Good TV Health -- Guidelines Include More Outdoor Time

The American Academy of Pediatrics has been looking hard at childhood television viewing and is not happy with what it is finding. The average child is now spending more time watching television than he or she spends in school! This is twice the maximum recommended by the Academy. Recent studies also recommend that children under two years of age be kept away from television entirely becaase it adversely affects critical cognitive development. So what is a parent to do? Here are some suggestions from the Academy on good TV health. I ncluded: outdoor time -- no surprise there.

1) Don’t have a TV in your child’s bedroom, 2) Have a home computer the child can have access to, 3) Turn off the TV during meals, 4) Let your children watch TV as a treat only after homework and chores are finished, 5) Have a TV-ban day, 6) Create fun alternatives to watching television, such as a board game, going outside, or listening to music . Read More