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Almost all childcare centers and primary schools in Ghana have televisions (TV) in their classrooms. I have wondered when this was done in Ghana.
A few decades ago, when I was young going to daycare, there were no televisions in our classrooms. We enjoyed all the crafts we knew. We only watched TV at home.
There have been attempts to justify the logic of this practice. Some have argued that children learn a lot from the programs they watch on television.
There is no doubt that children can learn from watching television, however, research shows that at certain young ages watching television can do more harm than good.
Accidents
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2019), children under the age of five should sit less and play more to grow up healthy.
The WHO recommends that children spend less time sitting and watching screens.
Instead, they need to have more active play time and better quality sleep if they are to grow up healthy. All of this will contribute to improving their physical, mental and well-being, in addition to helping prevent childhood obesity and related diseases later in life.
Advice
Engaging children in activities that are not based on a screen or guardian, such as reading, telling stories, singing, ‘ampe’, soccer is very important for a child’s development. Below are the WHO recommendations by age:
Infants (under one year):
• Make the child exercise several times a day in different ways. This may include floor-based interactive play. If your baby isn’t walking yet, you can put him on his stomach for at least 30 minutes while he’s awake. You can do this at different times of the day.
• Do not keep your child in one position for more than one hour at a time (eg, strapped to the caregiver’s back, high chairs). Screen time is not encouraged. Engaging the child in reading and telling stories with the caregiver is encouraged if the child is kept in one place for more than an hour.
• Babies aged 0 to 3 months should have 14 to 17 hours of quality sleep including naps. Children aged 4 to 11 months should have 12 to 16 hours of sleep and sleep.
1-2 year olds:
• Engage in some form of physical activity for at least 180 minutes a day. This can include moderate to vigorous exercise throughout the day.
• Do not keep your child in one position for more than one hour at a time (eg, strapped to the caregiver’s back, high chairs). They should not last long. Sitting screen time (such as watching TV or videos, playing computer games) is not recommended. Two-year-olds should not spend more than one hour on screen. When you are in one place for more than an hour, involve them in reading and telling stories with the caregiver.
• 11-14 hours of regular good quality sleep and wake up times are also recommended.
3-4 years old:
• Engage in a variety of physical activities for at least 180 minutes a day. At least 60 minutes of this exercise should be moderate to vigorous. These activities should be spread throughout the day.
• Do not restrain them for more than one hour at a time (for example, strapped to the caregiver’s back) or stay for long periods of time. Sitting behind screens (for example, TV, computer) should not be more than 1 hour. Involve them in reading and telling stories with the caregiver when they are sitting (no movement and in one place).
• Get 10–13 hours of quality sleep per day, which may include napping.
The author is a Speech and Language Therapist/Clinical Lecturer, University of Ghana. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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