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Manage Your Family’s Television Time

ChemMaster 2 April 2008 Home & Household 5 views One Comment  Print This Post

There are many ways you and your family can decrease the amount of television you watch. Since television has become a new addiction for all children, teenagers, and adults today, it is extremely important that this problem is taken care of as soon as possible.

An easy way to restrict children from watching television is to forbid them from watching during weekdays and limit the amount of time on weekends. For example, you could have them not watch at all during the week (and let them focus on homework or other priorities first) then allow them a total of one hour , or a time limit you deem suitable on the weekends. This usually ensures that a child does not rush on their homework to watch their favorite show, and could also create more family time. For example, instead of having your child sit in front of the television as you sort through junk mail, you should have them help you set up the table and get out ingredients to cook supper with.

Make it a rule to complete work before you sit in front of the television. Even after you complete it, it’s not recommendable to have the television as a reward or “relaxation time.” Remember: there are many other ways you could make use of your time instead of watching the television.

Most families today have trouble with television “taking over” their lives. Here are some handy tips to keep in mind before you reach for the remote:

- Turn off the television during meals. Having the television on during meals could hook your child to the television even more. Try to encourage a family dinner at the dining table, or somewhere less distracting.

- Have more conversations and try to “drown out” the feeling of noise from the television. The children that tend to watch television more are the ones that tend to not interact with their parents as much. It is important that the television does not dominate their lives.

- Get the televisions out of your bedrooms. Most people today have televisions in their rooms, which usually causes a distraction when priorities come first. Children who have a television in their own rooms tend to have an unacceptable performance in school and have sleeping problems. Adults who have televisions in their own rooms tend to watch it before they handle their work.

- Don’t use the television as a punishment or reward. This could hook children to the television if they have not yet encountered their “fatal mistake” with it. Adults who use the television as a punishment or a reward may cause it to become a bad habit.

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