Monday, April 25, 2005

TV-Proof Your Home

Posted by Hello


1. Move the television set(s) to less prominent locations. TV is far less tempting when it is not accessible.

2. Hide the remote control.

3. Remove the TV set from your child's bedroom. A television in the bedroom draws children away from family activities and distracts them from homework, thinking, reading, and sleeping. In addition, parents may find it difficult to monitor programs that are inappropriate or unhealthy.

4. Keep the TV off during dinner. Meals are a great time for conversation.
5. Place clear time limits on television viewing. Try to restrict viewing to a half-hour per day or one hour every other evening. Explain your rules in positive, concrete terms. Try replacing, "You can't watch TV," with, "Let's turn off the TV so we can…".

6. Avoid using TV as a baby-sitter. Involve children in household activities. Make laundry folding into a game. Give then an opportunity to help out.

7. Designate certain days of the week as TV-free days (e.g. school nights).
8. Don't use TV as a reward or punishment. This increases its power and can lead to conflict over its use.

9. Listen to your favorite music or the radio as background noise.

10. Cancel your cable subscription. Use the monthly savings to buy a game or a book.

11. Don't fret if children claim, "I'm bored!" For children, boredom often leads to creativity.

12. Don't let the TV displace what's important: family conversations, exercise, play, reading, creating, thinking and doing.

From the TV Turn-off Network

1 comment:

CallaLilly said...

Growing up, I spent 7 years without TV, and those were the happpiest years of my childhood because we interacted more. What's amazing to me is how easily I become addicted to silly programs on TV without even realizing it.