Parents spend more time watching television and cleaning up around the house than talking to their children, a new survey reveals. That study said 350,000 youngsters a year are unable to string a sentence together by the age of five and can understand only simple instructions. Its poll of 1,000 Britons suggests that parents are so caught up with their daily routines - including TV viewing - they are neglecting to find time to chatter to their children.
According to the survey, a third of parents spend less than two hours a day engaged in conversation with their children. Scientific studies have shown that talking to children, especially under-fives, is crucial for brain development. I CAN experts drew up the five milestones, including "understand basic words" and "put basic sentences together", and gave parents a jumbled-up list of the likely ages for them to be achieved.
I CAN's chief executive, Virginia Beardshaw, said the survey results were worrying but not surprising. "We know there is a 'golden time' from birth to five-years-old where if problems with speech and language are picked up, there is a much greater chance of solutions being found." She added that busy parents could incorporate chats with their children into their daily routines, for example by asking questions about television programmes or unpacking shopping bags together.
Miss Beardshaw said: "There are so many demands put on us, particularly for us parents. "It is unrealistic for us to yearn for years gone by when we had more family time. Twenty-first century life is here to stay and we acknowledge this.
"We are saying to parents they can build conversation into all their routine activities with children." While watching TV, for example, parents could ask their children what they think will happen next or how they feel about developments in the plot. I CAN's report on schoolchildren's language skills, published late last year, warned that half of youngsters - rising to 84 per cent in some areas - are starting formal education with "impoverished speech and language".
All-day television, the demise of the family meal and even forward-facing pushchairs have all been implicated in the death of conversation in the home. The charity has 175,000 free copies of its new DVD, Chatter Matters: Making life easier for you and your child, to give away via its website. TV psychologist Dr Tanya Byron, who presents it, said: "Communication skills are essential for healthy brain and behavioural development in children.
" 0-1 years: Recognise parents voice, make basic sounds and copy facial expressions 4 people have commented on this story so far. Tell us what you think below. Here's a sample of the latest comments published.
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Sometimes it's hard to have a conversation with somebody who replies in monosyllabic grunts! - Mrs.
C., Surrey
Most parents work, and therefore only see their children for about 2 hours per day as most children are in bed for 7pm. I was lucky enough to be able to take 12 months maternity leave after my daughter was born, but like most people, finances have forced me back to work.
I would love to spend all day chatting to my daughter but it's just not possible. The last thing Mothers need, are more so called 'experts' making us feel guilty about not spending enough time with our children! - Clare Lydon, Sunderland, England
Have found the article very interesting, and agree with all that was said, but would be obliged if you could let me know how I can obtain the DVD as mentioned in the article.
- Geraldine Eastwood, Lytham St.
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