Cutting Back on TV Time

By Darcy Lockman

It's no secret that most kids watch entirely too much television. Developmental psychologists are sounding the alarm, voicing concerns that all this tube time contributes to a wide array of modern childhood problems, from obesity to failure to develop new interests, and even early sexualization. But concerned parents can relax: There are ways to ensure that your child is well below the mean when it comes to screen time. Here, Sylvia Rimm, PhD, psychologist, Today Show parenting expert, director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and author of Growing Up Too Fast (Rodale Press), shares her strategies for raising kids with a balanced TV diet.

Set Limits (the sooner the better)

First, sit down with your child to choose appropriate shows that he or she actually wants to watch. Television then becomes about finding interesting programming rather than channel surfing. "And when you do this with children from a very young age, they will have internalized this idea by the time they're teenagers," explains Dr. Rimm, "They'll usually turn on the television only for something specific, and they'll know that there are other activities that are at least equally rewarding." Each school year and summer vacation can begin with a family sit-down focused on picking shows your children are allowed to watch. (It's never too late to initiate this tradition.)

Once you've decided what programs to tune in to, it's time to decide when your kids can watch them. Dr. Rimm recommends allotting a set number of hours per day (or week) for TV-watching. For Julie Brown, 34, of Los Angeles, the magic number is one. "I allow my five-year-old and two-year-old one hour of TV per day -- a half hour in the morning, and then a half hour at night," she says. "I set an egg timer, and when the buzzer goes off, TV time is over."

Limit Sets

Television sets should be restricted to family areas. "Watching television as a family is much better for kids than individualized viewing," says Dr. Rimm. "If this can become routine in the family, kids will actually look forward to and initiate this kind of time together." Limit-enforcing is also easier when the television is in plain view, as is making sure that kids aren't watching age-inappropriate material.

Says Andrea Keen, 37, of Rye, New York, "The minute I got my daughter a TV for her bedroom, it was over. We never saw her after dinner. After six months my husband and I decided to give it to the Salvation Army, but not without vocal protesting from my daughter, which could have been avoided had we never bought the thing for her in the first place."

Make TV a Reward

Jan Frazier, 32, of Oklahoma City, says she regards TV as a reward for good behavior and a job well done. "If my four- and five-year-olds make good choices during the day, they earn their TV time for the evening," she explains. "If bathtime and bedtime go smoothly, they're allowed to watch TV the next morning. That way, TV becomes more of a treat -- and it's a bargaining chip I use to encourage my kids to behave." If your child is less active than you'd like, researchers at the University of Ottawa in Canada recently found that making TV a reward for exercise increased kids' physical activity by 65 percent.  Some parents even park kid-sized exercise bikes in front of the TV to curb couch-potato tendencies.

Provide Alternatives

Dr. Rimm notes, "When there are other fun things happening in and out of the home, the TV rules become less necessary to enforce." That's because kids will often prefer extracurricular activities to getting their Nick fix in front of the TV. "There are all sorts of things that even over-worked parents can muster the energy to do with their kids, from model building to card games to gardening," Dr. Rimm suggests.  So turn off the TV and read your kids a book. Play Candyland. Put on a puppet show. Instead of watching the on-screen exploits of Spongebob, Elmo, or Dora, go out and create your own adventures!

Darcy Lockman is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, New York. She watches approximately four hours of television each week.

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