What do our children watch?
As parents, we are responsible for the well being of our children - their health, their needs both physical and psychological and everything else that goes into them being regular, normal and well adjusted kids. And, we generally take that responsibility seriously, or believe we do.
Why then do we not realize the effect of not censoring the kind of programmes our children watch and the amount of time spent in front of the TV? A lot of us, I suspect, do not really believe that a toddler of say, two years, can be affected by or learn anything from watching adult programmes. For those people, I have to remind them that most children are like sponges, soaking up and absorbing everything in their environment - the good and the bad. Programmes, language - spoken & unspoken (aka 'body language, behaviour; anything and EVERYTHING that occur that they see, hear and observe is learned by them.
So, letting a two year old watch Africa Magic, or E! is NOT proper. Neither is letting a nine year old watch Keeping up with the Khardasians (or whatever it is called). What do you think will happen when she's fourteen (and ENDOWED!!!) and you're telling her that wearing hot pants with high heels and a top that barely covers her bra is not proper attire for church/family outing or to go 'hang out' at the mall (and, she will be hanging out at the mall, right here in Nigeria!). She will sass you, well and good. Why? The Khardasians are a family where children are rude to parents, aunts, elders and it's no big deal. Young ladies wear clothes that put ALL their wares on display - it's "cool". And should you choose to react, African Mamma style, with a couple of slaps for her sassing you, just be careful, as she just may return the slaps. It's no big deal, you know; all those programmes you let her watch? The kids can slap their parents too.
My daughter is almost two and a half and though her nannies & everyone in the house know that only Disney channel can be watched IF the TV has to be on, she has, on a number of occasions exposed her nannies or some relative by repeating - VERBATIM, mind you - a song, phrase or dance that she has heard or seen. Not very funny.
We are all busy, but taking time out to set up the parental control on your TV and the internet should be worth our while. Setting TV time is not being mean, no matter what the kids tell you. Neither is restricting gaming (video games ARE addictive, you know) and telephone time. Kids should read, write, research and LEARN too.
Why then do we not realize the effect of not censoring the kind of programmes our children watch and the amount of time spent in front of the TV? A lot of us, I suspect, do not really believe that a toddler of say, two years, can be affected by or learn anything from watching adult programmes. For those people, I have to remind them that most children are like sponges, soaking up and absorbing everything in their environment - the good and the bad. Programmes, language - spoken & unspoken (aka 'body language, behaviour; anything and EVERYTHING that occur that they see, hear and observe is learned by them.
So, letting a two year old watch Africa Magic, or E! is NOT proper. Neither is letting a nine year old watch Keeping up with the Khardasians (or whatever it is called). What do you think will happen when she's fourteen (and ENDOWED!!!) and you're telling her that wearing hot pants with high heels and a top that barely covers her bra is not proper attire for church/family outing or to go 'hang out' at the mall (and, she will be hanging out at the mall, right here in Nigeria!). She will sass you, well and good. Why? The Khardasians are a family where children are rude to parents, aunts, elders and it's no big deal. Young ladies wear clothes that put ALL their wares on display - it's "cool". And should you choose to react, African Mamma style, with a couple of slaps for her sassing you, just be careful, as she just may return the slaps. It's no big deal, you know; all those programmes you let her watch? The kids can slap their parents too.
My daughter is almost two and a half and though her nannies & everyone in the house know that only Disney channel can be watched IF the TV has to be on, she has, on a number of occasions exposed her nannies or some relative by repeating - VERBATIM, mind you - a song, phrase or dance that she has heard or seen. Not very funny.
We are all busy, but taking time out to set up the parental control on your TV and the internet should be worth our while. Setting TV time is not being mean, no matter what the kids tell you. Neither is restricting gaming (video games ARE addictive, you know) and telephone time. Kids should read, write, research and LEARN too.
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