The Increased Trend Of TV As A Parent

The Increased Trend Of TV As A Parent Related Information:

Most parents that have got kids in school, or even pre-school kids, will be familiar with this site: the kids grab their breakfast, go in to the lounge flick on the TV until it’s time for school. Then the minute they get home, they grab their dinner, head for the lounge, flick on the TV and then settle down to watch a variety of nonsense, whether they have an interest in it or not. It is then the parent’s job to prise them away from the television in order to get them to do their homework or even go to bed.

Children are becoming increasingly obsessed with television these days, and the variety if new kids’ programmes and movies that hit our screens each day do nothing to stop the problem. In fact, with millions of households no connected up to cable, kids have more choice then ever, and dragging them away from the precious, magical world of television can prove to be a real feat.

In addition to this, many kids have television in their bedrooms, which means that even when they are away from the television downstairs, the chances are they are watching it upstairs. Gone are the days of coming home and interacting with the parents – it’s straight to the television set until it’s time for bed.

So, what can parent do about this? Well, this problem is one that generally starts early on. Many parents start to rely on television to keep their kids amused when they are toddlers or infants. Of course, there is no harm in letting your young child or baby watch a carton or two – in fact, some of the pre-school programmes that are on in the day can be quite educational and are designed for pre-school kids to learn from. However, the problem begins when the toddler is left to amuse himself watching afternoon television whilst mum or dad tries to cook the evening meal.

Kids can become addicted to TV surprisingly quickly, and before you know it they are eight–going–on–fifteen, and are watching a long list of programmes on a regular basis such as soaps, sit-coms, reality TV etc. They are more concerned about what Rachel from Friends is doing than whether they have done their homework. And, before you know it they start copying their favourite TV stars, trying to talk like them, dress like them, and act like them. You may have even found yourself seething as your seven-year-old puts her hand up in front of her and says “what-everrrrr” after you have asked her to do something. No longer are their parents inspirational mentors; they are now more interested in Victoria Beckham or Brad Pitt.

It is important that parent introduce some form of discipline if a child is showing too much interest in TV. Having a television in the bedroom isn’t going to help, and it should be removed. Parents should set up strict rules with regards to when the child can watch TV, and it must be made clear that after that time the TV goes off. You don’t have to ban your child from watching altogether, but simply limit the time. However, it is important not to ban your child from watching TV and simply send them off to bed early instead. You should use the time when your child would normally be glued to the box to actually talk and interact, giving your child something to replace the television with – your company.

Remember, children often become addicted to watching television from an early age, and this is the time to nip it in the bud. Instead of using the television to entertain your child, use interactive game, puzzles and books, and spend time with them. This is something that your child will enjoy far more as a young child and will remember as he or she grows up.