It’s a familiar sight: A baby on a high chair at a restaurant, with an iPad in front of them!
We get it. We want our baby to be part of the wonderful experience of a family dinner. However, do we really wish to induce them into the habit of watching tv at such an early age? Needless to say, it doesn’t quite end there. The next thing you will find is, they have grown up five or six years, and are neatly curled on the couch as they watch the antics of Peppa Pig played out on the TV in front of them.
At EuroKids we believe that children being addicted to screens is one of the biggest challenges faced by parents in today’s day and age. In this article we have especially curated for all parents out there, a list of reasons why we should not watch tv while eating. Needless to say, the answer to the question ‘Can we watch tv while eating’, is a loud and resounding ‘No’!
If you find yourself glued to the screen, let it be for a purpose like this. Join us, as we navigate our way through the disadvantages of watching tv for your child. Oh, and just in case you didn’t know already, the ‘we’ in the question answered above, ‘Can we watch tv while eating’, includes ‘you’ as well as your little one!
Table of Contents
- The Disadvantages of watching TV for your child: The Effects of watching TV while eating
- Tips to help your Kids stop watching TV while Eating
The Disadvantages of watching TV for your Child: Why we Should Not watch TV while Eating
If you thought that watching TV was a good way to get your child to eat more, think again. That television screen will ultimately do more harm than good for your little one, and as mentioned above, for you as well!
Presenting the negative effects of watching TV while eating, for you and your child.
- A High Risk of Developing Obesity
- A tendency to reach for Junk Food
- It reduces the Metabolic Rate!
- They don’t garner a sense of ‘satisfaction’ from eating
- Indigestion
- No Family Bonding
Perhaps the top reason behind why we should not watch tv while eating, it’s little wonder this makes it to the top of the list!
Fact: Children and adults alike might end up eating a whole lot more, when engrossed in their favorite tv shows. That only runs them the high risk of becoming obese, which brings along with it a plethora of health issues like diabetes and hypertension.
One also tends to reach out for unhealthy snacks while watching their favorite shows. It’s not uncommon to see kids and adults alike, go to the kitchen in the middle of a show and return with a pack of chips! Needless to say, junk food is the prime culprit, where it comes to developing unwanted health conditions like obesity!
If certain studies are to be believed, watching tv while eating actually goes on to lower the rate at which kids and adults digest their food, vis a vis converting it into energy.
When we eat in front of the television, our minds are more fixated on what is happening on the screen, rather than what the food on our plates might be. As a result, we don’t really enjoy all the sensations that come along with ‘seeing’ and ‘tasting’ our food, that we would ordinarily experience at the dining table.
Fact: It is this sense of ‘dissatisfaction with eating’ that leads one to rummage through the fridge for treats later on, thus increasing the likelihood of developing obesity in the long run.
All that eating in front of the tv, can only mean that one has no idea of ‘processing’ how much they are eating. As a result, this leads to the unwanted issue of indigestion, which can end up being chronic over time.
If you thought that the entire family sitting in front of the tv while they eat makes for a great family bonding experience, you’re sorely mistaken!
Fact: Sitting in front of the television while you eat is just about the same thing as a bunch of people sitting together in a restaurant, with each person glued to their phone screens.
Tips to help your Kids stop watching TV while eating
Every parent feels that getting their child to stop watching TV while eating is just about as hard as getting them to come out of the pool at the club! However, here are some trips that might do the trick succinctly well!
- Minimize that ‘TV while Eating’ time
- Get them to indulge in their favourite foods
- Have stimulating conversations
Perhaps the best way to stop something is by not cutting it out entirely. Tell them they can only watch TV while eating, over the weekend!
This might mean more time spent in the kitchen, but it will certainly be worth it!
Not eating while watching TV, doesn’t mean the meal must be had in silence! Getting everyone to talk about how their day was, can lead to some pretty interesting conversations, and make mealtimes fun!
We at EuroKids believe that Meal Time should make for an intense family bonding experience, like it was back in the day when there were no TVs. Ensure that you only have dinner at the dining table, and switch that TV off when you do!
