by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: January 31, 2010

We live in a society that is addicted to visual media. Television, computers, computer video games, Nintendo games, Game Boy Games, X Box, Wii and more. More and more, children are turning to television for entertainment rather than reading, playing outside or participating in other activities. For parents, this can be a difficult dilemma, but difficult though it may be, it's not impossible to get kids to watch less television.

Here is a look at some ways by which to ensure that children will watch less television.

*Plan family activity times -

If you go to the trouble to plan some activities for the entire family, this will help children get used to the idea of doing things other than watching television. You don't have to find expensive things to do. Go to a free museum, an ice skating rink, to a community center where the kids can swim, go hiking on a nature trail or anything else.

*Read together as a family -

Children don't become avid readers unless their parents make a point of exposing them to books. If their parents are big readers, this sets a good example for the children. Plan time when you can all gather together, sit down somewhere and read a book together. Read popular classics like The Wizard of Oz, Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, or any other important classic family oriented book.

*Involve them in extra curricular activities -

Much of the time, children tend to plop themselves in front of the television because they are bored. They want some stimulation and/or entertainment, but haven't learned how to find it for themselves. If you get them involved in some sort of activity, that will naturally make it impossible to spend as much time watching television. Music lessons, soccer, ballet, football, baseball, skating, tap dancing, chess, art classes or anything else can be a great way to stimulate a child and introduce them to things other than television.

*Have family game time -

Set aside a specific regular weekly time during which the entire family will play games together. Play board games or card games that everyone can get involved in. Once the children experience these games, they may discover that they are really quite fun, and rather than running to the television for entertainment, they may play board games amongst themselves.

*Limit the amount of unstructured time the kids have -

The more unstructured time children have, the more tempting it will be for them to sit in front of the television. Make sure that when they are home, they have to do things according to a schedule. This will help them learn to be more disciplined in their later life. Watching hours and hours of television isn't healthy for anyone.

If you set a policy where by they are only allowed to watch a certain amount of television in a day, the children or child will be forced to choose what they want to watch. Make sure that the children understand that watching television is a privilege, not a right. In order to get that privilege, they must do their homework, required chores and whatever you feel they need to do.

The real key to prevent children from watching so much television lies in the amount of control the parents are willing to take. When children learn that they need to have permission to do things and that if they do things without permission, there will be consequences, it won't take long for the message to sink in. Do things together as a family so that the children get a better sense of family togetherness. Plan activities that take you places so that the children can get out and enjoy things in the world and great weather. The more occupied they are, the less desperate they will be for things to occupy their mind and time.

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