Five Reasons to Watch College Basketball with Your Kids

Knowing five reasons to watch college basketball with your kids should give any parent plenty of legitimate excuses for pursuing that favorite pastime through the long winter season. Good parents can work up a serious guilt complex about settling in to spend a few hours watching a Big East or ACC match-up. They can easily convince themselves that "good parents' are supposed to interact with their kids over a new board game, take their kids to a movie or go ice skating at the local rink . Those activities are all great, but honestly there is also lots positive to be said about gathering your kids, boys and girls, around the television with a bowl of popcorn to watch this weekend's game.

When you think about it there is something good about spending time with your children no matter what you do. If you are looking for a good reason to watch college basketball with your kids, you can begin with the recognition that time together can always be made into a fun time. Your kids are often more interested in being with you than you might think. Yes, inviting them to watch a college basketball game may mean you will have to pay attention to them, chat with them, answer questions and probably get them a snack but the end result is a win-win. You get to watch your game and you and your kids spend some time together.

The first time you watch college basketball with your kids you will be able to discover how much or little they know about the game. As a parent you can then use your favorite pastime, watching college basketball, to teach your children the basics of the game. One of the best reasons to watch college basketball with your kids is that it gives you an opportunity to teach your children about basketball skills and the rules of the game. The more times you sit down with your kids to watch college basketball the more familiar they will become with things like fouls, traveling, three second calls, and layups. You will get a kick out of hearing them use the jargon and watching as their understanding increases.

Of course there is more to college basketball then just rules and skills. A good reason to watch college basketball with your kids is to have the chance to point out what good sportsmanship, team work and good coaching look like. Kids for the most part love television. And televised college basketball games can help kids to focus on what it looks like when people aren't good sports, don't work together or coach poorly. Kids can see the difference between what you expect from them and what you would find unacceptable. It can be far simpler to point these things out using examples on television then to have your kids confront them for the first time in real life.

Have you learned a little bit about a lot of different colleges by watching college basketball? It's easy to do because most college games include 30-60 second blurbs about the colleges that are competing. You might know lots about Georgetown, Michigan State or Stanford but your kids probably don't. Watching college basketball with your kids can open conversations about the location, size, and academics of colleges and help you to introduce your kids to the world of higher education. Few people would argue with that as a good reason to watch college basketball with your kids.

Finally, you may discover that watching college basketball on television with your kids may open up a new connection with them. You may have created enough interest in the sport that both sons and daughters consider trying their hand at the game, or taking it up more seriously. They may invite you to join them in their play or you might decide to take them out to see a local high school game.

No need to get caught up in the guilt caused by doing something you enjoy. Sharing your joy and enthusiasm with your kids is what family fun is all about.