ManaRemedies: Help Kids (B)e-Healthy

 

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”

- US Dept of Education Report.

 

ManaRemedies:

  • Over half of US households have no rules for viewing for their kids.
  • Children in households where parents do set viewing rules tend to consume less media.
  • Screen time reduction has potent cognitive, behavioral, sleep, social, and physical benefits.
  • For example: Reductions in media use among 6 year-old heavy viewers over a 6-week period showed significant improvements in performance IQ and attention time.
  • Removal of electronic media from bedrooms is perhaps the most potent intervention.
  • Prevention is key, paying special attention to limiting use by the very young.
  • Efforts to increase physical activity have synergistic impact.
  • Praise the Positive: Emphasize and reinforce healthy alternatives, such as reading and playing outside.
Pay Attention to Content:
  • Children are not small adult viewers!
  • Kids 2-7 are not developmentally equipped to distinguish fantasy from reality and are sensitive to scary-looking things like monsters.
  • Kids 8-12 are sensitive to threats of real violence such as murder, natural disasters, or the victimization of children (i.e. news or reality shows).  However, this age group is amenable to reasoning and reassurance.
  • Teen viewers are sensitive to portrayals of risky behaviors (e.g. outlaw driving, smoking), and highly influenced by peers.
 
  • Place TVs, game consoles, and other media in central locations for sharing and monitoring
  • Pay attention to the amount of screen time
  • Time Restriction - amount, days of the week, especially school days
  • Content restriction, e.g. specific shows or videos
  • Use your V-Chip to restrict inappropriate programming
  • No TV/game system (or cell phone) in the bedroom
  • Dissociate Viewing from Eating
  • Behavior Contingency - reward or punishment
  • Eliminate “background” television, especially as a sleep aid
  • Emphasize Safe, Affordable Non-screen Fun Activities - reading, puzzles, going outside
  • Support media education programs in schools 
 
"Immunize" the Mind - When to Start Reading To Children:
  • AAP Guidelines to Health Supervision: 6 months old. 
  • Maternal and Child Health Bureau “Bright Futures”: 2 months, rhythm and prosody
  • John Hutton, (mana)MD: From birth, emphasizing bonding and voices 
  • No Such Thing As Too Young! The age that parents begin reading to their children is strongly correlated with language development.
  • Read Widely: Books frequently contain more sophisticated vocabulary than typically found in spoken language, augmenting the vocabulary of the home environment.  This is especially important for disadvantaged children.
  • Have fun: Enjoy books together, reflecting on form and content.
  • Emphasize dialogic reading: back and forth with lots of babble, discussion, and questions. 
Reasons Reading Aloud Is So Effective:
(From The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease)
  • Condition the child's brain to associate reading with pleasure
  • Create background knowledge
  • Build vocabulary
  • Provide a reading role model
 
- Book sharing and reading aloud serve many purposes, including language/literacy development, emotional attachment, and parent-child interaction, all important predictors of school readiness.

- Positive interaction with parents, e.g. reading together, is negatively related to problem behavior in early-adolescence.

- Make it a Habit!  Reading for pleasure is strongly positively associated with school performance.

- Talk to your Doctor: Electronic media is a major and increasing risk factor for many child health issues.  A recent study found that 85% of parents of children under 2 had never talked to their pediatrician about media use.  Bring it up!


“The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
- Dr. Seuss
 
  • Citations available upon request.