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Family Guidelines for Watching TV

by Theresa Carpine12/8/2008 3:35:59 PM

The kids are on a break from school. It’s raining outside. They’re tired of coloring and puzzles, and you’ve got a kitchen to clean. When you need to keep the kids distracted, it’s easy to resort to allowing an hour (or more) in front of the television. While I’ve always been a big fan of television, I know that it’s an activity that falls under the “everything in moderation” category, for kids and adults.

Television is a handy distraction, but parents should establish guidelines when it comes to watching the tube.

If you’re trying to establish some TV-watching guidelines for your family, here are a few suggestions to keep everyone accountable. Many of these guidelines might also be useful in creating rules about playing video games and computer time.

Keep TVs in Certain Rooms
It’s not a good idea to let children have a television in their bedroom because it is difficult for parents to monitor what kids are watching, as well as how much they watch. Studies of both children and adults have shown that watching television right before or while going to sleep can also disturb sleep patterns. Keep TVs out of the kitchen and dining room as well, so family conversation can be the focus at mealtimes, instead of a program.

Make TV-Watching a Privilege
Reserve TV-watching for times when homework and chores have been completed. In order to combat obesity, which health experts have connected with watching too much TV, perhaps you should strike a deal with your child that they get involved with an after-school sport or take dance lessons for each television program they want to watch at night. Help them to learn balance; watching TV is okay as long as it’s not the only thing they do. If kids want a snack during TV-time, offer fruit, veggies, or another low-fat and sugar-free treat.

Find Family-Friendly Alternatives to TV
Don’t let television become your family’s default nighttime activity. Instead, play games, make crafts, or put on a play; rotate between activities and topics that are of particular interest to each member of your family. And you can always check Neighborhood-Kids.com Activities to see if there are any family events taking place around Bellingham and Whatcom County that your kids might enjoy. If you want to watch a little TV, try to find something that the whole family can watch and discuss together. During high school, my family enjoyed watching “Jeopardy” together, calling out answers and commenting on which categories we liked.

Help Kids Learn to Separate TV from Reality
As a parent, you should be aware of what your kids are watching. Many shows for kids and teens include displays of violence and other risky behaviors. Instead of simply forbidding kids to watch shows that you think are questionable, watch an episode with them and engage in a discussion about the show. Help them learn to dissociate the actions of fictional characters with how you expect them to behave.

For more statistics about TV-viewing habits of kids, visit KidsHealth for Parents.

A Note About the Author: Theresa Carpine

Theresa Carpine graduated from WWU in 2006 with a BA in English Literature. She enjoys yoga, listening to music, riding her bike in downtown Bellingham, and babysitting really cute kids.