Have you noticed that your children are becoming more attached than ever to television, video games and text messages? And the season doesn't seem to matter. In the summer, with more free time and fewer structured activities, it’s easy to turn to electronics for stimulation. In winter, shorter daytime and long dark evenings allow less time for outdoor play.
The latest figures show that children watch TV more than ever, between the ages of 2 and 5, watching more than 32 hours a week. While television time for children aged 6 to 11 years is slightly reduced, due to school hours, it is still more than 28 hours a week. That is, on average, more than 4 hours a day. These numbers include the use of a video recorder and game console, but not the time on the computer or playing manual video games.
Are these stunning figures bothering you? Protectors of child health, of course, there is. They warn that this enhanced surveillance of the TV may be associated with two important problems for the child: obesity and delayed language development. Over the past decade, parents thought that children's educational videos would help their babies develop language skills, but instead, research showed that babies who watch these videos actually learn less vocabulary words than those who do not.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only an hour or two high-quality TVs and videos for children over 2 years old and not for those below this age. What can you do, as a parent, to wean your children away from unnecessary hours of television and video games? Here are 7 tips to help you get started on creating a plan that will work for your family.
1. This is not an easy process, but you can start by discussing why it is important to reduce your children. electronic screen time. Help them understand that watching less is not a punishment, but an important part of their growth. Convince them to buy the value of a trip, and you can all work together around other incentive actions.
2. If you are a boomer sandwich, single parent or working mother, you’ve probably already taken full responsibility and may be tempted to use the TV as a nanny. Instead, encourage your children to help you while you do housework. - bringing them to the kitchen to cook dinner, let them break their laundry, create a game to see who can figure it out faster. Talk to your children while you complete your tasks and make them part of the process.
3 Set aside time to play outside with your friends. Learn more about school activities that your children can participate in — at school, at your local community center, at the park. Check out the summer reading competition at the local library. Even with a reduction due to the poor economic climate, you can find affordable creative and physical stores.
4. Encourage your children to read instead of watching TV or playing video games. With small children, read them at night before bed. Think about how you can make reading more interactive and interesting for your older children. Give an example - you have a good book, convenient for you to sit down with them and read together. Help create a book club for children and their friends.
5. Be a positive model to follow. Try not to leave the TV as background noise or distraction. And do not watch TV yourself to fill the time. When you watch only a few individual and favorite shows, your children will better understand the limitations that you asked them.
6 Include your children in planning that shows what they will watch and when. Remind them to limit the viewing time to only those that they have selected. Set the time at which they can play video games, hand-held or on TV — sometimes specify the days or times for this activity. Make a chart so they can plan a week. And may they be responsible, filling the time they watched.
7 Establish family rules about what is and is not acceptable in terms of using TV and video games. Let your children know that you plan to be consistent in their resolution. You can even buy a TV / video game time management tool that lets you set the time limits you set for your children.
You may find that, as with any dramatic change, it takes a lot of children's steps to change your children. watching television and video games. When you feel overwhelmed by the thought of turning them off and limiting your screen time, remind yourself that this is a process. Mark the progress you are making to create a richer and more interactive environment for your children.
(c) 2010, the center of her mentor
