Follow your child's cues and resist the television. Learn how to enjoy time with your kids without the TV/
It's very tempting to turn on the television and find a channel with children's shows, or to pop in videotapes to keep kids occupied while parents take care of other duties. While children's programming and videos have their place for entertainment and educational value, they should not be over used. Many accusations have been made about how excessive television hurts kids, but at the very least it inhibits children from using imagination and restricts healthful physical activity. How do you keep them busy while the television is off?
The most obvious way to keep children occupied instead of letting them watch hours of cartoons is parental involvement. Play with your kids! Take them outside, no matter what the weather is, unless you're in the middle of a blizzard or severe thunderstorm. Even if the weather is less than ideal, it can be a fun experience. Sit on the porch or in the garage with an open door and watch it rain. On a warm summer day if there's no lightning, let them run out in the rain, play in puddles, and get wet. Watch the lightning streak the sky from a safe vantage point. Play in the snow together, even if it's not good for packing. Make snow angels, and create shapes in the snow with your footprints.
If it's a sunny day, go outside, away from the TV. Go to the park, or have a picnic in your own backyard. Take a safari through the yard or the woods, searching for specific wildlife such as squirrels, common birds, or insects. Slosh through the creek looking for tadpoles, fish, or fossils and bring a change of clothes and shoes. Lay on the ground watching clouds. On rainy days, bake cookies, knead bread, or do crafts such as paper mache'. Play along with your kids' imaginary scenarios.
Of course there does come a time when you need to get things done, and keep the kids busy in the meantime. Sometimes it's actually easier to invite another child to play than to entertain your own. Get out the toys that encourage individual play, such as blocks, dolls, play sets, or art materials. Better still, involve your children in the tasks you need to do. Have them help you clean, or dress them in old worn out clothing, give them a brush, and let them paint the wall.
If additional entertainment is needed, music is a nice alternative to television. Instruct your child in how to operate a child's tape recorder, and give them a box of tapes. If you're concerned about destruction, buy a package of cheap cassettes and copy the tapes to them. Some children's tape recorders include microphones. If you don't have one, hook up a microphone to your stereo and adjust the settings so your child can sing along to their favorite songs.
If television seems to be the last resort, try to encourage your child to enjoy alternatives to children's programming. Watch gardening shows, craft segments, or shows about animals and talk about it together. Watching television can be a good experience if done with parental involvement and discussion. If your child watches a kids' show, watch it with her and talk about what it means rather than just parking her in front of it on her own.
Turning off the cartoons can be very important to a child's development and well being. Though television is a valuable opportunity for your child to learn about the world around him, it can prevent him from other kinds of learning that are crucial to a balanced education. Parental involvement is necessary, and most kids will prefer it to lying on the couch and watching TV. Follow your child's cues and resist the electronic babysitter as much as possible. You may be surprised at how much fun you can have with the television off.
