How to Limit TV Time for Kids

It's no secret that many kids spend more time watching TV than exercising, reading or engaging in outdoor activities. A 2009 Nielsen study reported that American children ages 2 to 5 spend more than 32 hours per week in front of the tube, and children ages 6 to 11 spend approximately 28 hours each week. This convenient and inexpensive pastime can be enlightening and educational, but too much TV viewing can cause attention problems, literacy delays and health issues in children, notes the National Institutes of Health's website, MedlinePlus. Limiting your child's TV time is essential for his physical and social development, and it's not as difficult as you might think.

Instructions

    • 1

      Set specific television viewing rules in your home. Prohibit viewing during homework time, family mealtimes or when your kids are doing chores. Allow your children to watch television for a predetermined number of hours each day, and enforce the time limits you set by making sure the TV is off when your child's viewing time is over.

    • 2

      Remove the television from your children's bedrooms. When televisions are in common areas, you can monitor the programs your kids watch and the length of time they spend watching them. Placing TVs in living rooms, dens or playrooms also promotes family interaction, since these areas are ideal for gathering together to watch movies, sporting events and family-friendly shows.

    • 3

      Change your cable or satellite television plan to one with fewer channels, or eliminate the service altogether. Kids are likely to become dependent on television for entertainment if they have hundreds of channels to choose from. Minimizing or eliminating your TV plan is an immediate solution that forces your kids to engage in other activities, and it benefits your wallet as well.

    • 4

      Encourage alternate recreational activities. Sign your children up for sports teams, art classes, after-school clubs or any enjoyable activity that gets them out of the house. If this is not an option, make the effort to spend recreational time with your kids that doesn't involve watching television. Play board games, shoot hoops, kick a soccer ball around or spend a few hours at the park multiple times each week.

    • 5

      Set a good example yourself. Your kids are likely to model your behavior, so limit your television viewing time and engage in other recreational activities. Join a local gym, spend more time outdoors or volunteer for an organization in your community. You can also take up a hobby that involves your children, such as fishing, rock climbing, hiking, gardening, baking or cooking.

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