Generally, babies are confused when watching the television; thinking it’s an array of colors, images and noises which they don’t understand much of the content or neither do they have enough time to process it since the scenes only lasted a few seconds. Most toddlers on the other hand also face the same problems but this matter can be overcome if the correct channels and shows are chosen for them to watch.
Many parents has the habit of putting their children in front of the television which is highly not recommended by pediatrics because it is very passive and your children might end up being lazy. Besides, watching the television can be very addictive and would usually cause turning the television off becomes a trouble daily. Excessive watch of television would lose your kids natural creativity and eventually would have hard time keeping them busy resulting in losing valuable time of play which can help them to build their foundation of healthy childhood.
It is definitely a very easy route but you would need to face the music later. Most children who watch a lot of television in their early years would face higher risk of obesity and poor social development. They might be showing aggressive behaviors too! So, appropriate shows and guidance are essential when you choose to put them in front of the television.
Even if you have chosen the right shows but in between the commercials, you would need to distract them a little or change the channel awhile as some commercials may not be appropriate for their view. However, the ideal way is to let them watch children DVDs which has no commercials and is age appropriate! Some parents finds this very effective as their children would also join in the activities in the show like singing, dancing, hunting for clues or even listening to stories with props. Parents can leave their child in front of the television watching that DVD and still can complete many tasks like house chores before the DVD shows ended.
Appropriate channels and shows that you can educate your children to are mainly viewing things they might not see in their daily life like exotic animals, distant lands or diverse lifestyles or musical instruments. You might also want to let them view about basic social skills on how to play with other children or using good manners. There are also movies/cartoon shows that teach your kids values in life.
Whether is it right to let your babies or toddlers to watch television, would depend on the selection of programs and movies you let them view. It also depends on how you control their viewing time and encouraging them on other active activities instead. There are no rights and wrongs in this matter but there are the pros and cons to consider along side with correct guidance and materials for them during watching the television.