Raising a Low Media Child
Kids absorb everything parents do. Therefore if your life revolves around TV or screens its almost certain that the little one also, being raised in a high media environment will take to it like a fish in water.
My challenge is certainly not TV, as I haven’t watched regular TV in 7 years (except maybe the Wimbledon and some sporting events). But since I lived on my laptop pre baby, it’s hard to let go of that. My writing has reduced as N stays awake a lot more than before. I rather not spend time on the laptop or iPad when he is around (which is most of the time).
In spite of the minimal exposure to TV – say about 20 minutes of TV every 3 or 4 days – he still points to the TV asking for it to be switched on the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. I do have some iPad apps, which I’ve downloaded just for him, which I show him once in awhile. Therefore as soon as he sees me on the iPad he makes a beeline and settles on my lap hoping he will get to watch the good stuff and then gets upset when I put it away.
I’ve heard stories from other parents where their 14, 15, 16, month old can manipulate the iPad or the iPhone with ease. Luckily my 15 month old cannot and is pretty clueless around technology and I plan to keep it that way for as long as I can.
Here’s how I plan to do it:
1) Little or no adult TV watching around the toddler. My husband and I watch a movie once in awhile in the night once the little one is tucked in. Other than that my husband puts on the TV on Sundays and watches some news or cricket but that’s about it.
2) No screens as distraction: We don’t encourage iPad or TV while eating as a distraction. IF he does need some distraction at times, I will tell stories, make funny faces, sing, and dance. But not TV. Apart from meal times, I don’t even use TV as a distraction just to get him out of my way. When I put on a nursery rhymes DVD for instance we watch it together, I sing to him and point out things therefore making it an interactive experience.
3) No toys with batteries. N has almost no toys that do things with a push of a button. I firmly believe the more active the toy the less active the child and vice versa. Therefore his toys are the kind that he has to manipulate in order to make them work. The exception being a train that goes around a track.
4) Books are cool: Books for me are what television is for many. So I use up all my spare time reading. When N wakes from his nap and catches me enjoying a book, he thinks they are the coolest. We have a favourite corner where we read for almost 40 minutes every afternoon and he fetches his favourites these days.
5) Spending time outdoors: The other day somebody said to my husband – your son is always downstairs. I suppose I’m guilty as charged. Since we live on the first floor he goes down very often with my help just to kick around a ball and burn up some of that toddler energy. He is tired and active and cannot spend much time in one place even if I do want to put on a DVD for him once in awhile.
I do understand that if you’re a fan of television its unfair for you or others in your household to give up for the sake of children. But until the child learns that this is mom and dads tv watching time, and I should play in my room, I do believe that you lose some to win some. In this case the win is creating good habits at a young age and ensuring that you’re not going to let your child grow into an inactive couch potato.
Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear what steps other parents have taken to make sure that you have a child who is not drawn towards multimedia at an excessively young age!
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nice!! this is my plan too..lets see how it goes…hubby and I are not crazy on the media like ipad, ipod and other stuff…some kids parents tell me ipad is the first thing I shud have on my baby list..seriously!! i hope not…i wont make promises but will try to change that….
Dont believe them! The only purpose those apps serve is so that the little one is distracted while the parent gets things done. but the parent will feel awful if you tell them that and so they use the words ‘educational’. its sad really.
Hey Aloka,
Just stumbled across your blog and have been glued to it for the better part of the past hour. I am just beginning to awaken to the Paleo way of living mostly because recently my body seems to be getting intolerant to gluten and diary. It certainly hard to give up things like bread but its great to have the knowledge that its not impossible to replace them.
I had so much fun reading through the blog and there are so many things that we have similar thoughts about. I really try and curb TV time with my daughter and trust me it gets harder as they get a little bit older. But luckily the first two years of my daughters life have been relatively TV free. And you are right, it probably has to do with how much TV the parents watch.
Just linked up with you FB page and hopefully will read more of you 🙂
Hey shefali. Sorry I took awhile to reply. Have had a look at your blogs it’s a really fun read. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I so agree with this! My son is 2 now! And I am glad he cannot even stand the TV for 30 seconds! He watches the iPad when I have no energy to run during meal times! it never lasts for more than 2 minutes! and it can never happen more than twice a week!
Me and my husband watch movies or tv after his bed time! but through the day he is only playing with his toys and none of his toys resemble or are gadgets.
Its very difficult but then i guess its better that way than to make him a couch potato!
Hi archana. Yes that’s a good move. People really get carried away with toys and gadgets and media and it just seems so artificial in young hands.
Brilliant ! Very well said dear ! Many (modern)moms these days are seen giving their young kids iphones and what not just so that the child sit calmly in a place and won’t disturb them. I wish they read this post and gain some sense.
Thanks shreya.the less the child has, the more he or she will use her imagination and be able to spend time with herself. the less bored and restless he or she will be all the time.
when i see fellow mum who say no to gadgets it feels good …people call me wierd so someone else is also wierd( pun intended) ….i have got a smart phone which used just to call and sms …can u believe it im a total bummer wth mobiles and i got it because my son used to fiddle wth teh buttons and wiser wth teh 2nd she has been told not to touch it!!!wth my daughter its all recyled stuff and minimum resource so that they get bored and fine inovative way themselves to play with existing things …he learnt no with car number plates !!!
Sudha thats great! I dont understand parents who sends kids as young as two and 3 to summer classes etc. Don’t they know that boredom is a good thing? it is important to be bored in order to have imagination, to create.
Frankly we are wierd. We’re definitely not the norm, but we should be !
I am a gadget freak. But I make sure I am gadget free as much as possible around my toddler.
Hi
Nice blog! I haven’t made up my mind about paleo lifestyle ( I love my dairy products), but I can certainly see a similarity in out thoughts regarding tv. My baby is 7mo right now and I am dead against showing hee screen of any kind.. But it becomes almost impossible to maintain this when we have grandparents glued 24*7 to the tv set, saas bahu saga.. And feel,that mindless entertainment is needed.. humph!!
I don’t like the idea of showing nursery rhymes videos as i believe it will be spoon feeding and the kids don’t use their imagination anymore.. Very very difficult when thoughtless stupid people tell you that you are the one who is stupid!!! hmm.. Need to find a way out.
Hi Meghna. You can eat dairy products if you are paleo. Specially the ones higher in fat like ghee butter cheese etc.
With regards to TV time, try and do things with the lo in another room while TV is going on make it like reading time or build blocks etc. with regards to nursery rhymes etc you need to follow your own instincts on this one. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re doing it wrong specially when you have your own solid reasoning. Good luck !