by Malvika Bose

Created on: November 29, 2010

Children often turn to television when they cannot think of anything else to do. Particularly in winter when it is mostly wet and dark outside, television seems to be the easy and best option.

Some parents allow children to watch television for hours at a time so that they can get their chores done in some peace and also get their desperately needed coffee break.

Working parents have to do household chores before or after work and with the kind of pressure at work these days, people seem to have lost the ability to be patient to a child’s constant demand for attention.

Television thus takes place of the child-minder as it completely grabs the child’s attention for any number of hours. There are plenty of channels for children of all ages and they very well know what to offer.

If this is the story of your house then it is time to think of another strategy as watching too much television is detrimental to the mental and physical well-being of a child. Studies have shown children who watch more than two hours of television a day are more at risk of developing shorter attention span which manifests into learning difficulties in later life. They are also more at risk of being obese besides developing eating disorders.

So how can a parent ensure that their child does not become a big fan of the idiot-box? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Books: Let them rediscover books. Choose books wisely according to your child’s interest. In the beginning it could be the books and magazines that are related to your child’s favorite television program.

For toddlers and pre-teens colorful picture books and comics can do the trick. For teenagers even if it is a glossy gossip magazine, let them read it. Slowly move on to other books which have been made into movies like ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Chronicles of Narnia’. Make a list of the movies that your child is fond of which you know has been adapted from a book.

Slowly bring in some non-fiction literature like ‘Guineas book of World records’ or ‘Tell me why’ and such books which have facts presented in an interesting way. Encourage your child to read a few lines from the news papers articles which you deem to e suitable for them.

2. Play at home: Introduce new board games and Jig-Saw puzzles to your child suitable to their age group. Word making games like ‘scrabble’ and mental games like ‘Sudoku’ will go a long way to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.

The child will appreciate the time that their parents are giving them and it could be great ‘Family time’ for everyone. You could also do some outdoor activities like cycling, swimming or going on walks as a family.

3. Household Chores: Children are always eager to get involved with whatever their parents do. Give them some simple chores like tidying up parts of the living room or setting the dining table and they would more often a willing participant. They also learn from these chores which will help them in the long run.

4. Flare their Imagination: Drawing, sketching, crafts, clay modeling; provide them with whatever they fancy and get down on your knees to join them. Anything you create together would be time well spent. Show your child’s best creations to friends and family and let your little once bask in glory. Soon they will have a new hobby.

5. Television time: Lastly try and watch television with your kids. Choose a mix of fun and informative programs and keep set times for kids for watching television. Now-a-days set top boxes can record programs so you can watch your own favorites when the kids are in bed.  

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