Beware! The Television is NOT a Babysitter!

You may sometimes think that the television is the greatest invention of all time, especially when your child is getting on your way. All you have to do is turn on the tube and he is immediately transfixed to it. But are you sure that the TV is really helping you? Or is it more detrimental on your child on the long run?

Slowly, your child becomes addicted to the television, preferring it over playing with his friends and being with his family. He would choose the television over human interaction without a second thought. He may even sometimes throw a tantrum whenever he is called to eat in the dining room and the show he is watching is interrupted. And since you cannot be with your child all day long, you fail to monitor the programs that he watches. You would not know whether he is already seeing violence, pornography, or abuse, especially since even the cartoon shows nowadays display these vicious pictures.

What does your child sacrifice when he sits in front of the television for long periods of time? With the TV, he starts ignoring physical activities and sports. Since the TV just feeds images to him, his own creative ideas and imagination are stumped. Moreover, he may not be able to discover the power one finds in reading and writing; thus, his communication and interaction skills are also at risk.

As a parent, how are you going to fight this powerful and influential babysitter that could ruin not only the eye sight of your child, but his life, as well?

1. First, you must set ground rules on when the television may be used. You can allow your child to watch his favorite shows, but afterwards, the TV must be immediately turned off.

2. Impose a TV ban during school nights. Teach your child the importance of prioritization, so that he would learn to finish his homework first before watching television. Moreover, be sure that he does not do his school stuff haphazardly just to be able to watch his favorite shows.

3. If your child starts to fail his grades, cut off his watching hours. However, tell him why you are doing such procedure, so that he will not think that you are simply making his life miserable.

Though these rules may immediately be rejected by your child, you must not give in to his demands even if he pulls out the big guns of screaming and sulking. In the long run, he will realize the importance of doing more productive activities such as reading books, engaging in sports, and playing board games.