Strategies for AFTER Turn Off TV Week (by Mary)
Spend time playing video games and watching appropriate TV with your children. Talk with them about their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions about the games they play or TV programs they watching. Young children, especially those who are challenged by personal boundaries, view things literally and may have difficulty telling the difference between fantasy and reality. They need your clarification.
Be aware of the content of video games and TV programming that attract your children, Question whether they are age and developmentally appropriate for your child. Is the nature of the medium aggressive? Research has found that there is a measurable, three - fifteen percent increase of aggressive behavior after watching violent TV. All children who view antisocial programming show a decline in frustration tolerance, sticking with tasks, and obeying rules.
Help your children transition from watching TV to another activity. Pay attention to their mood after watching TV or being on the computer. Evaluate how much time is enough for them. If they are having difficulty unplugging, try limiting their time even more to see if this helps. Also, give them opportunities to move and use their large muscles after sitting. This helps release pent-up kinesthetic energy, especially if your child is usually very active.
Consider the messages your child receives from television. She may not understand that the world is different than the one portrayed on TV. Is the programming aligned with your family values? Check out new shows. They could be terrifying for a child who takes in information very literally.
Use television as a learning tool. Watch appropriate programs with your child. Discuss problem-solving strategies as alternatives to the violence they see on TV. Point out stereotypes of men, women, disabled people, and minorities. Identify scenes and behaviors that conflict with your own family values. Talk back to the TV!
Identify and use television and video games as one form of entertainment, among many. Realize that your child needs to tap into, use, and grow his internal resources. It may seem to him, much easier to be entertained than to find, create, and develop his own motivation. But doing so will be much better for him in the long run.
