How to Break Children's Bad TV Habits

With some leisure time just around the corner, we have to keep in mind how much TV our children watch and what it is they are watching. Even if you have been careful to help your child avoid developing bad TV habits, it is possible that these habits can sneak up rather quickly. It's not too late if the bad habits have already occurred. You just need to be ready to take control of the situation and break those bad habits. Follow the steps below to start breaking your kid's bad TV habits one at a time.

1. Make the TV hard to get to and hard to use if you feel your child is watching too much TV. This may involve taking the TV out of your child's room. Place the family TV in an armoire that allows you to close the doors so the TV cannot be seen when it's not in use.

2. Limit the TV to a maximum of two hours a day for children over two years old and no TV at all for children under the age of two. This doesn't mean that you have to allow the two hours each day. Less TV is better.

3. Be a good example for your child on how much TV you watch. The best way to break your child's bad TV habits is by leading by example. Show them that you don't need to watch TV to have fun and neither do they.

4. Watch TV with your children. This is the best way to make sure that they are watching programs that are appropriate for their ages and maturity levels. TV programs can also be a way that you can have conversations and other interactions with your kid regarding issues addressed in the TV program.

5. Have conversations with your child if they want to watch shows that you feel are inappropriate. Ask your child to explain to you why they want to watch a show that you feel isn't good for them. Explain to them why you feel the show is inappropriate. Make it clear that you are firm about not allowing them to watch the program.

6. Look for family activities that can replace the TV. Board games, outdoor activities, family visits and outings will not only steer your child’s interest away from the TV but will also build family memories and communication.

7. The TV is not the baby sitter! If you allow your child to watch a TV show or movie, make sure that it serves a purpose other than keeping your child busy or entertained.

How to Break Children's Bad TV Habits

With some leisure time just around the corner, we have to keep in mind how much TV our children watch and what it is they are watching. Even if you have been careful to help your child avoid developing bad TV habits, it is possible that these habits can sneak up rather quickly. It's not too late if the bad habits have already occurred. You just need to be ready to take control of the situation and break those bad habits. Follow the steps below to start breaking your kid's bad TV habits one at a time.

1. Make the TV hard to get to and hard to use if you feel your child is watching too much TV. This may involve taking the TV out of your child's room. Place the family TV in an armoire that allows you to close the doors so the TV cannot be seen when it's not in use.

2. Limit the TV to a maximum of two hours a day for children over two years old and no TV at all for children under the age of two. This doesn't mean that you have to allow the two hours each day. Less TV is better.

3. Be a good example for your child on how much TV you watch. The best way to break your child's bad TV habits is by leading by example. Show them that you don't need to watch TV to have fun and neither do they.

4. Watch TV with your children. This is the best way to make sure that they are watching programs that are appropriate for their ages and maturity levels. TV programs can also be a way that you can have conversations and other interactions with your kid regarding issues addressed in the TV program.

5. Have conversations with your child if they want to watch shows that you feel are inappropriate. Ask your child to explain to you why they want to watch a show that you feel isn't good for them. Explain to them why you feel the show is inappropriate. Make it clear that you are firm about not allowing them to watch the program.

6. Look for family activities that can replace the TV. Board games, outdoor activities, family visits and outings will not only steer your child’s interest away from the TV but will also build family memories and communication.

7. The TV is not the baby sitter! If you allow your child to watch a TV show or movie, make sure that it serves a purpose other than keeping your child busy or entertained.

How Do I Know If My Child Needs Extra Help in School?

The key to knowing if your child has a problem in school is to be an involved parent. Let your child know you are there for him and that you will do anything you can to help. If you suspect a problem and the answer isn't forthcoming from your child, don't hesitate to contact his teacher. Ask questions until you get answers.

Be an involved parent

How do you know if your child is having trouble in school? Look for changes in her behavior and attitude. If her grades suddenly drop or if he/she seems to be struggling with a subject or subjects, talk to him/her and contact his/her teacher. If you suspect a problem, don't wait for a report card to come home.

Monitor homework and graded work that comes home. Talk to your child about the good and troubling things you see. Offer praise for good grades or improved work, but let him/her know you notice a slide in work quality or if he/she seems to be struggling with a subject. This is also a good time to talk to the teacher and find out when tests are coming up and when they will be returned. Do this either by calling or maintaining e-mail contact with your child's teacher.

Unfinished work also may be a sign your child is struggling. Children having a tough time with the assigned work may just give up out of frustration. If you notice this, make sure you are there to help with homework or perhaps find a tutor who can help. Do not do the work for your child, just offer enough help so that he/she understands the subject matter and the assignment.

MAP test scores can also give you an indication of whether or not your child has a problem in school. Look at your child's results. If you see a problem talk to the teacher about what needs to be done to make improvements.

Partner with the teacher

Don't hesitate to talk to your child and to his teacher. Teachers appreciate involved parents, but don't go into discussions with the teacher in attack mode. Focus on helping your child with his/her struggles and coming up with a plan. Avoid going to the principal before talking to his/her teacher. Following the correct channels of communication is a great way to foster an effective relationship.

How to Get Children to Focus on Homework Without Losing Patience

As the hot seasons approaches, and particularly at this time of the school year, children begin to show signs of restlessness and being tired when it comes to completing their daily homework. As parents, the idea of helping your child with homework is often easier than the actual task. After you’ve spend the day at work and your child spends the day at school, attention spans can grow shorter and so can patience. Helping with homework can and should be a positive experience for both you and your child. By helping children focus on the homework assignment, you can provide assistance and positive reinforcement, and avoid losing your patience.

Ø Work together with your child to set up and maintain a daily after school routinethat includes time for snacks and meals, homework, free time and bedtime. Ensuring your child has enough time for everything will help him focus by removing stress and the need to rush.

Ø Provide a snack and drink before you sit down together to do homework. A growling stomach and dehydration disrupt concentration. A healthy snack provides your child with fuel needed to concentrate.

Ø Set-up the homework area in a location of the home that's quiet and contains as few distractions as possible. Televisions, video games, music or a view out of the window can distract your child. Experiment with what works best until you and your child find the ideal homework location and setup.

Ø Block out distractions on the actual homework assignment with blank printer paper. Children with organizational difficulties are easily distracted by other math problems on a page or too many words and paragraphs. Use printer paper to cover up all but the math problem that's being worked on. Place a ruler under the sentence that's being read and have your child move the ruler down with each sentence to help guide his focus.

Ø Get up and walk away for a few minutes. Once your child has begun the homework assignment, leave the work area and allow him to work alone for a few minutes. Help him stay on task by letting him know you'll return in five minutes to check on his progress and see if there are any questions. If your child feels too pressured by your presence, it will be difficult to concentrate.

Ø Take a deep breath. Sometimes homework gets frustrating and both you and your child lose patience and motivation. If you sense you're about to lose it, walk away until you calm down. Consider whether or not your child can use a short break to refresh.

Ø Praise your child for each accomplishment and achievement, especially if homework is a struggle. Your encouragement can provide just the motivation your child needs to stay with the homework assignment until it's done. Giving your child praise helps boost self confidence.

LESSONS ON ACCOUNTABILITY

We have many responsibilities to our children. Feeding, clothing and sheltering them are the basics; however, there are other important responsibilities that come with parenting. Teaching our children to behave, how to relate to others, to be considerate and how to make friends are but a few more of the challenging aspects of being a parent.

What about teaching our kids to be responsible and accountable for their actions and their words? These are equally important responsibilities we have to teach our kids.

Teaching children to be accountable for what they do, say and feel is a gift that will help them throughout their lives. The “rules” also involve teaching children compassion and tolerance for others. When a child feels secure because they know and understand the “rules,” they are more willing and able to accept accountability for themselves. Teaching our kids what is right and wrong is a big step in teaching them responsibility. Once they know the “rules,” they are more able to make solid decisions and understand how they fit into society and how to react or respond to both joy and challenges.

If a child knows that throwing sand in another child’s face is wrong, that it hurts and they wouldn’t want anyone to throw sand in their face, they begin to learn compassion for their peers and other human beings. If a child knows that taking something that does not belong to him is wrong and how losing a treasured toy would feel, he will be less inclined to wander off with someone’s favorite action figure.

Once children know and understand the rules of right and wrong. We can then teach them to be accountable and responsible for themselves. An especially meaningful lesson is teaching children to be truthful and honest. This may include teaching them that if they tell you the truth about any situation, they will not get in trouble. If they lie, they will most certainly get in trouble. This teaches them that being honest works, but also that lying isn’t going to get them out of trouble or help them achieve a desired outcome. They are less likely to lie to anyone else, expecting that by being straight forward, honest and secure in their truth, they will not encounter resistance. If they do, they are strongly rooted in their knowledge of right and wrong to stand firm in their beliefs and remain accountable for their words or deeds.

While we want our children to be secure, we must also realize and teach them that if they mess up, there will be consequences. Consequences do not have to equate to punishment. For example, if your child takes something from the checkout counter at the market while you are paying for the groceries, an appropriate consequence would be to bring your child right back into the market and have him/her give it back to the manager and explain that they took it and then apologize. This will make a much bigger impact on your child than a swat and/or an accusation - and they will learn accountability. This is a lesson in positive consequences for parents as well as a great lesson to teach a child. They will be much less likely to break laws as they get older knowing that Mom or Dad will not let them get away with breaking rules and they will understand respect for authority, which will keep them out of bigger trouble as they grow up.

Teaching your child by example is an excellent way to impart a life lesson. For example, if you accuse your child of taking something valuable that you misplaced and then you find said valuable, make it a point to tell your child you found it and apologize for wrongly accusing him/her. Saying I’m sorry” to your child does not negate your authority. It will teach them that it’s OK to make mistakes and to apologize when they do. If we are accountable, our children will learn that accountability is the “rule” and they will naturally accept that rule. We are teaching our kids how to behave every moment. They watch and see everything we do.

Yes, being a parent means being a better person in order to teach our children what it means to be a decent member of society.

Make it a point to ask for your child’s kids, citizenship and how she behaves with her peers at every parent teacher conference you attend. This is equally as important as learning academics in a school environment and a good, caring teacher will have rules for the classroom that teach children to behave with respect for their fellow students and hopefully, to be accountable for themselves.