Canadian Kids and TV Time

A while ago, I read a post about young children and TV watching. At that time, the study found that children between the ages of 4 and 7 spend about 14 hours a week either watching TV or staring at a computer screen. This study was in 2009, and with the new electronics available, I'm sure this has increased. As we've all heard, this has created a generation of children that have various issues relating to their weight, health, and behavour.

I was once a babysitter and now have two children of my own. I feel very strongly about how much time children should be allowed to spend on "screen-time". I don't think electronics should be used as a "babysitter" to occupy children for hours on end. As parents, nannies, or babysitters of these children, it is our responsiblity to keep "screen-time" to a minimum or acceptable level for the little ones in our life.

Children often try to push their limits when their parents are out, leaving them with a babysitter or nanny. Because of this, the parents and nanny/sitter need to discuss what an appropirate level of screen-time is appropriate and agree on the guidelines so they are presented as a team to the children. This agreement should include the type of content, the time of day, and the number of hours watched. This allows the caregiver to structure fun activities for the children, knowing the parents back-up their plan instead of the children trying to get additional screen-time becuase it hasn't been discussed.

• The children should know these boundries aren't negotiable when their parents aren't around  
• There should be consequences if the rules are not followed, agreed upon by the nanny/sitter and parents for consistency  
• The "screens" shouldn't be the highlight of the nanny's visit  
• Nannies/Sitters can include the children in their duties, such as preparing a meal or folding the laundry  
• Children can be set up with age appropriate activities when the nanny cannot spend one-on-one time with them

Check out my regular blog at CanadianNanny.ca by clicking http://canadiannanny.ca/index.php?p=3_6_Blog.