TV/Technology Free:
In high school and during my undergraduate degree, at church I worked in the nursery with the birth to 3 year olds (had this age group for 7 years). In college I took ALOT of child development classes from starting as a nursing major and then switching to social work with a start in children, youth and families as a focus. (I switched to direct practice ((More the medical side)) for my masters in Social work) My sister has her Bachelors and Masters in early childhood education. She was a Kindergarten teacher for about 8 years then switched to 2nd grade in the more recent years. My mom has been the Sunday school teacher at my old church (8 years old to usually 12 years) since when I was in her class (a LONG time ago). Needless to say I have gained ALOT of knowledge and experience in my lifetime when it comes to working with children.
One of the things that always stuck with me was the developmental steps of a child cognitively. It has also been really interesting to see through the years how children develop with technology. For instance, when I first started in the nursery, computers were still mainly big boxes that stayed on desks and only people with ALOT of money had the big bulky laptops. Cell phones were just coming out as something SOME people had (remember the indestructible NOKIA phones with the game snake??) and Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube weren't really a thing. So this type of technology wasn't used in the nursery. We had activities and art projects, read stories, had puppets, the occasional video, (YES video) and played CD's with music (MP3's weren't quite out yet!) and danced around. The kids were active, jumped around, sang, danced and would run (the ones that could) to their parents excited to show what they did.
Fast forward a few years: Cell phones have developed from the NOKIA to the flip, to the ones with the flip out keyboards with bigger flatter screens. Ipods and other MP3 devices are more prevalent as they become more available to the average consumer. Internet is available through WIFI (wow how cool! we don't have to plug into a wall!) and laptops are smaller and more affordable to all. The nursery has changed too: we no longer have videos, we have a flat screen and DVD's. We can pull up programs on our laptops. Parents are dropping their kids off with the parents cell phone in the kid's hand because the only way the baby won't fuss is if they are watching some clip on the phone. Then comes the time to have the kids during nursery: I have little babies from six months and up knowing what phones are and TV's are and showing no interest in the baby activities I have planned. They don't want to play with the bright toys or the other babies. All they want is their mommy's phone or keep pointing to the TV that I for such a long time refused to turn on. (Common babies! I only have you 2 hours a week! You can go TWO hours without the TV right?)
So started the electronic baby sitter as I like to call it. Even when I actually baby sit I've seen a huge difference in baby sitting from when I was in middle school and high school to when I watch my friends kids now. Back then we'd go to the park, go on nature walks, make a craft from the things we collected, go swimming, play board games, read books, make up stories and act them out (I was an awesome baby sitter I know). Then fast forward to now, let me just walk you through what has happened at LEAST the last 10 times I've watched kids: I go to watch a friend's kids, walk in and the TV is on, the kids are either watching some show, playing a video game of some kind (apparently they wear headsets to play video games now), have a personal hand held device such as an IPad, or Nook, Kindle, or even their OWN cell phone, or are on the computer in another room (with headsets and what looks like a game controller... am I that far behind in the times??). The parents tell me what time the kids need to eat and what time bed is and says they shouldn't be a problem and will probably be on their games until bed time. They encourage me to watch a movie or something and they'll be back by insert time here. The parents leave kids didn't even notice whey they said "Bye kids be back soon," I doubt they even are aware I'm there. And then my night goes on FOREVER because I'm not watching the kids... they don't need watching! Its like pulling teeth to get them away from the TV or whatever they are occupied with to eat and then going to bed is like "but insert name of some guy on the internet they play with ALL the time and me are almost done with the level and his mom lets him stay up until the level is done!"
This is the kind of thing I DON'T want my daughter growing up to be like! And keep in mind I'm still focusing on her first two years (maybe three) of life. People wonder, "oh come on, its a baby, all they see are colors and hear sounds." This is TRUE, but just as your baby can recognize you and YOUR family and their voices, they are assimilating the (insert whatever technology device here)'s sounds of the characters, and they learn the sight of the show or game. OR with phones and such they even learn the patterns on games or phones. No lie, I know at least 12 babies (1-2 years old) that can unlock their parents phones, navigate the screens to some game and play the game or turn on a show that's saved to the phone or other device! But you hand them a toy and they throw it on the ground. We want Teagan to be able to amuse herself with her imagination and not something that someone else has made up.
If you really think about it: What is your BABY learning that is helping it to develop into a social well rounded toddler with these devices? Or are they just items of convenience for the parent to not have to entertain their children themselves?
So, yes a lot of my thoughts come from opinion based, and life experiences, but I'm not talking out in left wing here I promise! The American Academy of Pediatrics has a great article on media and children. It encourages to observe your kids while around the many forms of media and even has the stats of how being exposed to media devices at an early life can be a detriment and not a help to the little ones. The statement they make that really hit home for me was:
"excessive media use can lead to attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders, and obesity. In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illicit and risky behaviors."
Now I know this is more directed toward when the kids are a little older then birth to 2 but I have the theory that all kids should have a firm foundation, and if their foundation from birth is being sat in front of different media then the above statement is very possible to happen! I really don't want my daughter to have issues with focus in school and learning basically to be lazy so this is really why are are going to limit, REALLY LIMIT media once we introduce her to it after her 2nd (maybe 3rd) birthday.
The AAP really encourages two hours or less of media exposure and to have education exposure at that. They really encourage a kid to really interact in play, and exercise. Also encourage imaginative play and reading to stimulate their minds in a more constructive way. And this really is supported with babies because in their first two years, babies are better set up when interacting with people and their surrounding and not screens.
And on that note, I'll be talking more about what kind of play we will be structuring Teagan with these first two years. I'll talk about developmentally each major area area and goals she should be reaching and how with play and exposures will help her reach those milestones!
Please check out the link I had for AAP article and THIS article about some other ways to raise a media free baby!
**And as always this is OUR choice at parenting and in no way reflects judgment on other parents. All parents raise their children differently and this is just how we will be raising our daughter. All comments are welcome if they are contractive and not down putting.**
Until Next time!
Bre and Teagan (the bump)
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