Choosing a good children's cartoon based on age and content

It seems that there is not a single child who does not like watching cartoons. However, you as a parent must still pay attention to what children watch in their daily lives. Not all cartoons are useful and suitable for young children to watch, even though they are entertaining. Come on, find out what kind of children's cartoon is good, and how often you have to watch TV so it doesn't damage their health.

Smartly, select children's cartoon shows

1. Choose the appropriate age

You can generally start introducing cartoon films for your little one from the age of 16 months to over one year. At this age range, young children have shown their interest in motion, color, sound, and various images that appear before their eyes even though they are not completely clear.

However, choosing a film must be according to its age, you know! Make sure to select children's cartoon films with a rating SU (All Ages) make local production or G (General Audience) if you want to show international films.

Now for cartoon shows on television, the special rating for children is:

SU (all people over the age of 2 years)
P (preschoolers aged 2-6 years)
A (children aged 7-12 years)

Average television shows that have this rating are child-friendly. You can see the TV broadcast category in the upper right or left corner of your glass screen.

2. Choose the theme of playing while learning

Choosing children's cartoons can be entertaining, but don't leave the learning aspect behind.

After paying attention to the rating, also pay attention to the content:

For 1-2 year olds, choose cartoons with simple pictures, such as a moving ball, or moving alphabets to music. Music and dance will invite children to enthusiastically move their bodies, which can also be a way to hone children's gross motor skills.
For children over 2-4 years, choose a cartoon that can invite them to memorize the alphabet, say numbers, teach new vocabulary, or guess pictures of animals or colors.
If your little one is 4-5 years old, you can provide more interactive cartoon shows. Interactive cartoons open the opportunity for children to play questions and answers even though through the screen.
When the child is around 6-12 years old, you can give children cartoon shows with stories of superheroes, friendship, family, or everyday life that are broadcast on TV stations at certain hours.

In general, you can also introduce cartoons with moral content to teach children how to socialize with peers and behave towards older people. So while playing and watching TV, children will also get valuable lessons for the future

3. Choose the right time to watch

Children's cartoons are usually shown at certain times to suit their daily activities. For children aged 1-5 years, give them a minute to watch TV after their nap or come home from the playground (playgroup).

For children who are school-aged, it's best to provide a schedule for watching cartoons in the afternoon after school / tutoring, or in the morning during the weekend.

Avoid these child cartoons

Avoid children's cartoons whose storylines are too long and difficult to understand. Of course, because this will not be appropriate and support the development of children according to their age. However, what must also be considered is the content of the broadcast and the scenario of the dialogue.

1. Contains violence

So, don't give children permission to watch cartoons featuring acts of violence, quarrels, or fights. Either verbally by means of harsh words, or non-verbally such as hitting, slapping, kicking, or punching even though it has been packaged hyperbolically and unrealistically. For example hitting characters A through flat with a jumbo size club hammer.

Even though the broadcast is in the form of animation and we know it is impossible, children do not have critical thinking to distinguish between fantasy and reality, so they still consider everything they see on TV as truth.

2. Displays SARA content

Do not give children permission to watch cartoons containing SARA issues that attack, demean, ridicule, and discredit ethnicity, religion, race (seen from skin color and facial features), and certain groups. Do not also display children's cartoons that often differentiate between genders.

Displaying cartoon content like this will make it difficult for children to empathize which can have a negative impact on their social life in the future.

3. Smells sexual

Not a few children's cartoons are marginalized with pornographic or unsavory things. Apart from being very inappropriate for the child's age, broadcasts that smelled of sexual matters were also not good for the development of a very young brain.

Young children cannot yet distinguish between right and wrong. Cartoon shows that contain these things will instill the idea that fighting, violence, and sexual behavior under age are normal. Children also have high curiosity and imagination, so they tend to imitate them.

Apart from the three prohibitions above, you should also avoid cartoon shows that can encourage children to behave consumptively. For example, asking if you want to buy this toy after seeing it on TV.

Therefore, children still need guidance from adults so they are not mistaken.

How long can children watch cartoons?

Summarizing various sources, pediatricians and child health experts from around the world generally agree that the ideal TV viewing duration for children aged 2 years and under should be less than 1 hour every day, while children 2 years and over a maximum of two hours per day.

Over time watching TV can have many bad effects for children. Quoted from KidsHealth, children who like to spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be obese. The reason is that when children watch TV for too long, their bodies will remain still for a long time and tend to want to snack while staring at the screen. Obesity in children increases the risk of developing dangerous chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease in the future.

In addition, cartoon shows that are full of violence also have the risk of making children show deviant and aggressive behavior. Watching violent movies too often has the risk of making children grow up to have antisocial and psychopathic tendencies.

How to limit children from watching TV continuously

Not that you have to forbid your little one from watching TV or children's cartoons, unplugging all tv cables and internet modems in your home. After all, both are intermediaries for everyone to communicate, learn new things, and get information. However, with your guidance, the child's time watching TV can be beneficial.

1. Make a schedule for watching TV

Schedule children to watch TV at certain times or only for certain children's favorite programs, according to the agreement. If the child violates, tell what punishment will happen if the child violates this agreement. For example, such as being prohibited from watching TV for 1 week.

2. Parents must watch TV with children

This is a way to limit and monitor the time the child watches TV. By watching TV together, parents can explain what you both saw and make it a discussion material to encourage children to be critical of what they watch.

3. Divert attention and turn off the TV when there is any inappropriate viewing

When you think your child is watching an inappropriate program. Afterward, explain carefully why he should not watch it alone, without adult supervision.

Dr. Vic Strassburger as a representative of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advised parents not to provide internet access and cable TV for very young children, especially those aged 1-10 years. This can make it difficult for parents to monitor what children access and watch on the screen or on gadget they,

5. Do not allow children to watch TV during meals and study time

Avoid watching TV while eating or studying. To avoid boredom while studying, try to make learning activities or sports outdoors so that you can help them become active. So, children will waste more time moving and learning than watching TV.