Kids today spend more time watching TV than they do in school. Kathryn Whitfill, former president of the National PTA says, “Television isn’t going away. Families might as well learn to deal with it in a realistic way.”
Here are some ways you can take charge of your family’s TV viewing.
- Decide how much TV your family will watch. Set weekly limits—and stick to them.
- Plan your TV viewing. Don’t just watch “what’s on.” Instead, use the weekly TV schedule to plan programs your family wants to watch.
- Set guidelines for choosing the programs your children watch. Choose those that include themes and ideas that are in tune with the values important to your family—and that will enhance your children’s education.
- Make TV viewing an interactive, family event. Watch programs with your kids. Let the stories lead you to conversation about topics that are often difficult to discuss: death, divorce, family relationships, sex.
- Use TV as a starting point. If you see an interesting story, find books or magazines that can help your kids learn more about the topic. If your local station includes a story about an interesting place to visit in your community, plan a family outing to go there.
Copyright © Parent Institute
- You might also be interested in
- This article is part of the following topics:
- Building Responsibility & Independence Learning at Home Screen Time
Comments on You Can Take Charge of Your Family’s TV Viewing