance, watching the kids’ education program, cartoons, etc. If you could not find the any other resort to calm down your baby, make the little one watching the favorite program calms the naughty baby.
Exposure and Education:
Television brings everything home! Many parents consider that through various programs, it is possible to educate and expose the children to various aspects. Splash of colors, various cultures, people, animals, birds, places, etc. can be seen in the TV screen.
When it comes of drawbacks in watching television, one reason interrelates and impact with others! How televisions affect your baby?
Delayed Speech:
The major disadvantage of babies’ watching television is – delayed speech. Babies watching television could not pick up language soon! While language development and speech is influenced by many reasons from genetic factors to lack of attention and conversation with the babies, watching television is one of the major reasons.
Besides, there is a hidden reason behind the delayed speech with watching television. If you and your baby watch television, you obviously have lesser or reduced communication or interaction with the baby.
You may argue that the TV actually ‘talks’ to your baby, yet, the kids are attracted by the images, videos, movements and colors rather than what is spoken!
Addiction and Lack of attention on other activities:
Watching television several hours a day makes your baby addicted towards it! Even elderly people get addicted towards TV programs. If you are addicted to something, then you don’t obviously concentrate on other important things. For instance, if you are addicted to a certain TV show, you will skip all other crucial aspects, even food! Your babies are not exceptional. It becomes very difficult to make your baby concentrate on other things.
Lack of physical activity:
Watching TV, although is a sort of entertainment for babies; it doesn’t involve any physical activity. The babies may sit or lie down and watch TV for several hours a day, which impact the growth, rather make the babies lazy! If this habit continues, your baby will become a potato couch in a few years. Needless to say that lack of activities makes them obese!
Impacts the mental growth:
You can really raise a smart and intelligent kid if you let your kid watch TV all the times. Babies creative mind and thinking will be at its peak up to 5 years of age. Watching television eats up their interactive time, which impacts the brain development!
Although there is no direct relationship with watching TV and child’s mental growth, instead of television, you can engage your child in creative activities, which will help them bring out their hidden smartness, spice-up their knowledge, make them more creative.
So, what is the solution? Consider the disadvantages of letting your babies watch television. Watching TV for one or two hours (not in a single stretch) does no harm to your baby. Make sure that your baby gets adequate exposure to other factors mentioned above.
