Tuesday, April 22, 2008
TV-watching guidelines for toddlersReviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board
The best way to handle how much television and video your toddler watches is to think of them as refined sugar: You want your child to enjoy this seductive stuff without consuming too much. So you'll need to stay on top of the time your toddler spends in front of the television. The average American child watches three to four hours a day, despite recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics that children should watch no more than an hour or two a day, and that children under 2 should watch no television at all.
Starting out tough from day one is the key to keeping viewing time under control. It's a lot easier to relax your standards later than it is to wean an 18-month-old from a three-times-a-day Dora or Blue's Clues habit.
Here are tips on how to use television as a learning tool.
Limit the amount of TV your toddler watches
Since your child is under age 2, it's best to keep TV-watching to a bare minimum. If you choose to allow some television, break it up into 15-minute increments. Much more than that, and your toddler's brain can shift to autopilot.
Once your child hits 2, limit his total viewing time to an hour a day — even that amount is a lot for an active toddler. You should also keep the television out of your child's bedroom and turned off during meal times. Watch programs, not television
Rather than sitting down to watch whatever happens to be on, carefully select the program your toddler's going to watch, and turn off the set when that program is over. Record programs ahead of time, if possible, so your child can watch what you want, when you want.
A two-minute warning that a show (or the segment of it that you're letting your toddler watch) is about to end will help him transition to the next activity. Choose calm, quiet programs
Slower-paced viewing gives your toddler time to think about what he's watching and absorb the information. Lots of action and quickly changing images will only confuse him or make his eyes glaze over.
Some research suggests that children who watch violence on TV are more likely to display aggressive behavior. Stay away from scary shows, too. Instead, choose simple programs that emphasize interactivity. The best shows are those that inspire your child to makes sounds, say words, sing, and dance.
For specific program suggestions, talk to other parents on our media-savvy bulletin board. Watch with your toddler
A recent study looked at three groups: children with unlimited access to television, children with moderate access to television who watched without parents, and children with moderate access to television who watched with a parent.
The last group scored significantly higher academically than the other groups. Just being there says to your child, "What you do is important to me."
Of course, many of us have moments when we resort to using television or a video as a babysitter, but when you leave your child alone with the TV for a long time, you send a signal that you don't care what he watches. If you can, bring a basket of laundry to sort or some other task into the room so you can work and watch. Then it becomes an activity the two of you can enjoy together.
Labels: parenting, sponsored post
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I really worry about spoiling my baby. She's a very good baby, but I don't know if it is because I just give her everything she wants or if she is just good natured.Here is the article that i reseached from Dr.Greene's web. Hope you can also get some ideas from here.
Very young children cannot be spoiled. Some babies have greater needs than others due to their own physical condition, but all babies are very needy! Crying is their only way of communicating these needs to us. If babies didn't cry when they are hungry, or when they need their diaper to be changed, we wouldn't know what and when they need something.
As babies grow, they begin to communicate things other than physical needs. This includes the desire to be held or comforted and the desire to be stimulated. These are healthy desires! A child is spoiled only if they express a desire and someone (usually Mom or Dad, but it can be a Grandparent or other caregiver) gives them what they want each and every time.
If your child has a need, you will not spoil them by meeting that need. In fact, it is very important for you to meet their needs in order to build security, love, and trust. You will not even spoil them by giving them what they desire, unless you always give it to them, even when you don't want to. This is the hard part - it is good to give a baby what he or she wants sometimes, but not all the time.
So how do you know when to do so? A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you are giving your baby what they want or if you are giving in to what they want. In most cases if you are giving just because you want to give, you will be doing the best thing for your baby.
Try to avoid being so stressed out by other things in your life that you never feel like giving to your baby -- or at the other extreme, finding your identity in your baby so that you always feel like giving in to them.
Labels: acknowledged fact, sponsored post
Friday, September 07, 2007
Higher Nicotine Levels Found in Smokers' BabiesIn homes where at least one parent smokes, infants have 5.5 times higher levels of nicotine toxin.
Talk to Others About Smoking and Lung Cancer
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Labels: acknowledged fact, sponsored post
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend that child be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life in order to achieve optimal growth, development and health.During the International Breastfeeding Week in last year, the term "complementary breastfeeding means "giving other food and drinks in addition to breast milk" was introduced to replace the term "weaning". Some key messages from WHO on complementary feeding include:
1. A child should be breastfed till she is at least 2yrs of age so that she can be strong and healthy.
2. Children who start complementary feeding at six months grow well.
3. Family foods with a thick, soft consistency can nourish and fill the child.
4. Animal food sources, especially iron-rich ones, maybe given to children.
5. Legumes like peas, beans, lentils and nuts (ground up) are also good for children.
6. Eating vitamin-C rich fruits and vegetables with a meal helps the body to use iron.
7. Dark green leaves and orange-coloured fruits and vegetables help a child to have healthy eyes and fewer infections.
8. A growing child needs frequent meals and snacks, so give her a variety of foods in her three meals, as well as a small snack or two.
9. A growing child needs increasing amount of food.
10. A young child needs to learn t eat smart. So give her lots of encouragement, patience and love.
Labels: baby food, breastfeeding, sponsored post
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
You don't have to be a child development expert to give your baby a great start in life. Recent research confirms what we've known all along: Love, attention, and basic care are all your baby really needs and wants. To help your baby reach his full potential, follow these eight simple steps.• Show your love
• Care for your child's basic needs
• Talk to your child
• Read to your child
• Stimulate all his senses
• Encourage new challenges
• Take care of yourself
•Find good childcare
Labels: milestone, sponsored post
Monday, August 06, 2007
Developmental experts who've studied humor say a childhood filled with laughter and fun has benefits that last a lifetime. "A sense of humor offers a huge advantage in life," says Lawrence J. Cohen, author of Playful Parenting and a psychologist specializing in children's play. "It's one of the best ways people have figured out how to cope with things that are difficult." A child who can easily tap his funny bone is more likely to make strong friendships, be well-liked by peers, and as an adult get along with colleagues at work, manage frustration, diffuse conflict, and suffer less from depression. A sense of humor is also linked to intelligence, self-esteem, creativity, and problem solving.Labels: sponsored post
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