Screen Time

Television, radio, video games, computers, videos and CDs are all entertainment media that are found in most young children's homes today. Are these used as tools or as babysitters for children? Much research has indicated that there is a relationship between TV, computers and video games and children's obesity. Children who are continually involved with technology are typically children who eat more and move less. Research indicates that children who watch TV while eating may become less aware of when they are hungry or full.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that there should be no television or computer time for children under age two, and no more than two hours per day for those over two.

View-Read-Do model*

• VIEW a children's show with your child that involves movement, and move with them.
• READ a related book and act out what the characters do. Stop in the middle and encourage them to get up and pretend.
• DO something fun and active that is related to the show. If you're viewing a show about the ocean, pretend the children are fish, and have them swim through the water!

Computers and video games

• Limit the amount of time your child can spend on the computer.
• Set a timer for 10 minutes. When it goes off, set it for 10 minutes and tell your child he now must walk, run, dance or play with balls, until the timer goes off again.

Radio and CDs

• Take time to play your favorite music and dance with your child.
• Hand out scarves, rattles or pots and spoons, and play them to the beat of the music.

*This information is recommended by the Ready To Learn Department of PBS.