How to Watch TV with Your Kids

Every parent knows how hard it is to keep their children from watching too much television. Violence, sex, and age-inappropriate subjects appear so often that it's difficult to control what your children are exposed to. But if you don't feel that it's realistic or even right to simply throw out the squawk box, you can still help your kids become reflective consumers of TV.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Discipline
• Willingness to watch kids' shows
• Good relationship with your kids

How to Watch TV with Your Kids

1. Always watch TV with your kids. Never use a television as a baby sitter. This way, you always know what your kids are watching, and you are also better prepared to talk to them about what they see.

2. Limit their TV time, and help them make deliberate choices about which programs to watch. Never let TV become a habit, and, instead, ration it out. This will help your child make better decisions about what shows to watch instead of just seeing "what's on."

3. Talk to your kids about the shows they watch. Ask them if they understand the lesson, for preschoolers' programs, or what they think of the characters and situations in older children's programming. Make them reflect on the difference between TV and reality, and get them in the habit of analyzing the things that they see so they don't become passive media consumers.

4. Encourage educational programming, but don't be alarmed if they really want to watch a violent show. Exposing children to difficult material is important, and simply talking about what they've seen can often overcome any ill effects of outlandish sexual or violent imagery.

5. Avoid cable and huge DVD libraries. One way to decrease your child's attachment to TV is simply limiting his or her options.

6. Model the behavior you want. That means you have to cut down on your own TV as well. It also helps to talk about the programs you enjoy to show them, again, that reflecting on what you watch is important.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't think of all television as dangerous. Instead, help your child cultivate a taste for particularly good programs, and encourage them to watch and learn from them.
• Never allow your child to have a TV in their room. This will only encourage them to spend more time watching it, and it prevents you from being able to talk about their shows.

Who Can Help:

• Better than Botox®? Free Kit