6 Tips to Help Parents Keep The TV Off
Jessica Glaze • February 20, 2015
In general, I hesitate to give parenting advice. I mean, who am I to tell people how to parent when I have only been one for three years? I am fully aware that it takes years of experience, multiple children, and at least a peek at the end result to know if I was a successful parent, so I will hold off on writing my parenting advice book until then. 😉 With that being said, there actually is a parenting goal that my husband, Rusty, and I set out to achieve and we were successful twice, so I am going to share that parenting tip to anyone who wants to listen.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children have NO screen time until the age of two. And by no screen time, they actually mean no screen time. That doesn’t mean have the T.V. turned on to a news channel, in the car, at a restaurant, or use it as background noise, the AAP actually means NO screen time. Screen time includes T.V.’s, computers, tablets, and smart phones.
I have a pretty serious television addiction and I did not want to pass that on to my kids. Don’t get me wrong, the hubs and I enjoy plenty of T.V., it’s just after the kids are in bed for the night. It is pretty clear with all of the ADD and ADHD going around that kids are having their brains fried one way or another and we wanted to try and prevent that from happening to our kids, especially at a time when their brain is developing the fastest it will ever develop in their life. Rusty and I set out to enforce a “no screen time rule” in our house and guess what? We actually accomplished our goal!
**Disclaimer** I totally understand that sometimes screen exposure is out of your control so I’m am specifically talking about time spent in your own home that you can control. Babysitter’s homes, Sunday school, friend’s homes and grandma and grandpa’s home are places where screen time is likely out of your control and everyone can relate to that! We also have allowed movies in the car if the drive is over two hours.
Trust me, I know moms need some space throughout the day or a chance to just get stuff done, like take a shower for instance, and Bubble Guppies works as an effective and free babysitter, but I am going to share with you some great alternatives to that enticing black box in your living room.
6 Tips to Help Parents Keep the T.V. Off
1. Don’t even turn it on.
Oh, I know how tempting it looks, just sitting there in front of your couch. It holds useful information for the day and some light comedy to get your day started off on a happy note, but don’t let it trick you! It is a slippery slope! Once the T.V. gets turned on, it is likely not going to be turned off. Sometimes, I even hide the remotes from sight to make it just a little more inconvenient to turn it on.
2. Turn on some music.
So many people say to me, "it's just for background noise." I also hear, "my kids don't even like it. We just have it on, but they don't watch it." Even having it on when the kids are not paying attention to it can be harmful. Read Background TV May Harm Young Kids' Development for more on that.
You know what works better as background noise? Music! You will feel so much more energized after a day of listening to music than a day of watching t.v., plus your kids will learn about beat, rhythm, rhyming, and retention and memorization.
3. Nap time.
I highly recommend enforcing a proper nap schedule. I feel that naps should be taken around the same time everyday and should be in their beds, obviously naps have to be flexible when you have plans outside of your house. If you have multiple kids who nap, try to adjust their schedules so that their naps overlap. This will give you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do for yourself. I usually like to take a looong shower or eat junk food in bed (I know, that isn’t healthier than watching T.V., but what can I say, I am an adult).
4. Independent play.
I’m not sure I can fully express how important independent play is, but I will do my best. It is SO important. Did that work? No? Okay, well here is a study about the importance of independent play,
And, here is another great article about independent play, 7 Myths that Discourage Independent Play. Convinced yet? It is not beneficial to your children if you are constantly playing with them, showing them how to play, or being their constant source of entertainment. Kids need freedom to explore and become creative without restriction (within reason, of course). We live in a three story townhouse and yes, my kids are allowed to play all the way upstairs without supervision (even my 1 year old, gasp, I know). They have a toy room on the third floor and we are confident that it is a safe environment for them to play unsupervised. That unsupervised toy room access will often allow me the time to clean an entire floor of the house uninterrupted and it is amazing! And honestly, the only stair related accident we had was when my husband fell down the stairs. (Oops, I think that was supposed to be a secret.)
5. Shower with your kids.
Another excuse I always hear in defense of screen time is, “it’s just while I take a shower and get dressed for the day.” At the risk of sharing TMI, showering with your kids is a great way to get in your much needed daily grooming without putting the kids in front of the T.V. I bring the kids in the shower with me starting at a pretty early age. If a shower during nap time wasn’t an option, I would put them in their Bumbo in the corner of the shower and do what I needed to do to get ready for the day. As they get older and can actually play in the shower, it gets even easier. Another benefit, no need for a separate bath time and that saves you money on your water bill.
6. Let the kids help you.
Obviously, most kids can’t help you in a way that is actually helpful, especially if they are under two, but that doesn’t mean their help should be discouraged. I surly don’t want to send the message to my kids, I would rather you watch T.V. than help me. I will often give the kids something to do that is entertaining for them, but is also cleaning related so they can feel helpful and have fun. Even when the kids were just babies, I would have them sit with me while I folded laundry and talked to them about the different colors or article of clothes that I was folding. You might like cleaning or you might be like me and hate cleaning, either way, it is always nice to have company while doing your daily chores.
I want to challenge you to try out these tips and tricks. I can assure you that they work because we have actually accomplished no screen time until two years old for both our kiddos. Let’s encourage kids to enjoy what they have right in front of them instead of enjoying a fantasy world on a screen.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
Four kids, I have four kids! Sometimes (well, every day if I’m being honest) I have to remind myself that I have FOUR kids to be responsible for. If I’m not forgetting to keep an eye on my mischievous 2-year-old, then I’m walking out the door for dinner without dropping a jar of baby food into my bag. (Fries for dinner never hurt anyone, right? That’s what Mr. August survives on once a week at least.) Life as a parent can be chaotic sometimes. #thisisparenthood Thank God my two older kiddos are basically self-sufficient otherwise we would never be able to leave the house. Being responsible for four other human beings (Sometimes five if my husband is in town, am I right ladies?) is so hard!
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Facebook is filled with groups of moms complaining about the lack of help they get from their husbands. Either dad has never changed a diaper, he doesn’t help pick up toys, dad doesn’t help discipline, or he flat out cannot keep the kids alive if he is left alone. I understand that it can be completely frustrating to get no help from the one person that should be helping you the most, so I am going to share with you a few tips that I’ve used to encourage my husband to be a hands on dad.