~Educational DVD's "NOT NURTURING" material~

"Oh no~ I'm so late for the meeting! Yahti! Do make sure that you'll play ashley's favourite Barney DVD later if you're busy all right? remember to keep my baby occupied, im leaving now!"

Hmmm.....sounds FAMILIAR?

It is indeed quite common nowadays that technology and media are now slowly taking over the place of various areas in our lives for example: from FAN to AIR-CONDITIONER, POSTING LETTERS to E-MAILS, TELEPHONES to HAND PHONES, educational BOOKS to educational TV programmes and etc.

It is a fact that technology does help to make our lives easier in many ways and that the media too has provided us tons of convenience in getting information, communication and etc.

HOWEVER....

When it comes to educating our toddlers as young as 1 year old to 3 years.....

Is it appropriate to replace Educational DVDs to our daily interaction with our little ones whenever we give excuses of "NO TIME, TOO BUSY, or IT'S OKAY! MY CHILD LOVES IT...SO WHY NOT?"

The following article adapted from "MY CHILD" magazine has provided views and studies from various researches concerning the matter of Educational DVDs as NOT NURTURING material to toddlers.

"Research recently has shown that toddlers shown "educational" DVDs actually have worse vocabularies than children who didn't.

Far from an IQ boost for them, they appear to hinder learning, according to a team from California University who carried out a study of almost 100 one-and-two-years-olds, using a DVD from the Baby Einstein range.

Being with their parents proved more stimulating, says Jean Gross, an educational psychologist, who said that middle class children are struggling to communicate because working parents are unable to spend enough quality time with them, read them bedtime stories or eat meals with them. "BABIES ARE PRIMED TO RESPOND TO A FACE, NOT A MACHINE," says Gross.

According to speech and behavioural expert Sioban Boyce, the middle class habit of speaking to little children as though they were adults is not only pretentious but also harmful.

Addressing little children like grown-ups can have long-term consequences on their ability to communicate properly as they get older. They might find it hard to maintain friendships and can become either introverted or frustrated, and even aggresive.

"By understanding big expressions, where we elongate vowels, make noises and adopt a sing-song tone, babies learn to "read" our faces and body language as well as understanding what we are trying to convey, whether thats excitement or anticipation or sadness or anger," says Boyce.

A DVD, no matter how "fun and stimulating", is no substitute for one-to-one interaction. Babies are fascinated by faces, says Boyce, as they need to look at them properly understand what they are saying.

The toddler years: Play and Toys

THIS IS THE TIME when children are into everything and it can be very hard work and difficult for whoever has the job of keeping them safe and happy.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that what makes your toddler so exhausting - her ENERGY, her CURIOUSITY, her EAGERNESS, her DESIRE for new experiences and her DETERMINATION to do things for herself - are the very qualities that make her fun to be with and that you should be encouraging for they will be important assets throughout her schooldays and in adult life....

AS SHE PLAYS.....

your toddler is learning to HANDLE and CONTROL the things around her, and each success gives her CONFIDENCE to go on to the next stage.

If you can provide your child with playthings which will allow her to make DISCOVERIES and EXPERIENCE new things as she needs to, you will be able to make your life together easier and more rewarding and you might find yourself saying "no" a little less often to your little ones.

Here are 7 SIMPLE GUIDES to the playthings your child will enjoy, and what will interest her as her skills develop.

1) Introduce PULL-ALONG or PUSH-ALONG TOYS ON WHEELS to the child when she is able to walk more STEADILY and CONFIDENTLY because such toys helps child develop her gross motor skills as she learns how to balance as well as enjoying the noises they make for fun.

NOTE: Pulling along a wiggly toy can help GET RID A LOT OF ENERGY at that active time of the day!

2) Introduce SIT-ASTRIDE TOYS, ROCKING HORSE, VEHICLE or ANIMAL ON WHEELS when she can get on and off things and can push along with her legs to encourage a sense of speed, for control as well as balancing.

3) Introduce SAND, PLAYDOUGH and FINGER PAINT when she can be trusted not to put things into her mouth to allow child to experience texture, sensation as well as colours around them.

3) Introduce TOY TELEPHONE and TOY HOUSEHOLD EQUIPMENT when she wants to be like you to stimulate her imagination. (and sometimes.... the REAL THING!) =)

4) Introduce PEG-BOARD, CRAYONS, BUTTONS, CONSTRUCTION TOYS, JIGSAWS and POSTING TOYS when she can handle small things to develop child's manipulative and coordinating skills.

6) Introduce SMALL CARS, DOLLS AND PRAMS, FARM ANIMALS, WENDY HOUSE or WIGWAM when she wants to create a world of her own to express her understanding of the world.

7) Introduce a PLENTY OF PICTURE BOOKS, STORIES and RHYMES when she enjoys books, looking at pictures singing and dancing so that she can learn about the world she lives in and develop child's language skills (E.g. print awareness, sounds and words)

Have an awesome time spent with your little ones during her years of discoveries and exploration! Enjoy! (^~^)

REFERENCE

Brant, H & . (1986). The Complete Mothercare Manual (2nd ed.). London: Conran Octopus Ltd.