Control Your Child’s TV Time

Children need to be protected from over-exposure to television. Watching too much TV is detrimental not just to the physical health of your child but adversely affects his mental well-being too.

• Children who watch TV from a very young age and that too for long intervals at a stretch often suffer from weak eyesight and attention disorders.

• Spending a lot of time in front of the TV also means lack of physical activity which might lead to obesity and severe health problems in children.

• If your child remains at home watching TV, he might become an introvert due to lack of adequate social inter-action.

• Children might also be exposed to violence on TV which might create behavioural problems. Neglect of studies is another area of concern.

• Decide the amount of time he can watch TV but allow him to choose the timings himself (excluding late hours).

• When your child’s exams near, reduce TV time and let the child know the reason. Instead allow him a little extra TV time after his exams are over.

• One way of weaning the child away from television is to provide alternates forms of entertainment. Encourage your child to join hobby/activity clubs. Take him for outings, picnics, movies, exhibitions, fairs, fetes, etc. Try to ensure that he develops a healthy interest in outdoor games and sports.

• Introduce your child to the wonder and charm of books. Although in the Internet-era, competition is tough, books continue to have an enduring appeal.

• Make sure that your child’s TV watching has a balance between purely entertaining programmes and infotainment provided by channels like Discovery & National Geographic.

TV can be a wonderful medium of fun and relaxation. But it is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that a child’s TV watching remains at a healthy level.