By Dr. Mary Burke
Many parents are reasonably concerned that excessive television and general "screen time" (computer games, video-games, videos and movies) contribute to a number of childhood problems, including aggression, obesity and consumerism. Parents may want to curtail screen time, but may not be sure what alternatives exist. This article helps parents through the process of staking out some "Un-TV time" in the daily family routine.
For some parents who may be thinking, "I watched TV, and I'm fine," the first step is to think of screen time not as an inalienable right, but as a guilty pleasure – like candy or soda. A little bit won't cause lasting harm, but steady consumption is unhealthy for children, and responsible parents should curtail it.
The second step is to recognize the pattern of high TV use in the home. For most families, there tend to be three peaks of high use.
- In the morning before school. Starting a busy day off with TV watching can be very problematic. It almost always results in a fight trying to get out the door. It can also start off a child's day in a passive frame of mind. Kids can sleep, eat breakfast, make their beds, or talk to their parents. They don't need to turn on the TV before school.
- The hour before dinner. If the family is just gathering after being apart all day, you may have to devote some time to re-uniting. Stanley Greenspan M.D. recommends "floor-time", twenty to forty minutes of non-distracted play between parent and child(ren), before you move on to the evening's tasks.
- Saturday and Sunday Mornings. Ok, this may be the time to indulge in guilty pleasures, but make sure you pick your children's shows carefully! Some shows are really violent, while others feature such unattractive, mean, stupid grown-ups that you have to wonder whether the creators had miserable childhoods, or are selling the idea to youngsters that grown-ups are irrelevant. But if you want to hold the line, any of the activities listed below are still good substitutes for the screen.
The third step is to come up with good alternative activities that are appropriate to a child's developmental stage. The TV habit generally starts young. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a statement that children two and under should have minimal or no exposure to visual electronic media. Some of the following activities can be adapted for toddlers, but parents must use common sense for all of the following. These activities are generally appropriate for pre-schoolers.
PARENT TIP: Children who are not watching television require more parental supervision. Parents need to supervise all the following activities appropriately.
ENERGETIC ACTIVITIES
Jumping and Bouncing Turn an old mattress or futon into a trampoline and allow children to jump on it, wrestle, or even "sky-dive" from a sturdy bench or chair. Mini-trampolines, with or without a handlebar, can be cheaply purchased from big toy-stores, sporting-goods stores, toy catalogues and OT/PT catalogues (for clinicians). Big bouncy balls with handles, for sitting on and bouncing, are also available at the same sources. Jump rope. Turn on some music, and let kids dance wildly on the mattress.
Throwing If a family lives in a house with stairs, have children practice throwing soft objects such as stuffed animals up the stairs, as high as possible. Have a child at the top to catch. Throw a whiffle ball up the stairs and try to catch it as it bounces down.
SOOTHING ACTIVITIES
Water There are many creative ways to get a child involved in water play, without damaging the floors too much. A cheap "splashy pool" on the floor protects it, then inside put a big basin of warm, soapy water. Fill it with plastic toys, boats, ducks etc. Or have the child "wash" plastic kitchen items with a sponge and brush. (You can put a child at the sink for this, as well.) If all seems desperate, plop the children in the bath and let them play there while you watch them.
Sand Make your own sand tray by filling a large, sturdy plastic container with about one-inch's depth of sand or rice, and figurines: animals, people, action figures, natural objects etc. This is only appropriate for children over three, who will not put small objects in their mouth. (You can purchase a sand tray plus cover from Sand tray companies for about $190, which is a lot cheaper than a lifetime of Game Boy programs.)
Clay, play-doh, etc. Sit your child at the counter or his own little work table with one of the above and some cookie cutters, a toy rolling-pin, muffin tins etc. and let him "help make dinner." Again, small figurines can be used to create stories in the clay. Make "Flubber"—a scary mixture of borax and Elmer's glue, colored with food dye that is very satisfying to handle. Recipe: Mix one cup of Elmer's glue with one cup of water, add food coloring and mix well. Dissolve borax in a small amount of hot water, and then add to glue mixture and stir. Repeat this last step until mixture gels. It will have a rubbery, Silly-Putty like feel, but less elastic. Do not let children eat this!!
HELPING ACTIVITIES
Get children in the habit early, of doing chores. They may scream and moan, but they feel good about their accomplishments. Don't worry about results; it's the process we want to encourage. Some chores are fun for children: sorting and putting away silverware; washing (above); making place cards for the table; sweeping. Five year olds and up can peel and cut vegetables, with adult supervision.
OLD FASHIONED GAMES
Blocks, puzzles, wooden toys, drawing, etc. Encourage children's use of non-"interactive" toys. This gives them the chance to develop their own imaginations, rather than consuming the ideas of marketers.
STORY-TELLING
Don't be intimidated. Small children can listen endlessly to old saws that everyone knows: Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Ridinghood, etc. Tell them stories about your childhood. With a little practice, you can keep small children entranced and still cook.
NON-SCREEN MEDIA
Let them listen. Children can be kept entertained by story tapes, show-tunes and age-appropriate music. Auditory media do not seem to have the same addictive capacity in young children that the visual electronic media have.
ACTIVITES FOR OLDER CHILDREN
By this age, children should be able to fill their time independently, but if they need help getting started, there are: Lego, brain-teaser books, games, drawing, helping prepare dinner, reading books, talking to parents, and, oh yeah, homework.
REMINDER FOR PARENTS
The house may be a lot noisier when the television is off. Don't be alarmed if small children become engrossed in what one friend of mine calls "psycho-house games." Really, these weird make-believe games are developmentally appropriate and are, in fact, healthy. Sometimes the crucial step in becoming an un-TV house is just tolerating the general aggravation that rowdy children create.
Edgewood's Dr. Mary Burke is one of the nation's leading child psychiatrists.
