How to Monitor Children's Television Habits

The power of the glowing screen is evident in the zombielike stares of a child engrossed in her favorite TV show. On average, kids spend about four hours daily staring at the TV, according to Kids Health. All that screen time may affect your child's concentration, school performance, sleep, weight and eating habits. Your child also misses out on active playtime that engages her mind and body. Monitoring your child's TV use ensures she doesn't spend too much time gazing into the glow of the screen.

Instructions

    • 1

      Create family rules about watching TV. Explain to your child why you need to monitor what she watches and limit how much time she spends on this sedentary activity.

    • 2

      Set up all TVs in common areas of the home. Leave the TV out of your child's room. You have less control over what she watches and how often she watches when the TV is in the privacy of her room.

    • 3

      Schedule TV time into the day with a limit of how many hours are allowed. If she only watches TV at certain times, you are better able to keep an eye on what she sees. At most your child should engage in one or two hours of screen time for entertainment purposes, according to the AAP. Set a limit you feel comfortable enforcing. If your child is used to watching several hours of TV, try decreasing her screen time gradually so she doesn't protest.

    • 4

      Watch TV with your child during the scheduled viewing times. This allows you to directly monitor what she watches. If something inappropriate comes on the screen, you can quickly change the channel and discuss what she saw and why it was inappropriate.

    • 5

      Preview the shows your child wants to watch. Just because a show is animated or aimed at children doesn't mean it's something you want your child to watch. Many kids' shows feature crude humor that you may prefer to keep away from your child. Use the program's rating as a guide, as well as your own viewing of the show, to decide if it's OK for your child to watch.

    • 6

      Block shows that you deem inappropriate for your child. Use the TV's built-in parental controls to limit what she can access -- newer TVs come with the V-chip for this purpose.

    • 7

      Talk to your child about the shows she sees on TV. Ask her what she watches and why. Open communication allows you to monitor not only her TV habits, but her other habits as well. This is important as she gets older, faces peer pressure and becomes more independent.

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