Toddlers as Critics
Many people feel strongly that kids under the age of two should not be exposed to TV, including DVDs or films shown on the television set. It is important to understand your motivations and to feel comfortable with your decisions around media watching with very young children.
However, you may not feel this way, or you may realize that your kids are being exposed to media anyway – at friends houses, day care, etc. If that’s the case, then it’s never too early to make sure your young ones are watching programs that are age-appropriate and enjoyable. And, who better than to let parents know what is good for their toddlers, than the kids themselves!
At KIDS FIRST! juries of young children already engaged in media watching, help us evaluate products for their own age set. When working with such a young jury, generally ages 1-3, specific concerns arise and our Adult Jurors use a special set of skills.
Children at this age should not be glued to the screen and are not expected to sit still and be attentive. It’s okay for them to shift their attention to other things and to get up and move around. When our Jurors do an evaluation with them, they will notice whether the program engages the children part of the time and when it does so. In their evaluation, they might mention things such as: “The kids all bounced along to the music” or said, “again, again.” Jurors note whether the program is engaging for parents by offering suggestions of things they can do with their infant or toddler during or after viewing.
Media should always be viewed by an adult in advance. Also look for online reviews which will give you some insight into whether you would find the content appropriate. Internet searches can help, and you can find our wonderful juror reviews on the KIDS FIRST! website. If you’re interested in starting your own jury, with toddlers or any age kids, contact us or visit our jury website for more information.
