We have officially hit the two-month mark of sheltering in place and I am unapologetic about the daily TV watching that occurs in our home. Although I am incredibly hands-on with my children most of the time, I have no objection to them watching a little TV each day. We do have a few stipulations, though, and a short list of TV rules that we always follow. My kids would likely stare at a screen for eternity if we let them so these basic parameters keep the TV watching from getting out of control.
I feel like it’s important to mention that television is the only technology that our kids have access to. We don’t let them play games or watch shows on our phones and tablets so these rules only apply to how we monitor the TV.
Take a look at our TV rules and let me know how yours compare!
Have a TV Routine
One thing that drives me crazy is when my kids ask me over and over and over again for something they want. It’s a pet peeve, for sure! Having a consistent TV time each day eliminates the extra nagging and makes sure they know when to expect it.
In our house, there are two windows of TV time for the girls. They are both parts of the day when they typically have less energy, need a little break, or I want a moment of uninterrupted time. The first window is after lunch, around 1:00pm, and they just have to eat all of their food and bring their dishes to the sink before turning the TV on. The second window is while I’m getting dinner ready, around 5:00pm, and they can start watching as soon as they’re finished cleaning their playroom.
I taught my older daughter how to use the remote so that she can operate the TV independently and they take turns picking shows to watch.
Use a Timer
To make sure that my kids aren’t watching TV forever, I set the sleep timer to turn it off automatically. Sometimes the TV will shut off in the middle of an episode and that’s okay. They know that they’ll be able to finish it during their next TV time.
The amount of television my kids watch honestly depends on what else we need to accomplish during the day and how nice the weather is. I try to fill our daily schedule with engaging activities, but if someone isn’t feeling well, it’s raining outside, or I need to complete a time-sensitive task, they’ll probably get a little more TV.
Quality TV
Depending on what they’re watching, there can actually be benefits to television!
In our house, the day of the week determines what type of shows our kids can watch. Monday through Friday, they have to pick shows that “make their brains stronger”. This basically means there’s some sort of educational component. It can emphasize academic skills (language arts, math, science) as well as social and emotional skills (friendship, sharing, taking turns) or the arts (music, dancing, creativity).
When we’re looking at family-friendly programming, we ask ourselves what it will teach our kids. If a show doesn’t have a clear objective and is purely for entertainment, they are allowed to watch it during their weekend TV time.
With so many streaming services and children’s channels available, it’s easy to find quality shows for your kids. Check out this list of our favorite TV shows to get started!
Do you have TV rules in your home? Leave me a comment and tell me all about them!
Take a look at our typical daily schedule and see how we promote reading in our house!
Talk to you soon!
