by Rita McQuillan

Created on: May 27, 2009   Last Updated: January 06, 2012

  

How to Help Children Avoid Becoming Addicted to Television

Most children are watching over 2 hours of television per day.  Many children over the age of eight are even watching 4 hours of television per day plus spending two hours or more on a computer. www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects _child.html#

Television viewing can be a very good tool for preschoolers to learn letters and numbers. School age children can learn about wildlife through nature shows.  Adults can stay informed about the world events through the news shows.  However, too much television can lead to various problems such as obesity, scary dreams, thinking the world is a scary place, violence, interference with reading and interference interacting with others around them.  Even the ads promote problems by glorifying junk food, cigarette smoking and swearing to name a few.

According to the American Academy of Pediatricians a child under the age of two should not watch any television at all due the nature of the formation of the brain at this age.  Children over the age of two should have 1 to 2 hours of appropriate television viewing only.

Viewing television when used wisely is an asset, but we do need to be aware of the addiction to sitting on the couch and watching to much:

How to’s:

1.                  Set an example.

2.                  Provide alternative activities.  For example you can get outside and get active with them.  We all benefit from this.

3.                  Share one television. 

4.                  Avoid eating while watching the television. Links to childhood obesity are linked to eating while watching television.  http://kidstvmovies.about.com

5.                  Make a rule regarding homework and chores needing to be done before watching television.

6.                  Set a time limit.

7.                  Monitor what your child watches, even if it is just the first few minutes of a show, and do not hesitate to turn it off if it not suitable viewing.  You can use this time to talk about why we should not watch people fighting, swearing, etc.   Or you may be up later in the night comforting a scared child in the night.  You can make a game of it by using three strikes.  If a show gets three strikes the channel needs to be switched.  Younger kids love yelling “Strike one!”

       

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I have set the television time to after bath at my house.  Often we run out of time for television.  My kids are getting fewer nightmares now too.   As a result I am sleeping better too.  Television when used wisely can be a great asset to our children and to ourselves, but like anything else to much of a good thing is not a good thing.

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