I can just picture it now; a bunch of researchers sitting around a table, feet propped up, sipping Coca Cola, eating Cheetos and complaining about how bored they are. They talk about their lack luster lives and wonder why in hell they ever thought to become the explorers of every thing opinionated. Suddenly it dawns on them that there is yet another way to stir up some proverbial shit all the while demeaning the work of an entire segment of the population. Eureka! They have it - a study on daycare and television viewing. Apparently studying the prevalence of bad techniques by parents wasn't popular that day. But attacking daycare providers is always a sure fire success. Off they go, back packs over their shoulder to interview lowly daycare providers and larger than life commercial daycare centres.
The finding of this group of orange thumbed, Cheetos crunchers was the topic of media choice yesterday. Headlines hit screens and paper proclaiming that once again, the well known moniker of commercial daycare trumping home daycare was validated.
According to the researchers 168 licensed child care programs were included in the study. Of those 168 licensed programs 70% of the children in home daycare watched television during care hours as opposed to only 36% in commercial care. The study goes on to further state the undeniable correlation between obesity and aggression in children with too much television viewing. I have to wonder where it is that they found these home daycare providers.
I know a lot of home daycare providers both in person and on-line and unless 99% of those providers are lying the study seems flawed in relation to the statistics presented. One must wonder if the flaws lie not in the data but in the parameters of truth. Most home daycare providers are truthful, unassuming people. They have little to hide and stand behind the excellent care they provide. And yes, even excellent care can include limited television viewing. In short, home daycare providers have nothing to lose by confessing their truths. Not so for commercial daycare.
Commercial daycare relies heavily on grants and bursaries. And one knows that whenever the government and its money is involved rules are applied. Commercial daycare centres in all provinces and states are mandated to have an approved and cookie cutter curriculum. And within that curriculum are allotted screen times. I can only assume then that commercial daycare centres, when asked about television viewing time would answer with the correct, guideline mandated time allotment. Commercial daycare is about money and large corporations seek only the bottom line. Corporations rarely muddy their perfect reputations intentionally.
The one line from the study commentary that stood out as most ridiculous was the following:
"The authors conclude that TV viewing in day care could double the total screen time for children when added to the time they spend in front of the tube at home."
Really? "Double the time they spend watching television at home"? If researches and parents are so up in arms about their child watching television at daycare why then are they watching so much at home? And, considering that a child spends an average of ten to eleven hours a day in daycare the scarce 1.6 hours, as cited by the study, of television viewing amounts to about 15% of the total time spent with the daycare provider. However, using those same statistics and the fact that the average child spends a mere four hours a day awake and at home those same viewing hours would amount to 40% of their total time at home. Perhaps the problem is not what is happening at daycare but what is happening at home. Parents get the small luxury of spending four waking hours a day with their child and the child spends nearly half of it watching television?
I understand that as daycare providers we are getting paid to stimulate and engage the children in our care. But a little bit of realism must accompany those expectations. We have five or more charges in our care at any one time. If being able to meet the demands of the day mean incorporating television during lunch preparation or keeping a child quiet at nap time to allow others to sleep then so be it. Home daycare providers are solo acts and every parent who signs on to care knows this going in. There are no surprises and none of us professes to be super heroes.
Television is not detrimental to children when used in a responsible and age appropriate manner. In fact, I conclude that television facilitates language and interaction. Anyone who has ever witnessed a three year old watch Dora The Explorer or Sesame Street can attest to the fact that they are engaging, educational programs that children love. Children, like adults desire to be entertained. Why not allow them that luxury?
Oh, and one last note. About that obesity statistic in relation to television viewing in daycare. Perhaps the researches need to visit my daycare and that of my colleagues and then take a short trip down the street to visit the commercial daycare center. There is no risk of obesity here. My kids are outside at least two hours a day. Place yourself outside of the commercial daycare and watch for the duration of one day. You will notice something - every child gets exactly two half hour periods of outdoor time. Of course, this is mandated by the government. So I can only assume they will return to their classroom to have their 0.1 hours of television time too. Yeah, 0.1 hours - that would be six minutes. I hardly think the staff is turning off the television after Dora just started. There would be mutiny.
Perhaps those researches need to go back to their tables, put their feet back up and start thinking who to pick on next. We are an easy target. Perhaps next time they could challenge themselves.
For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca
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