by Kat Ballew

Created on: July 02, 2010   Last Updated: July 28, 2010

Watching television has become a favorite pastime for children these days. While there are many shows that are educational; there are also those that are not. While more and more networks seem to cater to the audience of young teens and children, they can have a major influence on their lives, personalities and attitudes, and the effects are not always positive. These are some of the reasons why parents should find alternative entertainment to TV for their children. 

Many children are obsessed with watching TV. It is the only thing they do in their free time, and this can lead to laziness and forgetfulness. When a child comes home from school and turns the television on, it is easy to lose track of time, and neglect responsibilities such as doing homework or chores. When this becomes a habit, it is often hard to break, and eventually a child will begin to suffer in school because of not doing their school work at home.

Another reason why parents should find alternative entertainment to TV for their children is because it often leads to snacking, which is a favorite pastime while watching TV. Usually these snack foods are unhealthy and fattening, and before you know it, a kid has consumed a whole bag of chips. Spending hours upon hours in front of the television instead of getting out and becoming active is not a healthy habit. It can lead to obesity and other health problems. Instead, getting outside, keeping in shape by playing ball, riding bicycles or just walking with other kids in the neighborhood is a much better choice. 

Finding alternative entertainment to TV for kids and encouraging them to express their creativity instead of stifling their abilities to be themselves without the influence of television will benefit them in life. It will help them to develop social skills and teach them to think for themselves. Watching too much television may lead kids to take on the opinions of the others, or act upon the characters in the shows that they watch, instead of interacting and forming their own opinions. 

When children get accustomed to watching television day in and day out, it not only becomes a habit, some kids have a hard time trying to function without the TV. They find it hard to sleep without the noise, and they leave it on when doing their homework or chores. When watching TV while doing other jobs, it becomes a distraction. At the same time, it also makes it hard to focus on the task at hand.  

These are some of the many reasons why parents should find alternative entertainment to TV for their children. While renting movies or having family night to watch certain shows is sometimes a way to spend time together, setting rules and limits to the amount of time a child watches television is important in order to encourage physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.

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