4 Responses So Far | What do you think?

1. BernardNov 24, 2007 - Link
   

   This is a major battle with my family. My wife is a TV-A-HOLIC and my son loves Dora, Jack’s Big Music Show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Blues Clues and Diego. If you let him, he will ask and watch all day long. To limit this, we say one show when he wakes up before school (he eats breakfast and watches a Micky Mouse episode) and one show after school (Dora or Diego). The rest of the time is free play, play with mommy and daddy or a friend. It is hard, it forces us as parents to parent more instead of letting the TV babysit for us…so we can get stuff done like cleaning, cooking etc.

   Good luck…it is a big time battle!
2. AmyNov 25, 2007 - Link
   

   Ooooh, ouch! The point about being the parent and not letting the TV babysit really hits home.

   There’s quite a spectrum of views regarding whether to have television in the home, and if you do how much to let kids watch. I lean more towards having one in the home than not; I’d rather teach my boys some discernment myself than leave them to their own devices when they move out. It’s worked with the older ones to some extent. The wanted to watch the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, but turned it off themselves after watching the hosts’ vulgar behavior for about 5 minutes. I was pretty thrilled that they were so unimpressed with belching adults.

   I haven’t finalized a strategy yet, but I’m thinking that time limits, targeted software choices, and an increase in family activity time are all going to be parts of it.

   Thanks for the great comment!
3. Michelle (beartwinsmom)Nov 28, 2007 - Link
   

   My boys know that they have an hour and a half after school that they watch PBS Kids- that’s Arthur, Maya and Miguel, and Fetch (on Fridays, Maya and Miguel is replaced with Word Girl). Then after Fetch, the boys automatically turn the TV off.

   Now, I need a plan for the weekends. (sigh).

   Good post, Amy!!! That evil TV/computer screen does do more harm than good sometimes (in battles).

   ~Michelle
   beartwinsmom.wordpress.com
4. Suburban DadJul 16, 2009 - Link
   

   Being a parent, I am also not immune to this daily challenge. The shows that Michelle mentions in her comment are regular staples around my house as well.

   One thing that has helped me with this battle over too much screen time is to put my kids (ages 6, 5, and 3) in charge of managing their daily allocation of screen time. You can read about the details for how to limit daily screen time on my blog. Please, if you have any other tips and/or tricks that have worked well for you, please let me know.
   Suburban Dad´s last blog ..How to limit screen time during the summer – A parenting tip

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