Community Care Connections, Inc.

Community Care Connections, Inc.
EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
INFANT-TODDLER THERAPY SERVICES NEWSLETTER
Little Children, Big Futures
DECEMBER 2014
WHY TO AVOID TV BEFORE AGE 2
Happy Holidays from
all of us at Community
Care Connections!
Have a safe and happy
holiday season!
Upcoming Events
Please visit www.pavendors.com
and insidebutlercounty.com
for a complete listing of events.
Butler County
December 12—Friday Shopping
Frenzy Vendor & Craft Show
Twp Bldg, Slippery Rock
December 13– Lunch with Santa
Conley Resort, Butler
Reservations Required
1-800-344-7303
December 14—Brunch with Santa
YMCA, Butler
Registration Required
724-287-4733
December 31—First Night Event—
RITA New Year’s Eve
Various Locations, Butler
Dates to Remember:
December 16—Hanukkah Begins
December 21—Winter Begins
December 25—Christmas Day
December 26—Kwanzaa Begins
December 31—New Year’s Eve
Parents are often
shocked when told that
pediatricians think it’s a
bad idea for children to
watch TV before age 2.
Surveys tell us about
40% of infants are
watching some sort of
video by age 5 months,
and by age 2 the number rises to 90%.
Early brain development
To answer these questions, we have to return
briefly to the child’s developing brain. Kids’
brains grow profoundly during the first 3 years
of life, with the brain tripling in mass in just the
first 12 months. The stimuli children experience during this period profoundly influence
brain development. Images on screens behave in ways that differ dramatically from
those in the real world. Because we’re all
steeped in the visual language of screens, it’s
easy to forget those differences until we think
about them.
Imagine a ball in real life and a ball on TV.
Infants are developing 3-dimensional vision.
The world of the screen exists in 2 dimensions, so the ball is just a flat, shaded circle. If
you roll a ball across the floor it proceeds in a
single motion, slowing gradually until it stops.
The same action on TV is broken up—you
see the ball leave someone’s hand, then
there’s a shot of it in motion, then a picture of
the ball at rest. If your infant wants to grab a
ball in real life he’ll lunge for it, grasp at it, or
crawl after it. The stuff on the screen just disappears, to be replaced by other stuff; you
can never get your hands (or mouth) on it.
Infants may stare at the bright colors and motion on a screen, but their brains are incapable of making sense or meaning out of all
those bizarre pictures. It takes 2 full years for
a baby’s brain to develop to the point where
the symbols on a screen come to represent
their equivalents in the real world.
Because of this confusion, children up to age
3 learn better from the real world than they do
from any screen, especially when it comes to
language. They do seem to learn a little more
if they’re watching in the company of a person
who is talking to them about what they’re
seeing, in the same way you would while
looking at a picture book.
Where's the harm?
So sure, babies and toddlers don’t get anything out of watching TV, but if they seem to
like it, where’s the harm? If a little TV is what
it takes for you to get dinner on the table, isn’t
it better for them than, say, starving? Yes,
watching TV is better than starving, but it’s
worse than not watching TV. Good evidence
suggests that screen viewing before age 2
has lasting negative effects on children’s language development, reading skills, and shortterm memory. It also contributes to problems
with sleep and attention. If “you are what you
eat,” then the brain is what it experiences,
and video entertainment is like mental junk
food for babies and toddlers.
The problem lies not only with what toddlers
are doing while they’re watching TV; it’s what
they aren’t doing. Specifically, children are
programmed to learn from interacting with
other people. The dance of facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language between a toddler and parent is not only beautiful, it’s so complex that researchers have to
record these interactions on video and slow
them down just to see everything that’s going
on. Whenever one party in this dance, child or
parent, is watching TV, the exchange comes
to a halt. A toddler learns a lot more from
banging pans on the floor while you cook
dinner than he does from watching a screen
for the same amount of time, because every
now and then the two of you look at each
other.
Page 2
ITTS Newsletter
WHY TO AVOID TV BEFORE AGE 2 (cont.)
Just having the TV on in the background,
even if “no one is watching it,” is enough to
delay language development. Normally a
parent speaks about 940 words per hour
when a toddler is around. With the television on, that number falls by 770! Fewer
words means less learning. Toddlers are
also learning to pay attention for prolonged
periods.
Toddlers who watch more TV are more
likely to have problems paying attention at
age 7. Video programming is constantly
changing, constantly interesting, and
almost never forces a child to deal with
anything more tedious than an infomercial.
After age 2 things change, at least somewhat. During the preschool years some children do learn some skills from educational
TV. Well-designed shows can teach kids
literacy, math, science, problem-solving, and
prosocial behavior. Children get more out of
interactive programs like Dora the Explorer
and Sesame Street when they answer the
characters’ questions. Educational TV makes
the biggest difference for children whose
homes are the least intellectually stimulating.
What you can do
Naturally, children learn more when they
watch TV with a parent than if they watch
alone. Content matters, a lot. All programs
educate kids about something, but stick
with ones that are designed to teach children stuff they should actually know.
Regardless of content, cap your child’s TV
time at 2 hours a day. Remember, too, TV
is still TV whether you actually watch it on
a TV screen or on a mobile phone or computer.
www.healthychildren.org
TV WATCHING GUIDELINES FOR CHILDREN
The best way to approach television (and
screen time of any kind) is to think of it as
refined sugar: You want your kids to enjoy
the seductive stuff without consuming it to
excess. So you'll need to stay on top of the
time your child spends in front of a
screen.
The average American child watches tv for
three to four hours a day, despite the recommendation from the American Academy
of Pediatrics (AAP) that kids 2 and older
watch no more than one to two hours daily. The AAP recommends that kids under 2
watch no shows at all.
Starting out tough from day one is the key
to keeping viewing time under control. It's
a lot easier to relax your standards later
than to wean a 5-year-old from a threetimes-a-day habit. Here are some tips for
monitoring and limiting your child's viewing
time:
Monitoring your child's watching
-Limit the amount of time your child
spends watching. More than two hours a
day is too much. To make it seem to your
child that he's watching more — and to
keep his little brain from going on autopilot
as he watches — break up viewing into 10
- to 15-minute increments. Keep screens
out of the bedroom and turned off during
meals.
-Avoid setting a firm watching time
"allowance" for your child. This seems
counterintuitive, but it's surprisingly effec-
tive. You may want to let your child come to
you when he wants to watch and keep to
yourself what the absolute maximum is.
That way, you'll avoid tacitly sending the
message that there's a certain amount he
"should" be watching.
-Make screens physically inconvenient.
Too often, a screen is a backdrop to family
life: It blares away in the den or great room
while the kids are playing, Mom's cooking,
or the family is eating. Consider putting the
TV in a small, out-of-the-way room in the
house (on the second floor, if you have
one). Another way to keep the TV from
being front and center: Keep it in a cabinet
that remains closed when the TV is off.
Choosing what to watch
-Go with calm, quiet programs. Slowerpaced viewing gives your child time to
think and absorb. Lots of random activity,
like the kind in action/adventure cartoons,
confuses children. And some research
suggests that children who watch violence
on TV are more likely to display aggressive
behavior. Stay away from scary shows,
too. Choose simple programs that emphasize interactivity. Ideal are shows that
inspire your child to makes sounds, say
words, sing, and dance.
-Watch programs, not television. Rather than allowing your child to sit down
and watch whatever is on, select carefully
what he is going to watch. Turn off the set
when that show is over.
Your role
Watch with your children whenever
possible. Try not to use videos or television as a babysitter. One study looked at
three groups: children with unlimited access to television, children with moderate
access who watched without a parent, and
children with moderate access who
watched with a parent. The last group
scored significantly higher academically
than did the other groups. That aside, just
being there says to your child, "What you
do is important to me."
Help your child become a critical viewer. Even young children can learn to watch
without "tuning out." If you're watching
commercial television, talk about what's
going on in the show and in the ads (and
clarify the difference between the two).
Encourage your child to ask questions and
relate what's happening in the show to his
own life. If you're watching shows without
ads, you can watch when you choose and
pause to discuss what's going on.
Make yourself a role model. Children are
most affected by the example parents set,
so don't channel surf or keep the TV on as
background noise. If your kids see you
eagerly sitting down every so often to
watch a specific show and concentrating
on what you're seeing, they'll recognize the
potential for enjoyment that movies and
other shows actually promise.
Page 3
ITTS Newsletter
MISTLE”TOES”
Here is a fun Christmas craft with a pun on
the word mistletoe.
Materials:
Art Paper
Paint in a variety of colors*
Paint Brushes
Markers
Baby Wipes
Butcher Paper
*(Try Crayola Paints). If you use a different type of paint, it should be
labeled non-toxic and be sure to check that the label says washable).
Prep:
Ready the green paint for the footprints.
Cover a table with butcher paper.
Place all other materials on the table.
Directions:
Help your child make green footprints on the art paper. The best
way is to have your child sit in a chair while applying the paint to
their feet and have them stand on the art paper. Clean off their
feet with baby wipes.
Once the footprints have dried, encourage your child to paint on
ribbon, lettering and polka dots. Help children with the lettering if
they are too young to write the letters.
SWEET POTATO PUDDING
Ingredients:
2 pounds white sweet potatoes, peeled
1 large ripe banana, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
18 ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cloves, crushed
Rind of 1 lemon, grated
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
3 teaspoons butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grate sweet potatoes into mixing bowl. Mash banana into sweet
potatoes.
Add all the ingredients (except 1 tablespoon brown sugar), mixing
in 1 ingredient at a time until each is fully blended into the mix.
Spread evenly into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan (greased) and sprinkle reserved brown sugar over top of pudding.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
Serve warm or cold and refrigerate leftovers.
EGGLESS PUMPKIN PIE—(can be dairy-free as well)
Ingredients:
2 cup pumpkin (16 oz. can)
2 cups milk—can substitute other milks (almond, soy, coconut)
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Add salt, cinnamon and cornstarch to pumpkin. Stir and add
sugar, then milk.
Bake in unbaked pie shell and serve with shipped cream. Bake
at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower to 350 degrees for one
hour.
Optional: Omit 1 cup of milk and the brown sugar and replace
with 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.
Page 4
ITTS Newsletter
RECALLS
Graco Recalls 11 Models of Strollers Due to Fingertip Amputation Hazard
This recall includes eleven Graco and Century-branded strollers with model names Aspen, Breeze, Capri, Cirrus,
Glider, Kite, LiteRider, Sierra, Solara, Sterling and TravelMate. All models are a single-occupant stroller with an
external sliding fold-lock hinge on each side and a one-hand fold release mechanism on the handle. Strollers with a
manufacture date from August 1, 2000 to September 25, 2014 are included in the recall. Model numbers and the
date of manufacture are printed on the white label located at the bottom of the stroller leg just above the rear wheel.
The folding hinge on the sides of the stroller can pinch a child’s finger, posing a laceration or amputation hazard.
Sold at: Target, Toys R Us, Walmart and other retail stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com and
other online retailers from August 2000 through November 2014 for about $40-70 for the stroller and about $140-$170 for
the Travel System.
Contact Graco immediately for a free repair kit. Repair kits will be available from the firm at the beginning of December
2014. While waiting for a repair kit, caregivers should exercise extreme care when unfolding the stroller to be certain that
the hinges are firmly locked before placing a child in the stroller. Caregivers are advised to immediately remove the child
from a stroller that begins to fold to keep their fingers from the side hinge area.
Toys R Us Recalls Toy Toaster Sets Due to Choking Hazard
The recall includes the Just Like Home brand toy toaster sets. The teal blue plastic toy toaster has silver trim around the slice opening on
top, with an orange slider handle on the side and orange 3-dimensional adjustment knob outlined with orange dots in a half moon shape
on the face of the toaster in the left bottom corner. “Just like home” is printed in white on the front right bottom corner of the toaster. Model
number 5F60589 is printed on a white label on the bottom of the toaster
The plastic toast, under pressure, can crack and break into small pieces creating sharp edges and posing a choking hazard.
Sold exclusively at: Toys R Us stores nationwide and online at www.toysrus.com from July 2013 through August 2014 for
about $10.
Consumers should immediately take this product away from children and return it to any Toys R Us to receive a full refund.
Please visit www.cpsc.gov/recalls for more information and a complete list of recalls.
Community Care Connections, Inc.
EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Infant-Toddler Therapy Services
Little Children, Big Futures
Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Developmental and Nutrition Services
Offered at no cost for children birth to age three with developmental delays or disabilities.
Becky Werner-Director
For additional information please call 724-283-3198 or visit our website:
www.communitycareconnect.org