Too much daytime/daycare TV?

A recent UPI report says children in home-based daycare centers watched television for an average 2.4 hours a day, while children in centers-based daycare watched for only 0.4 hours. That’s a big difference.

The study is worth looking into as majority of US preschoolers are typically in a day care situation. The findings are also worth considering if you are looking for quality daycare for your own child. And if your child already goes to daycare, do you know how much TV time she’s really getting?

Too much TV is not good for kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no television for children below age 3. After age 3, they say children should only watch a maximum of two hours quality programming per day.

Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, lead researcher and director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, looked at television use in 168 child-care programs in four states.

The study, to be published in this December issue of Pediatrics, found that among preschool-age children, those in home-based daycares watched TV for 2.4 hours per day on average, compared with 0.4 hours in center-based settings.

However, some home-based programs were closer to the center-based programs in amount of time they used television, particularly those programs in which the staff had college degrees.

If you are looking for quality daycare yourself, make it a point to visit your prospects. Check for proper accreditation. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) are the two largest organizations that accredit child care programs.

As the study has cited, the caregivers’ training and education does have significance. Caregivers with degrees and special training in working with children will be better able to help your child learn. Are the caregivers involved in activities to improve their skills? Do they attend classes and workshops?

Here are other things to consider according to Child Care Aware:

• Adult to Child Ratio. How many children are there for each adult? The fewer the children for each adult, the better. Your child will get more attention and more quality time. The younger the child, the more crucial this is. Babies need and adult to child ratio of no more than 1:4 (one adult, four infants maximum), 4-year-olds can do well in a ratio of 1:10 (one adult for ten children.
• Group Size. Find out how many children are in the group. The smaller, the better. Imagine a group of 25 2-year-olds with five adults, compared with a group of 10 with two adults. Both groups have the same adult to child ratio. But which would be a calmer, safer environment? Which would be more like family?

If your child is already in day care, the work isn’t over either. Check-in on the center once in awhile for a friendly visit. You and the caregiver are partners when it comes to your child’s development, so have regular meetings and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

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