Close
Enter your
text here

Education & Learning

How important is outdoor recess for children in elementary school?
 How important is outdoor recess for children in elementary school? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Hi, I am a parent of a first grader who attends public elementary school. Her school offers the option of having an outdoor recess period after lunch or an indoor free-time in the school’s media center (essentially an extension of the library, featuring several computers, tablets, and eReaders). When I first heard about this…

read more
How can I ensure social media safety for students with special needs?
 How can I ensure social media safety for students with special needs? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: At the therapeutic day school where I work, we’ve been encountering a number of internet and social media issues with our students (all kids with emotional/behavioral special needs). I would love to get your thoughts and ideas on how to best educate our kids and their parents on how to understand and appropriately use…

read more
Do pop-up ads affect young children?
 Do pop-up ads affect young children? 150 150 Mediatrics

My almost 3-year-old son loves to watch Caillou on Sprout, a TV channel that carries programming for infants and young children. Throughout Caillou, there are many pop-ups that soundlessly advertise Sprout or the next show that will air. These pop-ups distract me as an adult. Have there have been any studies on how they affect young…

read more
Is having music on in the background harmful to toddlers?
 Is having music on in the background harmful to toddlers? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I recently read that exposure to background media (TVs, computers, etc.) can affect a child’s development. Is this true for music as well? I play classical music, light rock, and NPR in the background throughout the day with our toddler. I thought it would be good for her. Is it potentially not so good?  -Background…

read more
Will my young kids be ‘missing out’ without a smartphone?
 Will my young kids be ‘missing out’ without a smartphone? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I am mom to a 3-year-old and a newborn. I’m careful about the amount and content of my kids’ screen time. I occasionally try to find simple computer games for my toddler to develop keyboard and mouse skills, but I wonder if these skills will be relevant for her in the future. I’m starting…

read more
My children’s school uses TV during rest time, lunch time, and recess–what should I do?
 My children’s school uses TV during rest time, lunch time, and recess–what should I do? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: At my children’s elementary school, TV is used every day in kindergarten during “rest time.” For the older students, how TV is used varies depending on the teacher or assistant teacher. Some use it during lunch to keep kids quiet or in lieu of recess when it’s raining or cold outside. Do you know…

read more
Making ‘friends’ with your children’s media—and how it can help you parent
 Making ‘friends’ with your children’s media—and how it can help you parent 150 150 Mediatrics

The Mediatrician® contributed to the following post on A Platform for Good, the Family Online Safety Institute's resource page and blog. Last winter, a father read an angry letter his 15-year-old daughter had posted on Facebook. In response, he put nine bullets into her laptop and posted the video online. Within weeks, it had garnered millions…

read more
Should my 5-year-old be watching educational TV?
 Should my 5-year-old be watching educational TV? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: So far I’ve only allowed my 5-year-old to watch DVDs that I’ve selected. Should I introduce some quality educational TV programs, or should I stick to my guns and keep her away from TV—and the commercials that come with it—for as long as I can? –Tepid about TV, USA A: Dear Tepid, Your question…

read more
With all the gadgets we have at home, how can I monitor my kids’ internet use?
 With all the gadgets we have at home, how can I monitor my kids’ internet use? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I have a 5 and 10 year old and am wondering how I can monitor their internet use. We have a wireless Lynksys system, a Macbook, Wii, Xbox, and a Windows computer. Any thoughts?–Surfing, in South Jersey A: Dear Surfing, There are a number of software and firmware products that claim to monitor and/or…

read more
How do I keep my toddler from throwing a tantrum when I turn off the DVD player?
 How do I keep my toddler from throwing a tantrum when I turn off the DVD player? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: Each morning while I shower and get dressed, I let my two-year-old son watch 10-15 minutes of an innocuous video. This has worked well to keep him safe and still while I shower, but he pitches a fit every time I turn the movie off, despite the fact that we do this same routine every day and…

read more