Television, Videos and the Kindergarten Child

The presence of the television and videos in a child's life is often clearly seen in the Kindergarten. The strong influence it has upon little children is visible in many ways. The child may speak in the tone of a certain character or machine, where speech can be reduced to the sound of robots or mechanical noises. The child may seem "stuck" in creative play, unable to play anything but a super hero, transformer or "emergency." Other children seem to lose their imagination and can't "think" of anything to play. Subtle changes may be noted in a child who cannot sit still during a story, making is a distressing time instead of a time of wonderment and delight.

There are other noticeable effects of the television on children: uneasiness, lack of attention span or perseverance. TV/videos before bedtime is very disturbing to a child's sleep life. Perhaps the greatest loss is the dimming effect it has on the child's wonderful imagination. It is this imagination which provides the foundation for learning and growth. There are alternatives to television; examples may be found in any domestic work (big favorites are washing dishes, folding laundry, gardening, carpentry, polishing shoes or tables). Drawing or beeswax modeling are good alternative activities. The books listed in the GWS's Media Policy give myriad ideas as well.

Also click on Parenting Articles and read the article ''Strangers in Our Home: TV and our Children's Minds.''