Most toddlers have short attention spans and will, thankfully, limit their own television watching. Unhealthy habits can form when kids get too much TV. The general rule is for a child to view no more than 30 minutes of television a day. Even educational programming counts against this time.
Educational programming does provide great information, but most toddlers will learn these skills in due time without having to watch it on television. Experts say that kids, who watch more than 30 minutes of TV a day, are developing sedentary lifestyle habits, which will be hard to overcome when they get older.
Also, some experts say television taxes the sensory system of young children. The child can get very tired watching TV because it requires so much of their sensory process. While the adult can relax and use TV to wind down, the young child’s immature system will get a workout as he concentrates to:
*Hold his head up
*Focus his eyes
*Listen to the sounds
*Process the images
That’s a lot to ask of a little one. While the TV can be a convenient babysitter at times, the parent or caregiver will pay for it later in the day when his child is irritable.
Keeping a schedule and planning your work around your toddler’s sleep schedule will help cut down on the amount of work you will need to accomplish during her waking hours. This will give you lots of extra time to play with her. In addition, getting caught up with your work while your child is sleeping will also alleviate some of the stress you may feel while trying to juggle child care and housework.
Toddlers need a lot of attention and direction. Any amount of time the parent can carve out of the day for a little play time will be appreciated by the toddler.