How to choose cartoons for your child

1. What you should know about cartoons

Why show cartoons to a child

You can show cartoons without having any special purpose in mind. Children like them, involve them in thinking about what is happening on the screen, and this in itself is useful for the development of children aged 3–6 years. Of course, this is also entertainment and relaxation - and not only for the child. I want to emphasize that the desire of a parent to relax and at the same time to entertain the baby is a natural desire, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Having personal time that you can devote to yourself is very important.

Also, cartoons can teach a child something new (names of animals, numbers or letters), introduce them to various social situations. To do this, it is not necessary to look for the mark "developing", it can be any cartoon that is of interest to the kid. Of course, content should be checked for age-appropriateness. However, the main rule here is one: a child learns only if he is passionate. Therefore, fun is a key criterion.

Another goal can be called communication with the child, if you plan to watch the cartoon together and then discuss it.

How the age rating is assigned

Alexandra Artemyeva Producer of animation projects of the group of companies "".

Not only in Russia, but also in most other countries of the world, age marking is adopted: 0+, 6+, 12+, 16+, 18+. These values are indicative in nature and help parents understand what is contained or not in a particular content.

Any work that comes out on the cinema screens and is broadcast on television necessarily gets an age limit. The decision on this issue is made by the Ministry of Culture when issuing a rental certificate, and all assessment criteria are enshrined in the law on the protection of children from information that could harm them. Here are the basic "baby" markings:

0+: in the cartoon there is no aggression or something that harms the health of the characters. According to the plot, good always triumphs over evil. By the way, the latter may be absent altogether.
6+: in the cartoon, there can be more active interaction between the characters: fights, skirmishes, but frivolous and without any special consequences. Even if the characters in the plot get into an accident, they get off with a slight fright and a couple of scratches.
12+: in such cartoons there are already action scenes, but without excessive naturalism and aggressiveness. It can be an escape from somewhere or self-defense. In this case, the characters should always sympathize with the victim.

What technical factors are important in cartoons for the little ones

It is more difficult for children to perceive video content. The younger the child, the more time it takes for him to become aware of the movement of both real objects and objects on the screen. Therefore, a distinctive feature of content for the smallest is smooth movements and a small number of splices (that is, transitions from one scene to another). This helps the child understand what is happening and less fatigue. In addition, it is important to pay attention to the following factors:

The movement of the characters in the scenes should not merge. It is important that the visual part of the cartoon is contrasting and that you can easily separate the characters from each other and from the background.
Bright "acidic" colors can simply overwork the child. Such a color scheme is always a stress on the nervous system, and some children get tired of it faster. However, choosing a quieter color scheme does not change the first rule about contrast.
Objects on the screen should not move too fast for the child to have time to perceive them.
The speech of characters in cartoons for the little ones should have three properties: consist of short phrases, be understandable and emotional. For example, the heroes can pronounce simple phrases: "How are you ?!", "And you try, like me!", "Hurray! We play offensive! " etc.

What is the role of the voiceover

Voiceover is not only a tool for engaging the viewer in a story, but also an assistant in concentration. Toddlers from two to six years old are just learning to maintain focus on the plot on their own, and the voice-over helps them in this.

The second function of the voiceover is to explain what is happening to the viewer. Children can look at the picture, but not understand what is happening there. The voice performs the function of an adult who, together with the child, watches the cartoon and helps to understand the plot.

In addition, for some parents, a voiceover is a hint for talking to a child. You can mark for yourself certain intonations, write out phrases to use them when explaining to the baby any phenomena of the surrounding world. Here are some examples:

“Oh, you seem to be upset. It looks like something happened and now you're sad."
About the picture: “A red steamer and a blue house? Very nice!"
"Do you know what color this paint is?"
"Why is the squirrel angry?"

Expressions like these help us simplify our speech, make it easier for children to understand.

2. What to look for when choosing a cartoon for a child

The most important rule of choice is your child's interest. Observe how he watches cartoons: what plots he is attracted to, whether he is focused or quickly distracted (this indicates his understanding of what is happening).

The second rule is development benefits. Of course, the baby himself will not tell you what helps him to develop better, but the parent can reflect on his values: which of them would you like to instill in your son or daughter? Watch one or two episodes of each potentially eligible cartoon. Typically, each episode is no more than 5-6 minutes long, so you don't waste a lot of time watching and evaluating.

There are some more selection parameters that I myself am guided by:

A clear and “accessible” plot. Simple storytelling without intricate relationships between characters.
Age marking. A 6+ rated cartoon can be difficult for a 3 year old to understand.
Child's interest. Does he understand what is happening on the screen? Is he involved in the plot?

I would also like to touch on the topic of Soviet cartoons - often parents prefer them. I believe that this is definitely the choice of the family. Just ask a few questions: “Do I agree / agree with the behavior of the cartoon characters? Agree / agree with the moral of this cartoon? Do I want to acquaint my child with this moral?"

If you do not agree, this does not mean that you should definitely not show this cartoon to your child. After watching, you will be able to discuss what you saw with your son or daughter, and this will be an occasion to talk heart to heart, to understand each other better. By the way, the questions that I gave above are suitable for choosing any cartoons, not only the Soviet cartoon heritage.

Alexandra Artemyeva Producer of the animated series "Malyshariki" (Riki group of companies).

Children at an early age absorb everything like sponges, and it is very important not to allow negative examples or dangerous content that can negatively affect the child's psyche.

Here's what I advise parents to pay attention to when choosing a cartoon for their baby:

Rating … This is not only about the age limit, but also about the rating of viewers' sympathies on different platforms.
Reviews parents about this or that cartoon.
My own impression. Watch a couple of episodes of the animated series yourself and decide whether to show the child or not.
Recommendations from friends who have children … Perhaps they will recommend a lot of good cartoons that you don't know yet.

And of course, you need to ask the child's opinion. Find out from him what he saw in a particular episode. Sometimes you need to explain to your son or daughter what happened in the cartoon, why the character behaves this way. I think that it is better to discuss it immediately after watching, since the child can simply forget what the episode was about. But if you do not have the moral strength for dialogue, this is also normal - children do not always need a discussion, sometimes they can reflect on the plot on their own.

3. How to watch cartoons

How long can a child watch cartoons

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend that children include cartoons under 18 months of age. It is believed that cartoons at this age limit the child's ability to explore the physical and social world: objects and people around him.

From the age of two, an hour of watching any video per day is allowed. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's website has several guidelines for making a plan for your child's screen exposure:

Before 18 months, it is best to use the screen (tablet or smartphone) only for communication with adults. For example, with a parent who went on a business trip, or a grandmother living in another city.
From 18 to 24 months, you can show educational videos in the presence of an adult.
At the age of 2-5 years, the limit for watching entertainment and games should be no more than one hour per day. On weekends, you can increase it, but not more than three hours a day.
For children six years and older, encourage a healthy lifestyle and increase the number of activities that do not involve interacting with the screen.
Make it a rule to turn off all mobile devices during family meals and entertainment. Remember that this rule applies not only to children, but also to you.
Explore and apply parental controls on devices that are accessible to children.
Do not use a game on a tablet or watching a cartoon to calm your child down. It is important to understand that the screen is not a nanny for the baby, it will not help to stop tantrums, but will only aggravate them.
Stop using any screens 30-60 minutes before bed.

Sarah Benjamin-Nealon, associate professor of public health at Johns Hopkins Research University, argues that long screening and its impact on child development in the future has not yet been adequately studied, but parent survey data show "potential negative effects." Sarah also warns that the study does not take into account the child's activity during the day. “Perhaps some children do not show the activity that is expected of them on their own - and this does not depend on the impact of the screen on them,” she concludes.

In my opinion, everything is really individual. Your child may be overexcited after 20 minutes of watching cartoons, and someone will be calm in an hour. This can only be found out experimentally.

If the baby becomes restless after 40 minutes in front of the screen, then it is worth limiting the viewing time to 30 minutes. You need to be flexible about this and pay attention to how he feels on a particular day.

Is it obligatory to watch cartoons with the child and discuss what he saw

On the one hand, it is important for children to share their impressions with us and they are often happy to watch cartoons together. On the other hand, there are times when the parents need to rest or the child just wants to be alone. There are no hard and fast rules here either. Focus on your own feelings and, of course, listen to your son or daughter.

The discussion after watching primarily depends on the level of development of the child - on what level of conversation he is able to support. It is enough for kids that you are next to them and emotionally comment on what is happening on the screen: “Wow! What an owl! "," This is gingerbread! " or "Oh, the bunny has arrived!" Such phrases show that you share the child's emotions in a way that he understands. You can also speculate about the situation depicted: “Where did the machine go?”, “Oh, everything fell. How so? "," Where is the watermelon? Who took it away is unclear."

By experiencing what is happening on the screen with your baby, you help him better understand himself and his emotions. This approach will strengthen your relationship, make the child feel that at the moment when something worried him, you were there.

If the son or daughter is already able to maintain a conversation, you can determine the moral of the story, evaluate the actions of the characters, and show your attitude to the events shown. For example, notice that a character acted badly by taking something from someone else without asking. In such a conversation, it is worth paying attention to the emotions that the hero experiences and the relationship between him and those around him. For example: “Kroshik was upset that the ball was taken from him. Of course, he wanted to play, but there was no ball”.

Of course, you don't have to discuss every cartoon. If you have the energy for this, then it's good, but if you don't have the energy, just postpone the discussion until they appear.