Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

When it comes to TV-watching, at our home we choose to be selective of the kind of programs they get to watch, for how long each day, etc.

We choose programs with positive characters. Programs that are entertaining and educational, that can open up new worlds for kids, giving them a chance to travel the globe, learn about different cultures, or gain exposure to ideas they may never encounter in their own community.

I guess we just want to be careful with what they see on TV (and DVDs) and how much they’re exposed to it.

I recently came across some basic tips on TV-watching for young children on babycenter.com, and I’d like to share its 6 tips on how to use TV as a learning tool with you today.

Here’s my little summary:

– Limit the amount of TV your child watches

If your child is under age 2, it’s best to keep TV-watching to a bare minimum.

You should keep the TV out of your child’s bedroom and turned off during meal times.

– Watch programs, not television

Rather than sitting down to watch whatever happens to be on, carefully select the program (or DVD) your child’s going to watch, and turn it off when that program is over.

– Choose calm, quiet programs

Slower-paced viewing gives your child time to think about what he’s watching and absorb the information. Lots of action and quickly changing images will only confuse him or make his eyes glaze over.

Some research suggests that children who watch violence on TV are more likely to display aggressive behaviour. Stay away from scary shows, too. Instead, choose simple programs that emphasise interactivity. The best shows are those that inspire your child to makes sounds, say words, sing, and dance.

– Watch with them

Just being there says to your child, “What you do is important to me.”

Many of us have moments when we resort to using TV as a babysitter, but when you leave your child alone with the TV for a long time, you send a signal that you don’t care what he watches. If you can, bring a basket of laundry to sort or some other task into the room so you can work and watch. Then it becomes an activity the two of you can enjoy together.

– Help your child watch with a critical eye

Explain what’s going on in the show, and encourage your child to ask questions and relate what’s happening in the show to his own life.

– Extend the show’s content with activities or books

If you and your child have just finished a program that introduces a number, talk about it later and find other examples to show him. When you’re setting the table, for example, you might say, “Hey, today’s number was three, and there are three places to set!” Then read and discuss a book that explores numbers concepts.

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[Thanks Playhouse Disney for the goodies! Vai LOVES this Handy Manny towel!]

One program I happened to recently watch and review is Handy Manny.

We were invited to watch the premiere of ‘Handy Manny Motorcycle Adventure!’ at Nuffnang’s office the other day, and the kids were SO excited.

You see, we’re familiar with the ‘Handy Manny’ show, the kids have played Handy Manny’s games online, but they have never watched the show in full so far.

As we watched it (together with other blogger moms and kids), the kids and I talked about what we saw.

Anya and Vai asked questions too when they saw certain scenes that they didn’t quite understand. They went ‘OH NO!’ when Handy Manny and his tools faced an obstacle, and they clapped when they managed to overcome their problems.

*smile*

It was my first time watching the show and I personally think it’s a good program filled with positive messages and values, like how important it is to offer help, to care for a friend, to work together as a team, and to not give up when faced with problems.

The dialogues are not too fast as well, allowing little ones to follow every happening in the show.

Here’s a short summary of ‘Handy Manny Motorcycle Adventure’:

Manny and the tools are headed to Manny’s family reunion on his motorcycle, when Pat, Squeeze and Flicker wind up separated from them! Seems like Pat has gone in search of his own family members and now finds himself in the back of a truck headed for a large hardware store outside of town.

Many races to catch up with the big truck, but encounters a number of obstacles along the way before finally reaching his trusty hammer, pliers and flashlight. With everyone reunited, they continue on to Manny’s family reunion where the tools meet Manny’s family and Pat realizes that he has been in the midst of his own special family all along!

And here’s a sneak peak of the scenes:

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[INFO]

The premier show of “Handy Manny Motorcycle Adventure!’ will start this Friday, 22 January 2010 at 10am on Playhouse Disney channel, Starhub!

And the first episode of Handy Manny’s season 3 will start on Friday, 29 January 2010 at 10am!