Turn off your TV and tune in to quality family time
August 19, 2003 | 12:00am
In the past weeks, I’ve received quite a number of reactions to my articles. I am posting them here and purposely didn’t write my answers or comments to the letters. I hope those of you who might be able to help or encourage anyone of these letter senders would be kind enough to send your thoughts. Hope you get inspired by them. Send your thoughts to: mommytalk@businessworks.com.ph.
Thank you all for writing!
Dear Maricel,
Hi! This is in reaction to your column last Tuesday, July 28 "How kids think – and what makes them tick" citing the negative impact of TV viewing on our kids. I’m a full-time mother of two girls, ages 5 and 4, and I’m proud to say that my children have been TV-free for three years now. My decision to turn off the TV was not made overnight. It took some time for me to make adjustments at home before totally unplugging the TV. The results? My children’s creative potentials (and believe me, mine too!) were tapped. Since then, we have had more time doing so many things together such as cooking, baking, doing crafts, taking walks in the park, sewing, singing, reading ... the possibilities are endless. Of course, it can be taxing and at times, I just run out of ideas. But then, these moments of just doing nothing give me another opportunity to know my kids better as we spend the time just being with each other even if we’re simply watching the clouds go by.
I’ve also observed that the kind of play of children who watch TV differs from those who don’t. My daughters love to make up their own stories, woven from their world of fantasy and enchantment, versus stories molded by the characters on TV shows.
They make their own costumes just by tying cloths (baby blankets, big handkerchiefs, sarongs) together. I see them reliving the kind of scenarios I used to do when I was a child decades ago. It’s such a refreshing sight watching them play bahay-bahayan or tinda-tindahan and take care of their dolls instead of seeing them just sit in front of the TV or computer for hours.
If some parents think my children are deprived of not knowing the shows on TV, I guess it’s again a matter of prioritizing the more important things in life. I don’t deprive my children of the time well-spent growing together as a family. So for parents out there who feel there is something missing in their family, simply unplug the TV. Give it a try for a week or two. If other families can do it (there are a lot out there) you can do it, too.
Ivy
Dear Ms. Laxa,
Your having taken the side of advocates for child-sensitive television by sharing helpful factual information as well as your opinions with your Philippine STAR readers makes you a laudable writer and an admirable parent.
In behalf of the millions of television users in the country and of the TV network members of the Southeast Asian Foundation for Children’s Television, please accept our sincerest thanks for standing above the stakeholders for children’s television and going a step further in this advocacy to improve the landscape of television for our children.
We hope we can always count on your partnership.
Edgardo C. Roces And Mag Cruz Hatol
Hi, Maricel!
I read your column this morning about breastfed children who grow up to be smarter kids. I am 27 years old and I know that I’ve given my son the best care possible. I semi-breastfed him for five months and I’m sure that he was able to get the colostrum needed. I am a working mother that’s why my breastmilk dried up immediately. My husband and I have provided him logistics that would make him a smart baby like Barney VCDs, a playroom, tons of books and we have regular one-on-one classes when I go home from work – only to find out that my baby is a special child.
He is two years old and has been diagnosed to have autistic spectrum disorder. Up to now, I am practically clueless as to where my baby got the disorder. I had a perfect pregnancy, no illnesses, no medications. What and how could it possibly be? I’ve been surfing a great deal on the Internet and calling organizations and trying to network with them to shed light on this concern. I’ve gathered useful information about it but my research is endless. I want to find out your thoughts on this kind of disorder. You may have inputs on this. Thanks, Maricel, for being a champion of family matters.
Christine Siruelo
Dear Maricel,
I’m a 25-year-old mom with a two-and-a-half- year-old son who was diagnosed to have Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Much has been written about Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and I’ve seen shows that featured it, but nothing on PDD. I feel that I need to hear more about it from someone who’s not a doctor because even if I do ask questions, I think they don’t tell me everything about the disorder. I hope you can enlighten me more about this disorder. If you could recommend a child developmentalist, I would really appreciate it.
Mommy J
"I love you yaya" seminar is set on Aug. 30, Saturday at Learning Tree School, 238 Ermin Garcia corner La Salle Sts., Cubao, Quezon City.
Thank you all for writing!
Dear Maricel,
Hi! This is in reaction to your column last Tuesday, July 28 "How kids think – and what makes them tick" citing the negative impact of TV viewing on our kids. I’m a full-time mother of two girls, ages 5 and 4, and I’m proud to say that my children have been TV-free for three years now. My decision to turn off the TV was not made overnight. It took some time for me to make adjustments at home before totally unplugging the TV. The results? My children’s creative potentials (and believe me, mine too!) were tapped. Since then, we have had more time doing so many things together such as cooking, baking, doing crafts, taking walks in the park, sewing, singing, reading ... the possibilities are endless. Of course, it can be taxing and at times, I just run out of ideas. But then, these moments of just doing nothing give me another opportunity to know my kids better as we spend the time just being with each other even if we’re simply watching the clouds go by.
I’ve also observed that the kind of play of children who watch TV differs from those who don’t. My daughters love to make up their own stories, woven from their world of fantasy and enchantment, versus stories molded by the characters on TV shows.
They make their own costumes just by tying cloths (baby blankets, big handkerchiefs, sarongs) together. I see them reliving the kind of scenarios I used to do when I was a child decades ago. It’s such a refreshing sight watching them play bahay-bahayan or tinda-tindahan and take care of their dolls instead of seeing them just sit in front of the TV or computer for hours.
If some parents think my children are deprived of not knowing the shows on TV, I guess it’s again a matter of prioritizing the more important things in life. I don’t deprive my children of the time well-spent growing together as a family. So for parents out there who feel there is something missing in their family, simply unplug the TV. Give it a try for a week or two. If other families can do it (there are a lot out there) you can do it, too.
Ivy
Dear Ms. Laxa,
Your having taken the side of advocates for child-sensitive television by sharing helpful factual information as well as your opinions with your Philippine STAR readers makes you a laudable writer and an admirable parent.
In behalf of the millions of television users in the country and of the TV network members of the Southeast Asian Foundation for Children’s Television, please accept our sincerest thanks for standing above the stakeholders for children’s television and going a step further in this advocacy to improve the landscape of television for our children.
We hope we can always count on your partnership.
Edgardo C. Roces And Mag Cruz Hatol
I read your column this morning about breastfed children who grow up to be smarter kids. I am 27 years old and I know that I’ve given my son the best care possible. I semi-breastfed him for five months and I’m sure that he was able to get the colostrum needed. I am a working mother that’s why my breastmilk dried up immediately. My husband and I have provided him logistics that would make him a smart baby like Barney VCDs, a playroom, tons of books and we have regular one-on-one classes when I go home from work – only to find out that my baby is a special child.
He is two years old and has been diagnosed to have autistic spectrum disorder. Up to now, I am practically clueless as to where my baby got the disorder. I had a perfect pregnancy, no illnesses, no medications. What and how could it possibly be? I’ve been surfing a great deal on the Internet and calling organizations and trying to network with them to shed light on this concern. I’ve gathered useful information about it but my research is endless. I want to find out your thoughts on this kind of disorder. You may have inputs on this. Thanks, Maricel, for being a champion of family matters.
Christine Siruelo
I’m a 25-year-old mom with a two-and-a-half- year-old son who was diagnosed to have Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Much has been written about Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and I’ve seen shows that featured it, but nothing on PDD. I feel that I need to hear more about it from someone who’s not a doctor because even if I do ask questions, I think they don’t tell me everything about the disorder. I hope you can enlighten me more about this disorder. If you could recommend a child developmentalist, I would really appreciate it.
Mommy J
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