How to break your child's television habit

by Sandy Maple (Subscribe to Sandy Maple's posts) Sep 18th 2007 1:27PM

I read this article, Seven Ways to Break the TV Habit, with more than a casual interest. Lately, Ellie has become completely infatuated with television. She wasn't always like this. There was a time, not so long ago, when it wouldn't even occur to her to turn on the television in the afternoon. She would rather play outside or up in her playroom. But somehow the tide has turned and she is drawn to that box like a moth to a flame.

I have always monitored what and low long she watches, but it used to be a lot easier to redirect her to a more constructive use of her time. But somehow all that changed and before I could say "no TV", it would be on and she would be in the zone. Besides being a waste of time, some of the shows she likes wind her up and make her difficult to get along with.

So I've cut down her TV time to 30 minutes a day and nothing in the evening. I've explained to her that she gets one show and she should choose it wisely. I am actually astonished at how well she has gone along with this new restriction. She will check the guide and wait until the show she wants is on. I am happily surprised that she can discipline herself in this way.

Watching a particular program instead of just watching TV is one of the ideas on the Seven Ways to Break the TV Habit list. Other suggestions include prohibiting television during play dates, setting a good parental example of television watching habits and even hiding the remote. How much TV time do your kids get? How do you control it?

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Comments (9)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jill 9-18-2007 @ 2:25PM

Mine get none. They've never had it on, so they don't think to ask for it. At ages 3 & 6, I'm in no hurry to introduce it. We turn on 30 minute videos as a family once every week or two, they watch baseball live once or twice a season, and during the Olympics they watched some sports taped from the night before. They don't use the computer for games yet either. I'm old fashioned, I know, but I can't think of ANYTHING they can learn from even educational TV that they can't learn in some other way. (I've never asked friends to limit my kids viewing outside of my home, but I do ask babysitters to keep it off until after bedtime.)

Now, personally, I turn on the TV almost every night. I can read for a while in the evenings, but then I watch about an hour a night of TV. They probably know it is on and just think of it as a "grown-up thing". I'm ok with that.

I'll let them watch TV someday. I'm waiting for one of them to come home from school and have heard about a specific show they want to see. I'll check it out and see if it seems ok and probably agree to it. I just haven't yet seen any good reason to turn it on.

Amanda 9-18-2007 @ 2:36PM

my daughter is only 2 1/2 and she likes to watch a 'movie' to go to bed at night. We just have a vcr in her room and she usually watches the wiggles on tape or a little golden book on video to fall asleep. I would like to know how to break her of this habit!

Joy 9-18-2007 @ 7:55PM

Amanda, who is the parent here? She couldn't have asked you to put a vcr in her room or ask you to watch TV to fall asleep. Sorry, you brought that on yourself.

DaMoKi Bob 9-18-2007 @ 8:09PM

Amanda,

Have you tried reading to her instead, maybe telling her a story, or read for three nights and she can watch for one? Once you establish an alternate routine, shift the time back in increments so the reading/movie/story activity loses its temporal association with bed time, which is the point of your question, right? Your involvment in this process is not replacable at this age, and the benefits of reading to her leads to reading for herself, active participation, bonding, modeling your example, et. al.

But, a clear separation of an 'event' of some sort and going to bed is a good idea. After you move the activity away from bedtime, your child can "play" quietly by herself for a few minutes and then you tell her it's time for bed. You may meet with some resistance and you have to work at it, but that's what being a parent is...

DaMoKi Bob 9-18-2007 @ 8:22PM

Amanda / Joy,

Joy is sooo right! One of my rules restricted the presence of electronic distractions in the bedroom. I forgot to mention that. Thanks Joy!

I had a friend who could not see the reason to establish the bedroom for sleeping and not so much all forms of entertainment until he caught his daughter under the covers watching Leno. He had a satori moment.

Uly 9-18-2007 @ 10:11PM

Joy, while I agree, she wants to get rid of it now that she's introduced it.

Amanda, there's two ways to go about it. The first, direct way is to just take it away, put away the other TV in the house (if you just stick it in the closet, it'll suddenly become a lot less attractive to you, too!), and tell her "No more TV, it's broken/not good for you" and institute something else for that time - a book, a song, whatever.

The other way is to introduce the whatever-it-is *first*, then gradually de-emphasize the TV by making it shorter (one Wiggles song instead of a full episode) and earlier into the routine, until it's not there at all.

You have a better idea of what'll work than I do, it's your family.

Joy 9-19-2007 @ 12:50AM

I have felt really bad all night thinking that I didn't use "politally correct" language but really, if you can't keep a 2 1/2 year old in check, what will you do when they are for say.....10. You "young" parents have to keep that in mind. This is way to young for kids to have a tv in their room. I called most of my relatives tonight since I felt so bad about being a B**** but NONE of them...aged 2-17 have tv's or computers in kids room and that's what phased me so out as to WHY would you do that?!?!?! I know it's easier at the time but in the long run, it's dangerous. I really do belive that kids learn what they live and you have to do the whole story time and have bedtime rituals that they will have forever and I feel....that at 2 1/2.....she has your ticket and you have to stop it now. Just change things as the posts above have mentioned. You can't take the "easy" way now because that same "easy way" will come to bite you where you don't want to be bit.

Julie 9-27-2007 @ 1:04AM

Hello,
Well I thought since I was young girl to have children. Not know what is all. But I had three boys wonderful son's but the dad didn't want to be a dad and left. Then I remarried not planning another child. But wonderful gift from god is what we get when we are having children. They are future. Well I did all the safety things in our home. Cover outlets and put all the glass away. Locks on doors, gates and fence in yard out side safety, all the other things. But I didn't know that the goverment was letting people sale us unsafe thing like tv stands, beds, shelfs, toys, cars we drive.
Well I know loss someone so special all to well. My life change in 06. I loss my only daughter to tv falling on her when the tv stand gave way. So Please take that one min and check you tv's and furniture. Cause if you don't think it can happen to you. You are wrong. I will miss my angel but you still have yours. So if she or he is special you will take the time out and do this. It only takes a few dollars to do this. Drill a hole in the furniture and L bracket on it. and then to the wall. I think if the hospital would have let the public know of this you would change your mind fast. Please remember your child is your future. Keep them safe.
Mommy of angel girl

Angela 10-03-2007 @ 9:21AM

I really love that people can come here and ask for help and all the 'older' moms as you like to refer to us as 'young moms' feel the need to instead of offering your own advice, make us feel terrible for the mistakes that WE are trying to fix.

Congratulations if you kept your child away from television and other 'electronic distractions.' That's not really what we asked. I guess your children will be presidents and our children will flip burgers at McDonalds all because our 'young, stupid' parenting skills.

Shame on you for making someone feel bad because they are trying to fix the problem in their child's life. Just because a child has a VCR in their room at 2 doesn't mean at 10 that she'll be hard to manage and spoiled. How ridiculous of you to think so.

So please get off of your high horses and if you can't try to fix a problem, please don't brag about your great decisions while cutting other parents down. It makes you look like a jackass.

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