Teaching Your Child Good TV Habits.

Assalamualaikum...

I read something very interesting ( pada saya lah) today. Would like to share with others here.
Ni hasil kajian/ penelitian dari seorang Non-Muslim obviously. Now, dont get me wrong. I'm not encouraging people to WATCH tv or saying that watching tv is ok, as long as u do it in a correct way.NO, but what i'm trying to say is.... kalau sapa2 rasa ketagihan tv ni perlu dibendung, then, try out the suggestions la. As for myself, i dont watch tv alhamdulillah. But, these guidelines can always come in handy one day. Walllahu A'lam.

Teaching your child good TV habits
Here are some practical ways you can make TV-viewing more productive in your home:

1- Limit the number of TV-watching hours:
- Stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment (books, kids' magazines, toys, puzzles, board games, etc.) to encourage your child to do something other than watch the tube.
- Keep TVs out of your child's bedroom.
- Turn the TV off during meals.
- Don't allow your child to watch TV while doing homework.
- Treat TV as a privilege that your child needs to earn—not a right to which he or she is entitled. - Tell your child that TV-viewing is allowed only after chores and homework are completed.

2- Try a weekday ban.
- Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week.
-Record weekday shows or save TV time for weekends, and you'll have more family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical activity, and reading during the week.

3- Set a good example -by limiting your own television viewing.

4- Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time for programs your family can watch together (i.e., developmentally appropriate and nonviolent programs that reinforce your family's values). Choose shows, says the AAP, that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education (reading, science, etc.).

5- Preview programs before your child watches them.

6- Come up with a family TV schedule that you all agree upon each week. Then, post the schedule in a visible area (i.e., on the refrigerator) somewhere around the house so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when. And make sure to turn off the TV when the "scheduled" program is over, instead of channel surfing until something gets your or your child's interest.

7- Watch TV with your child.
If you can't sit through the whole program, at least watch the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness, then check in throughout the show.

8- Talk to your child about what he or she sees on TV and share your own beliefs and values. If something you don't approve of appears on the screen, you can turn off the TV, then use the opportunity to ask your child thought-provoking questions such as, "Do you think it was OK when those men got in that fight? What else could they have done? What would you have done?" Or, "What do you think about how those teenagers were acting at that party? Do you think what they were doing was wrong?" If certain people or characters are mistreated or discriminated against, talk about why it's important to treat everyone equal, despite their differences. You can use TV to explain confusing situations and express your feelings about difficult topics (sex, love, drugs, alcohol, smoking, work, behavior, family life). Teach your child to question and learn from what he or she views on TV.

9- Talk to other parents, your child's doctor, and your child's teachers about their TV-watching policies and kid-friendly programs they'd recommend.


10- Offer fun alternatives to television.
If your child wants to watch TV, but you want him or her to turn off the tube, suggest that you and your child play a board game, start a game of hide and seek, play outside, read, work on crafts or hobbies, or listen and dance to music. The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless—so turn off the TV and enjoy the quality time you'll have to spend with your child.