Alyce Desrosiers--Personal Nanny Placement Services--Newsletter

Vol. 1, Issue 5
 September 2006


In this Issue
  • Welcome!
  • The Family Dinner
  • TV Viewing and Attention Disorders
  • Media Violence and Aggressive Behavior
  • Research Spotlight: Children and Advertising

     

    		•
    Health Tip
    Preschoolers not only need to exercise their large muscles by running and jumping, they also need to exercise the small muscles in their hands to prepare them for school. The link below lists some excellent play activities that will help develop fine motor skills.
    www.shrewsbury-ma.gov

     
    Featured Resources:
    Meal Time        

    30 Min. Meals - Find recipes for quick meals that don't skimp on flavor. 
    www.foodnetwork.com

    Toddlers and Meal Time - Practical advice on how to prepare and share family dinners with toddlers.
    www.mainstreetmom.com

    Cooking with Children - Tips and recipes for cooking with children. Includes an age appropriate cooking activity list.
    www.wicworks.ca.gov

    The Toddler "Diet" - Humorous look at the dietary habits of young children.
    www.cookingwithkids.com     
    Other Resources

    Marin Child Care Council
    www.mc3.org

    Children's Council of San Francisco
    www.childrenscouncil.org

    Parents Place
    www.parentsplaceonline.org

    National Association of Educators of Young Children
    www.naeyc.org

    Zero to Three
    www.zerotothree.org

    Children's Defense Fund
    www.childrensdefense.org

     
    Contact Information
     Alyce Desrosiers, LCSW
    PO Box 1945
    Sausalito, CA 94966-1945
    415-331-NANI
    www.alycedes.com

    Welcome!

    While we go about our daily lives subtle messages from the media affect our decisions on child rearing. Increasingly parents set a limited or no TV policy with their children, are concerned about establishing healthy eating habits and struggle with their own buying decisions when children want something for its' face or marketing value, e.g. McDonald's or Sponge Bob.

    This issue focuses on the research that addresses some of these concerns. As always there will be ongoing research that looks at the issue from a different perspective so we can expect what can appear to be contradictory results. The key is to know the facts, keep an open mind, recognize there is more to be known and make your own decisions based on your personal and family values.

     
    The Family Dinner
    There has been much research and discussion recently of the benefits of eating family meals around a table rather than a T.V. While it is important to remember that meals together are not a panacea for all that ails the family, there are many emotional and physical benefits. The following article from Iowa State University details some of the benefits and gives strategies for making the most of meal time.

    www.extension.iastate.edu

       

    TV Viewing and Attention Disorders
    The verdict is still out on the link between TV viewing and attention disorders. In 2004, a widely reported study of the effect of television viewing on young children detected a link between the number of hours watched and increased rates of attention disorders such as ADHD. In this study, the TV viewing habits of children ages 1 to 3 years were correlated to attention problems at age seven. The study found that for every hour of viewing time in the toddler/preschool years there was a 10% increase in attention problems at age 7. A more recent study published in the March issue of Pediatrics seems to contradict the previous findings. This study compared viewing habits of kindergarten children and attention problems in kindergarten and again at the end of first grade. No correlation was found between number of TV viewing hours and rates of attention problems. Researches speculate that the differing results are due to brain plasticity in very young children. To learn more about the studies follow the links below.

    2004 Study
     www.neuropsychiatryreviews.com

    2006 Study
    www.4woman.gov/news

    Media Violence and Aggressive Behavior

    No one wants to raise a child prone to violence in adulthood. Most parents see it as their job to help their child learn how to react to situations in a nonviolent manner. While this is a very complicated and life long learning process, limiting the television viewing of adolescents may assist parents in accomplishing this goal. A recent study of the viewing habits of adolescents and young adults found a significant increase in the likelihood of committing an aggressive act when the child watched more than one hour of television per day. Among adolescents who watched one hour or less, 5.7% committed an aggressive act later in life while 22.5% of adolescents who watch more than one hour committed an aggressive act. This increase held true after taking into account other risk factors for aggression such as neighborhood violence. Follow the link below to the American Association for the Advancment of Science for an overview of the study.

    www.aaas.org

    The following website provides viewing guides for a variety of media for children ages 2-16 years. 

    www.commonsensemedia.org

     
    Research Spotlight: Children and Advertising
    Children can absorb advertising like a sponge. Children's first reading experience is often McDonald's. They aren't reading the word but rather reading the logo. Children can repeat verbatim advertising slogans they have heard, often with comical effect. The American Psychological Association recently released a report highlighting the ways in which children are especially susceptible to advertising. These vulnerabilities include:
    • Inability to distinguish advertising from programming before the ages of 4 or 5 years
    • Unable to understand the persuasive nature of advertising (differences in perspective and identify bias in message) before ages 7 or 8 years
    • Develop a product preference in as little as one commercial viewing.

    For the full test of the report, click the link below.

    www.apa.org/releases  

     
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    ©2005 Alyce Desrosiers, LCSW