always humbled into a moment of silence when a parent tells me
Cheap NFL Jerseys , We don t have a television. I think, Wow, no fallback plan when you re craving a moment of silence with every cell of your body;
Enduring kids inevitable comparisons to friends families who do have on screen
entertainment. I also admire them for being part of a committed cadre of people
who have taken a huge step to find alternatives to prefabricated images, to
stimulate their kids imaginations. I am not one of those people. Maybe I will be
when I grow up. In the meantime, purity (such as being 100 free of TV) feels
like a luxury to me, or else a supreme effort I m not usually up for.
Incremental choices do count, and can be incredibly powerful. I breastfed most,
not all of the time. I eat meat only occasionally, sparing the cows and the
planet more than my palate alone would choose. Similarly, every household with a
TV (and I daresay that s most) gets to make choices about when the TV gets
turned on, what gets watched, and what (if any) kind of interactions adults and
kids have around the content. Soon, I ll be changing my living situation and
getting to decide whether the TV comes with me
Cheap Jerseys , but for now, it lives, in my bedroom, no less. I don t find it invasive because, well,
it doesn t get much use. Here s what I ve come up with for how to make TV use a
conscious decision: 1. Get clear with yourself. Why do you want a television?
What purpose does the television serve in your life? For me, it s a way to have
a temporary, occasional escape into what we call entertainment. I enjoy this,
and think most humans need some form of this. I m a screenwriter, and use the
television to research films. I also want to be able to have a way for my son to
unwind every now and then that he enjoys, especially when he s not feeling well.
2. Choose time limits withfor young people. My son and I have what we call
Monday night at the movies. This is the one time during the week where he can
watch whatever he wants for an hour. Even better if you can give a choice: Would
you like Tuesday afternoons, or Saturday mornings? (I forgot to do this maybe
you ll remember.) Some families like to have a daily limit, others have weekly
limits
Wholesale Jerseys China , but whatever you choose, it really helps kids to be consistent all the way
around. Young people get confused about the rules and more tempted to try to
bend them when the adults in the house are on different pages. Other parents I
ve talked to have said having a consistently enforced TV time has virtually
eliminated all struggles about television. In fact, I got this idea from one of
them (thank you, Kate!) 3. Interact with the content. This is something I ve
been doing with Cainan ever since he could talk. We started with books. We d
look at a character s face, and I d ask, What is she feeling? I d heard enough
stereotypes (and seen enough examples) of men failing to notice or tune into
others feelings that I figured I d nurture this capacity early on whenever
possible. Also, no matter how carefully we screen the content of books,
television, or heck, life experiences, things will always seep through to our
beloved children that we wish hadn t. These can be opportunities to look at the
situation together and develop a nuanced response that can support our children
to deal with all kinds of situations when we re not there. Now, when Cainan and
I watch television together, (usually recorded episodes of The Magic School
Bus
Wholesale Jerseys , or videos rather than live TV), I ll ask, What do you make of that? How do you
think Liz felt after that? or Why do you think they decided to do that? This
also teaches him to use his deductive reasoning skills to figure out the story
line. If your child watches a show without you, you can always have these kinds
of conversations afterwards. People of all ages love to talk about stories. 4.
Cultivate alternatives to television. For example, play music for your kids, and
when they get old enough, let them choose and play whatever they want. Make
space for them to dance, relax, or play in whatever way the music inspires them
to do. This is a great way for them to unwind and get into an altered state
without the complete zone out of mental activity that television produces. Other
examples might include a walk outside, games, arts and crafts, or a cooking
project. Reality check for overwhelmed parents: Arts and crafts can consist of
pens and scrap paper, or newspaper
Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping , glue and pebbles! One thing that helps me (and Cainan) deal with transition time from school to home is to have something in mind to do
when he walks in the door, even if it s as simple as tossing a ball back and
forth for ten minutes. So, I m curious, how do you use, or not use, television
at home? What results have you noticed? How do you feel about all that? Warmly,
Jill Author's Resource Box Jill Nagle is a family mediator who co-writes Awake
Parent Perspectives, an online weekly newsletter at http:www.awakeparent
Frustrated with toddler tantrums? Not sure if youre raising them right? Feeling
disconnected from your partner? Subscribe to http:www.awakeparent today ?
