Tag: educational TV

Rain, God, and Crocodiles

It was raining as we left our favorite museum. I had already postponed our departure once, hoping it would slow down. But after an extra half hour of play, the rain was proving stubborn, and the babies were extremely ready for a nap. Big boy begged to stay, but I could tell he was getting tired too. Miraculously, he was happily distracted by the challenge of helping me prepare for our run through the rain.

In case you were wondering, the preparation for and subsequent rainy mad dash with three little ones may look like this: Continue reading Rain, God, and Crocodiles

10 Reasons Why I Love Trolls More Than My Toddler Does

For starters, if you want to know my stance on TV viewing for little ones, check out My Thoughts on TV. Plus, it’s got some good resources and ideas regarding guidelines for TV and technology.

I don’t have time for watching much TV otherwise, so one day, wanting a break from Mickey and pals (seriously, the hot dog song does not need to be in my head anymore, like ever), I opened up Netflix and up popped “Trending Now” and a cute, colorful image for the movie Trolls by Dreamworks. I recalled how the Pre-K and Kindergarten scholars I had most recently worked with had raved about it, vaguely remembered watching Justin Timberlake’s performance of the hit song at some award show, and was intrigued by the all-star cast.

Thus began our Trolls obsession… You know how kids want to watch the same movie over and over again until they know every line? Well, I wanted to watch it just as much. Hell, I want to watch it now. I seriously don’t know who loves this movie more. (Ok, maybe I do.) Here’s why.

Continue reading 10 Reasons Why I Love Trolls More Than My Toddler Does

My Thoughts on TV

I understand parents who strictly abide by the AAP screen time recommendations and also those who don’t. (See American Academy of Pediatrics Announces New Recommendations for Children’s Media Use.)

As a toddler parent, I fall in the middle, so TV is not the devil, as long as it’s watched in moderation, involves parent interaction, and is educational in some way. In my books, this falls within the AAP guidelines. Generally, we watch a maximum of one show per day or part of a movie. Truth: sometimes, we watch a whole movie, and I don’t even feel bad! Because, it involves some fun parent/child interactions, discussions, or pretend play afterwards. And really, what parent really has the time or energy to feel bad about a little TV?

As an educator, I support the use of measured screen time to enhance a lesson, like showing a short clip to introduce or demonstrate a concept, like:

Continue reading My Thoughts on TV