A break from other electronic devices is also called for, especially in the child’s bedroom. The AAP recommends a media-free room and reducing the time spent watching TV, playing video games, watching videos, surfing the Internet and playing computer games.
So what about educational television for preschoolers? "Barney and Friends," "Sesame Street," "Arthur," and the latest PBS hit, "Teletubbies," are all promoted as “educational” television. In fact, "Teletubbies," which originally appeared in Britain and features toddler-like creatures with televisions in their bellies, is the only show directly aimed at children under 2 years old.
Dr. Miriam Bar-On, Chair of Committee on Public Education for the AAP, Assoc Prof. of Pediatrics at the Louisiana State Univ. School of Medicine has said, "Most PBS programs are very good, just not for kids under 2.
" The purpose behind the recommendation is simple: Get parents to spend more time interacting with their babies and toddlers and less time using TV as a babysitter. But some parents may argue that the educational shows are just as beneficial. Even if parents are monitoring time spent in front of the TV, supervising what their kids are watching and co-viewing everything, it still isn’t as stimulating as, say, reading a book or playing a game.
Children undergo rapid brain development in the first two years of life. Vital connections in the brain are made during this period that can shape the way a child learns, interacts and responds to everyday life.
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