Your spouse is out of town on a business trip.
You’re watching the kids, trying to keep the house clean, running errands, and paying bills – all simultaneously. The kids run around the house, leaving a mess in their wake, and the noise gives you a splitting headache.
How do you calm them down?
Your first instinct is the last thing you should do: put them in front of the television.
Granted, sometimes a little TV time is the only way to get peace. But there is a difference between letting them watch DVDs and play video games once or twice a week and making it a daily habit that can have them staring at a screen for hours.
Why TV is a Bad Idea?
This isn’t to say that television is inherently evil. But there are several concerns you need to watch out for when letting your kids watch TV.
Commercials
No matter what channel kids are watching, there are always commercials you’d rather they didn’t see. Honestly, there are plenty of commercials you probably wish you didn’t have to see. The level of morality in commercials is alarmingly low.
Kids are now watching commercials that teach them alcohol is safe and fun, violence is acceptable if you’re the good guy, and seeing half-naked men and women is no big deal as long as they’re in a shampoo commercial.
Commercials that inundate our kids with inappropriate information and images are not the only concern. Commercials also show kids what they don’t have and how having the newest, most expensive products will make them happy, like the smiling kids in the ads.
Kids don’t understand real life doesn’t work that way – the products they see on TV are luxury items, not necessities. Kids learn to be materialistic and greedy instead of how to save their money and be happy without the latest gadgets.
Health
Kids who watch more TV are less physically active than kids who don’t. Excessive TV time is consistently linked to child obesity in the United States. Another factor in childhood obesity is the commercials. Children are constantly bombarded by images of fattening, unhealthy foods that make them crave chips, candy, and other unhealthy snack foods instead of healthier options.
Truth or False: Watching Too Much TV is Bad for Your Eyes
People have believed this for a long time, but it’s a myth. Most experts agree TV doesn’t cause people to need eyeglass lens replacements or new contacts with a stronger prescription. It can, however, cause eyestrain if it’s watched for too long or too close to the screen. So when your kids watch TV, make sure they get up and walk around or look away from the TV during commercial breaks so they don’t tire their eyes.
Alternative Options
Believe it or not, there are other options for keeping your kids happy than sitting them down in front of a screen. Try some of these suggestions instead of letting them get on the computer or pop in a DVD.
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Send Them Outside
The great outdoors is still there! Children of past generations who didn’t have the option to watch cartoons used to spend their time outside, entertaining themselves with their imaginations or a football. So hand your kids a kickball and point them toward the park, or teach them a few games they might not know, like “kick-the-can” and “foursquare.”
Giving them permission to run and scream outside will release pent-up energy; when they come back inside, they might be more content to be calm.
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Teach Them to Love Books
Many kids today don’t like to read, which is partly the television’s fault. If the tv is babysitting kids from the time they’re infants, they’ll see it as the primary form of entertainment instead of a special treat or Friday night tradition.
Their desire to read will suffer. Teaching kids to love books will offer them countless worlds of educational, healthy entertainment that don’t involve staring at a screen.
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Collect Board Games
Board games like Monopoly or Risk can keep kids occupied for hours. Board and card games get kids’ brains thinking the way video games won’t, and they’re much less violent. Instead of giving kids Xbox and Mario for Christmas, get them The Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride.
There are always options for keeping your children entertained without the aid of the television. Find activities supporting their brain and body engagement and encourage them to explore their talents and interests. And turn off the TV.
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