I don't like my kids to watch TV...I just think there are so many other things in life they should be experiencing as kids. I have faith that they can use their imaginations and create something to do, and since I'm a stay at home mom (and feel so grateful to be), I take my job seriously and do my best to help them experience and learn from real life,not from the false world TV creates for them. Plus, I can't stand the background noise of children's TV all the time.
That's not to say they don't watch it, they do, but I've always tried to stick to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines of 2 hours of screen time (TV, movies, video games, computer, hand helds, etc.) or less per day. Some days are better than others (no TV) and sometimes life's circumstances (moving, work deadline) dictate a little more TV, but it's a good barometer for me.
This summer, in order to keep our TV watching in check, we came up with a way to "earn" TV that has worked really well. My kids get 30 minutes of "free" TV time. Then, if they want to watch more they can earn it by doing extra reading or workbook time. It's been great because any time they ask if they can watch TV, I can say, "Sure. Let's grab a book or open your workbook and we'll start keeping track of time." They know exactly what is required and often we end up reading or doing workbooks for a longer time than planned and have to run to our next activity and the TV never even gets turned on. Plus, no one wants to miss out on TV if the others get to watch, so everyone opens them up at the same time. The result? Hardly any TV arguments. Yeah!!!
***If you want a recommendation for a great and engaging workbook, try Brainquest. You can find it at Costco sometimes or at Barnes and Noble. Read through them and make sure they are the correct level for your child since many work a bit above or below grade level.
