I don't know if your kids often say, "Mom, I want to watch cartoons."
How do you answer?
Do you reply like I once did: "No, you will be blind if you watch too many cartoons!" "When you finish your homework, I'll show you cartoons."
You know, I recently realized that this answer is really wrong.
"If you see too much, your eyes will be blind" will not only not play a deterrent role, but will make children feel denied and excluded, thus arousing a stronger desire to watch.
And "I'll show you after I finish my homework" uses cartoons as a quid pro quo for learning, which makes it easy for children to form wrong values.
So when a child says, "Mom, I want to watch cartoons," how do we answer better?
This requires us to understand the psychology behind the child's desire to watch cartoons.
The reason why children love to watch cartoons
As we all know, cartoons tend to be rich in color, sound, and dynamic effects. These elements can all grab your child's attention.
For children, cartoons are a world full of fantasy and exploration, able to satisfy their curiosity and desire to explore.
Not only that, but in real life, children may face pressure from studying, socializing, etc. Watching cartoons can relieve stress by allowing them to escape from reality for a while and enter a relaxed, enjoyable world.
Not only that, the stories in cartoons are often imaginative, and during the viewing process, children will not only be immersed in the wonderful storyline, but also create their own imagination space in their minds, in which they are the masters, and parents and teachers cannot disturb them.
So for children, watching cartoons is not a bad thing, but the bad thing is that children's self-control is not yet developed, and they are easy to indulge.
Although children are allowed to watch cartoons, we parents must ensure that our children watch for an appropriate amount of time.
How to answer
If your child is clamoring to watch TV, we recommend that parents refer to the following answers:
●Discuss the fun and meaning of cartoons with your child
"Baby, why do you like to watch cartoons?"
"Because the story in the cartoon is interesting, I also like the characters."
"So let's find out if there are any cartoons that are fun and educational, what do you think?"
This is actually to guide children to understand that cartoons are not only entertainment, but also part of learning.
●Establish criteria for the selection of viewing time and content
It is recommended that before children watch cartoons, parents should work with their children to set a time to watch cartoons every day, for example: no more than 30 minutes each time, no more than 2 times a day.
As a reminder, choose cartoons that are age-appropriate and avoid content that is too violent or vulgar.
The advantage of this is that it is easier for children to be involved in making rules and it is easier to develop their self-discipline.
● Look for alternative activities
If you really don't want your child to watch animation, when your child wants to watch cartoons, you can guide them to participate in some other fun activities, such as drawing, doing crafts, reading picture books, etc.
Playing some interactive games with your child will not only enhance the parent-child relationship, but also allow your child to feel the fun of real life.
A variety of activities can meet the different needs of children and reduce their dependence on cartoons.
●Care for your child's emotional needs
Sometimes children want to watch cartoons, but in fact, they feel lonely or bored, and parents should spend more time with their children and care about their emotional needs.
It is recommended that parents can chat with their children more, tell stories, do sports together, etc., so that they can feel cared for and valued.
Psychology believes that when a child's emotional needs are met, they will naturally become less dependent on cartoons.
If you are also worried about your child's love of watching cartoons, you might as well try the above methods~