Television and your child

Parents are understandably concerned about letting their young children consume too much television and the affects that too much time in front of a screen can have on their development. However, the television has become an integral part of many modern households and it’s often difficult to find the right compromise between giving your children freedom to watch what they want and minimising their screen time to a healthy amount.

Of course, there are ways in which you can ensure young children use the television in a safe and responsible way and here we take a look at a few such measures.

The first step is to ensure there are limitations on just how much television your child can watch and that such boundaries are kept to and respected. Don’t allow your children to binge on television and watch hours after hours of shows that hold no real interest. Combine general entertainment shows with educational programmes that offer something a little meatier to digest to ensure your children get the most from their viewing.

Selecting certain shows that your child can both enjoy and learn from is a much better way of limiting time in front of the screen and gives you a little control over what they are viewing. If you find you lack in interesting or stimulating channels, it may be a good idea to take a look at the VirginMedia selection for inspiration.

Finally, it is important that your child watches television critically and isn’t in a position where they accept everything that is said and done on television without questioning or understanding it. This may require you to talk programmes through with your child, ask them questions and prompt them to give their opinions and thoughts.

You may also want to switch off or mute the television during adverts, as young children are often incredibly impressionable and advertisement agencies know this only too well!

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