Monday, September 23, 2013

Smart TV habits

Does your family have a screen problem? A mom's life is hectic and its easy to turn to TV as a babysitter when you're tired, your kids are fighting and you need to get something done. You can blissfully go about your household duties while your kids sit still and be quiet. Don't fool yourself though, there will be consequences when you try to get your zombified child to turn it off.

Here's some ideas for kicking your family's bad TV habits.

Make a plan. Don't use the TV as a boredom buster. If your children want to watch a favorite show, let them watch that show, then turn off the TV. If your kids are bored, encourage them to do something creative or active. Make a list activities or fill a box with games and supplies your kids can use when they are looking for something to do. Sometimes TV is just the first thing you can think of and so that's what you do.

Here's a list of TV free options:
  • Puzzles
  • Books
  • Card games
  • Board games
  • Art projects
  • Outside games
  • Gardening
  • Legos, building blocks and erector sets
  • Knitting or needlework
  • Sewing
  • Walking the dog or teaching pets tricks
  • Scrapbooking
  • Collecting

Set a time limit. Don't let the time creep away. Let your kids know how long they can watch TV and stick to it. If it help you, set a timer.

Make it educational. Whether your kids are just learning basic reading and math, or delving into world history, there are a lot of great shows on TV that can enrich their learning experience. Think of a topic that interests your child, then search the internet for a list of educational shows that will help them learn more.

Here's a list of some of our family's favorite educational shows:

For little kids:
  • Word World
  • Team Umizoomi
  • Octonauts
  • Little Einsteins
  • The Wild Kratts
  • Between the Lions

For big kids:
  • Mythbusters
  • Pawn Stars
  • American Ride
  • History Detectives



TV is a perk, not a right. Make sure your kids' other obligations (homework, instrument practice and chores) are done before the TV gets turned on. You can also use additional TV time as a reward for extra work or good behavior.

For more tips on taming your TV time, click here.

4 comments:

  1. Congratulations!
    I like so much this post.
    I'm from Brazil, then so sorry for wrong words here. rsrs
    I have a blog about Literature.
    Kisses!

    Sandra

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sandra! It's always nice to hear from a fellow blogger.

      Delete
  2. yeah,
    now, i need to replace my old tv with the new smart tv, i think it's lot of feaures we can get, and more entertaining :-)
    thank you very much

    ReplyDelete
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