janelle
04-24-2003, 03:58 PM
Posted on Thu, Apr. 24, 2003
Turning off the tube
You've heard that too much television can stunt learning, lead to obesity and undermine family life. But how can you wean your family from TV?
BY SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS
The Wichita Eagle
How many hours a day do your kids watch TV or sit at a computer or video game?
Less than an hour
1-2 hours
2-3 hours
3-4 hours
4-5 hours
5-6 hours
More than 6 hours
» TELEVISION TURNOFF TIPS
» Do you leave the television on during meals?
» Poll: How many working televisions do you own?
Jane Byrnes-Bennett doesn't hate television. She realizes it has a place in modern life. She enjoys certain television shows -- her new obsession is the Fox Network drama "24." She doubts many families, including her own, are ready to throw their televisions out the window.
But she worries, as many experts and parents do, that too many children are watching way too much TV.
"It leads to such a sedentary life," said Byrnes-Bennett, a Wichita dietitian and member of Kansas Action for Healthy Kids.
"TV and computer games and sitting and watching is not what kids were meant to do," she said. "Unless they turn off the tube and become physically active, the epidemic of obesity in our country -- and it really is an epidemic -- is going to continue."
This week, an estimated 7 million people are expected to unplug their televisions as part of National TV-Turnoff Week.
The ninth annual event, organized by the nonprofit TV-Free America, is intended to encourage families to spend their regular television time doing other activities, such as reading, exercising and spending time with family and friends.
The goal is not necessarily to get people to abandon television forever, which is highly unlikely. For one thing, few parents seem interested in getting rid of TV.
In a 2002 study by Public Agenda of more than 1,600 American parents with children between the ages of 5 and 17, 99 percent of parents said they have at least one TV in their home; 56 percent said they have three sets or more.
Only 11 percent of parents said they have "seriously considered getting rid of the TV." But more than nine in 10 parents agreed with the statement that "TV is fine for my child as long as he or she is watching the right shows and in moderation."
So the question is, what constitutes "too much" television? And how do you wean your family from the tube?
The average American child spends an estimated 1,400 hours in front of the television each year -- more time than he spends in school. Even children as young as 2, whom many experts think should be TV-free, typically log hundreds of television and video hours annually.
Those statistics led Dave Saunders and his staff at Lewis Open Magnet Elementary School in Wichita to establish a reading and homework policy that includes "strong suggestions on television viewing."
The policy, which students and parents sign at the beginning of the school year, "strongly recommends that Lewis families turn off their TVs for at least three hours every evening during the school week."
It includes a list of suggested TV-free activities, including reading, playing board games, cooking, building things, practicing hobbies and telling stories.
"Of course we don't have TV police making sure our parents follow the rules. We employ the honor system," said Saunders, the principal.
"But getting them to read and sign it, at least we know they're thinking about it."
Saunders' own four children, who range in age from 3 to 11, don't watch television during the week but do enjoy Saturday-morning cartoons and the occasional movie.
"There are things about television that are good," he said. "But it's like anything -- it can be evil if you do it too much."
Parents who want to significantly reduce their family's television time should be ready for a battle, Saunders said. As with any habit, quitting can be difficult.
"You have to see it as appropriate, and then you have to have the internal fortitude and courage to go through with it," he said.
Phrasing things as positively as possible helps, he said. For instance, instead of saying, "You can't watch TV now," try, "Feel free to pick a half-hour to watch television this afternoon, and when you've chosen what you want to watch, let me know."
Many experts say a half-hour a day, or an hour every other day, is a reasonable amount of time for children to spend watching television. But parents should also make sure other "screen" activities, such as videos, computer games and surfing the Internet, don't monopolize children's time.
"They're not going to look at you and say, 'Wow, I love you. You're the greatest parent in the world to be doing this for me,' " Saunders said.
"They're going to tell you it's a stupid idea, and none of their friends have to do this.... But that's part of parenting, making decisions that are best for your kids."
Turning off the tube
You've heard that too much television can stunt learning, lead to obesity and undermine family life. But how can you wean your family from TV?
BY SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS
The Wichita Eagle
How many hours a day do your kids watch TV or sit at a computer or video game?
Less than an hour
1-2 hours
2-3 hours
3-4 hours
4-5 hours
5-6 hours
More than 6 hours
» TELEVISION TURNOFF TIPS
» Do you leave the television on during meals?
» Poll: How many working televisions do you own?
Jane Byrnes-Bennett doesn't hate television. She realizes it has a place in modern life. She enjoys certain television shows -- her new obsession is the Fox Network drama "24." She doubts many families, including her own, are ready to throw their televisions out the window.
But she worries, as many experts and parents do, that too many children are watching way too much TV.
"It leads to such a sedentary life," said Byrnes-Bennett, a Wichita dietitian and member of Kansas Action for Healthy Kids.
"TV and computer games and sitting and watching is not what kids were meant to do," she said. "Unless they turn off the tube and become physically active, the epidemic of obesity in our country -- and it really is an epidemic -- is going to continue."
This week, an estimated 7 million people are expected to unplug their televisions as part of National TV-Turnoff Week.
The ninth annual event, organized by the nonprofit TV-Free America, is intended to encourage families to spend their regular television time doing other activities, such as reading, exercising and spending time with family and friends.
The goal is not necessarily to get people to abandon television forever, which is highly unlikely. For one thing, few parents seem interested in getting rid of TV.
In a 2002 study by Public Agenda of more than 1,600 American parents with children between the ages of 5 and 17, 99 percent of parents said they have at least one TV in their home; 56 percent said they have three sets or more.
Only 11 percent of parents said they have "seriously considered getting rid of the TV." But more than nine in 10 parents agreed with the statement that "TV is fine for my child as long as he or she is watching the right shows and in moderation."
So the question is, what constitutes "too much" television? And how do you wean your family from the tube?
The average American child spends an estimated 1,400 hours in front of the television each year -- more time than he spends in school. Even children as young as 2, whom many experts think should be TV-free, typically log hundreds of television and video hours annually.
Those statistics led Dave Saunders and his staff at Lewis Open Magnet Elementary School in Wichita to establish a reading and homework policy that includes "strong suggestions on television viewing."
The policy, which students and parents sign at the beginning of the school year, "strongly recommends that Lewis families turn off their TVs for at least three hours every evening during the school week."
It includes a list of suggested TV-free activities, including reading, playing board games, cooking, building things, practicing hobbies and telling stories.
"Of course we don't have TV police making sure our parents follow the rules. We employ the honor system," said Saunders, the principal.
"But getting them to read and sign it, at least we know they're thinking about it."
Saunders' own four children, who range in age from 3 to 11, don't watch television during the week but do enjoy Saturday-morning cartoons and the occasional movie.
"There are things about television that are good," he said. "But it's like anything -- it can be evil if you do it too much."
Parents who want to significantly reduce their family's television time should be ready for a battle, Saunders said. As with any habit, quitting can be difficult.
"You have to see it as appropriate, and then you have to have the internal fortitude and courage to go through with it," he said.
Phrasing things as positively as possible helps, he said. For instance, instead of saying, "You can't watch TV now," try, "Feel free to pick a half-hour to watch television this afternoon, and when you've chosen what you want to watch, let me know."
Many experts say a half-hour a day, or an hour every other day, is a reasonable amount of time for children to spend watching television. But parents should also make sure other "screen" activities, such as videos, computer games and surfing the Internet, don't monopolize children's time.
"They're not going to look at you and say, 'Wow, I love you. You're the greatest parent in the world to be doing this for me,' " Saunders said.
"They're going to tell you it's a stupid idea, and none of their friends have to do this.... But that's part of parenting, making decisions that are best for your kids."