Busy as working mom at home, i let my 3 years old girl watch tv all day long. She's ussually for educational channels and i can see she's learning a lot. The downside is she dont want to do anything else but to watch tv all day long unlike other kids that loves to play around. What can i do?

We cannot deny the fact that educational programs are good for your kids, but kid's are kid's. Give them time to play. There should be time to watch tv and time to play. Spending few minutes of your time to play with your baby will not be too much. This can also served as your bonding moment.

We cannot deny the fact that educational programs are good for your kids, but kid's are kid's. Give them time to play. There should be time to watch tv and time to play. Spending few minutes of your time to play with your baby will not be too much. This can also served as your bonding moment.

This is something that I tried to do with my nieces and nephews. I bought them interactive actual physical games based on their favorite tv shows. I found that it made them turn away from the tv and do "old school" games, and at the same time, keeping elements of their tv idols, like dora, backyardigans, etc

You can gradually cu your kids tv time and have them read books and play interactive toys.

I still believe that TV is good for kids, as long as you monitor what they watch and that you set a specific number of hours that you let them watch. Books and games no longer hold much attention for kids, but still try and set a certain number of hours that you let them read and that you play with them

TV can be good or bad for your child depending on the program that she's watching. Just make sure that even you're busy, you can guide your child. Spend a little hour of yours doing other things, you can play with her, read books together or if your time can afford, walk aroud a little.

prettyangel - 09 October 2008 02:19 AM

Busy as working mom at home, i let my 3 years old girl watch tv all day long. She's ussually for educational channels and i can see she's learning a lot.

You know, it really depends on what they watch and what impact it has on her. Since you said that she is learning a lot, then I don't see any problems with it.

My niece watches TV a lot too, and she learned Spanish (third language) out of watching TV.

HealthWealth - 09 October 2008 03:15 AM

We cannot deny the fact that educational programs are good for your kids, but kid's are kid's. Give them time to play. There should be time to watch tv and time to play. Spending few minutes of your time to play with your baby will not be too much. This can also served as your bonding moment.

I agree most educational programs are good for the kids to watch. In your case, your child is only three yrs old what happens when he/she has to start school?
IMO, there should be a scheduled time for homework, reading, playtime, bath and bedtime. I also believe that parents should make time to bond with their kids, family time. I too was a single working parent and I understand how hard it is but don't find yourself " wondering where time went " or looking at your child(ren) and thinking " gosh they have gotten so big ".

I’m also a mother of 2 kids and I have noticed lately that there are no more educational TV shows for kids. They always watch cartoon series that do not have moral lessons. I try to tell them to watch Sesame Street but they don’t like that anymore.

prettyangel - 09 October 2008 02:19 AM

Busy as working mom at home,
i let my 3 years old girl watch tv all day long.

@prettyangel - you made a nursery rhyme! LOL!

But I get your point. Your girl is 3 years old, she needs more human interaction as possible to improve her social skills.

I also buy some kid’s video so that they can watch more of that instead of TV programs. To prevent our kids of watching violent and pornographic programs, we should put a filter or block those channels.

I can’t limit my kid on watching TV. How do you limit your kids?

I think you’re not being strict to your kid. You need to talk to them and give them an alternative thing to do like reading so that they could change their attention from watching too much TV.

Thanks for the reply mango. I’m strict with my kid but he is too hard headed I ended up spanking him. I will try your suggestion about giving him books to read.

You know, spanking your kid is not an effective way to use on this situation. Instead it could worsen the problem. Better to talk to them in a mild and gentle way and persuade them on watching TV and read books.

mangobango - 31 May 2009 08:19 PM

You know, spanking your kid is not an effective way to use on this situation. Instead it could worsen the problem. Better to talk to them in a mild and gentle way and persuade them on watching TV and read books.

I agree with you mango. Don't spank your kid becasue it will not help at all and make your kid hard headed. Talk to them in a low tone vocie and explain why you don't want them to those things.

This is not case that you are spoiling your kids. Spanking can cause trauma when they grow up. It’s also listed as one of the grounds of getting child abuse case.

Thanks for the information you have given me. Now, my kid is reading books instead of watching tv.

krissy08 - 21 June 2009 04:57 PM

Thanks for the information you have given me. Now, my kid is reading books instead of watching tv.

Good to hear that your child is reading books instead of watching TV. You can also permit him to watch good TV shows like cartoons and educational shows

He still watches cartoons and some educational TV programming. My main concern is for him to read a lot than TV or video games.