In the chaos of family life, it’s difficult to keep track of children’s media consumption. A video game here, a TV show there—it all adds up throughout the day. Do you really know what your kids are experiencing online and on TV? Here are five tips for taking charge of your child’s media consumption.
Screen Location
Children shouldn’t have access to televisions, computers or mobile devices behind closed doors. Have one television set in the family room, and designate a place in the home for accessing the Internet, like a home office space in plain sight of the kitchen and living room.
Designated Screen Time
Don’t allow children to surf the web or watch TV throughout the day. Designate a specific “screen time” for your family. This limits the number of hours that children are influenced by media and lets parents know exactly when kids are accessing it. Remind children that media consumption is a privilege by making participation in “screen time” contingent on meeting other responsibilities.
Take Advantage of Technology
Today’s safeguards aren’t foolproof, but they help limit exposure to objectionable material. Use your TV remote control to activate parental controls on your television, and make yourself an administrator on your computers. In this day of portable tablets and app-laden smart phones, monitoring or restricting access to your wireless network might also be a good idea.
Share Screen Time
Take the time to experience favorite video games or movies together. This gives you the opportunity to see content firsthand and start discussions about it. While you can’t control everything children are exposed to outside the home, you have the chance to voice your own views and values while you are watching movies or playing video games together.
Set a Good Example
If you don’t want your children texting during dinner, put your own phone away at mealtime. If you tell them they’re better off exercising than watching television, get outside with them and play tag or throw the ball around. Children are influenced more by parental example than by anything they see on TV.
With all that today’s busy parents have to do, being the media police for you family might seem like too much trouble. But it’s imperative that parents not only monitor children’s exposure to television and the Internet, but teach them through example and setting boundaries to become good, mindful media consumers.
