Should Toddlers Watch Television?
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Dr Carol Cooper answers whether toddlers should watch television or not.
Should Toddlers Be Watching Television?
Television is a passive medium. Your child will not learn anywhere near as much from television as he will from hands on learning and interaction.
From the age of two to three-years old your child should watch a maximum of half an hour of television or DVDs a day.
Some television programmes can have educational benefits, but watching too much will make your child restless. Prolonged TV watching can also affect his posture, fitness and impair his social skills.
Choose television programmes carefully. Cartoons can seem appealing for young children but some cartoons are meant for much older children. They may have themes your pre-schooler will not understand and may also include storylines that he can find scary, like monsters. Always watch a programme through first to make sure it is suitable. Even a friendly looking ghost can be scary to your pre-schooler and could lead to nightmares.
How to limit the amount of television your child watches
Letting your child choose one or two television programmes that he wants to watch each day will help him to understand that there is a limit to how much television he is allowed to watch each day.
Sitting with your child and watching the television programme together can increase the benefits of the programme as it allows you to point out colours, ask questions and continue to interact with your child. You will then be able to distract him at the end of the show by suggesting that you play a game or read a book together.
Dr Carol Cooper, General Practitioner
Author of Baby and Child – Your questions answered
10661 Revised November 2012
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