Know How To Prevent Your Child From Getting Addicted To Television

One of the major concerns of parents these days is that their children watch too much television. Television is no longer just a source of entertainment. It has become a way of life. There is nothing wrong in watching television per se, but if it becomes the over-riding pastime to the exclusion of constructive activities, the effects can be damaging.

Three to 10 year old children do not have the maturity or understanding or differentiate between good and bad programs making it essential for parents to strictly monitor what their children are watching. Good parenting essentials involves ensuring that your children have healthy choices. And at the same time, you have to ensure that the television viewing time of your children is not excessive.

Here are some useful tips for parents who are unable to control their children from watching too much television:

Be a role model
Before telling your child to cut down on television take a close look at your own TV viewing habits. If you spend 3 to 4 hours a day watching sitcoms and soaps, you can't expect your child to watch television in moderation. So practice what you preach and become a role model to your child.

Involve your child in constructive activities
Get your child involved in some constructive and interesting activity which appeals to him. You can get your child enrolled in dancing, music, swimming, painting, football or any other sport. You can coax your child to learn guitar or any other musical instrument, read a book or listen to some music. Encourage your child to play outside or take her to the park or the beach. Pursuing these activities is far better than sitting in front of the idiot box all day long and doing nothing. The point is to keep your child occupied so that he doesn't feel the need to watch television. Physical or mental activities not only discourage children from watching television but also prevent obesity.

Plan a schedule for TV viewing
Never scream at your children to convey your point. And don't turn off the television abruptly while children are watching. This would only aggravate the behavior problems in children and make them rebellious. Instead discus with them calmly and plan a schedule to watch television such as watching television for an hour after homework is complete.

No television during dinner
Create a policy of 'No television' during dinner time. Spend that time sharing with your child about your work and listen to what they have to say about school, friends and so on. When there is no television to distract the child, she will get closer to you and even interacts with siblings more.

Subscribe to fewer channels
One of the practical things to do is to subscribe to fewer channels. This way you save money as well as discourage useless channel browsing.

Watch a motivational video
If you are finding it difficult to convey your message to your child, watch a beautifully made motivational video with your child which will help create a wonderful launching pad for a conversation where you can convey vital life-wisdom messages to your child. These wonderful inspirational quote messages offer tips on parenting children as well as assist in child development. Watch an inspirational video daily with your child which can convey the bad effects of watching too much television much more easily than you can imagine.

Watching television is not bad provided it is done in moderation. Seek help from these tips to prevent your child from becoming couch-potato.

By: Noah Brown

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Noah Brown is a freelance writer who writes extensively about motivational videos which offer tips on parenting children, and child development. She has written several enlightening articles on inspirational quotes and videos which offer guidance on how to tackle behavior problems of children.