Screen-Free Week!

This week make a huge difference in your (and yours) child's life.

Turn OFF the TV. 

Yes, I am serious.  We are not a big TV family, we actually watch less than one hour (easily and most days none) of commercial TV per day.  Now, we do like movies and DVDs, but those are hand chosen.  We have family movie night twice a week and we make homemade pizzas to enjoy them with our movie.  So it is not that I dislike TV per se...it is just the "mindless" "on to be on" TV that so many families seem to have today.  The sheer amount of commercial and violence that is to be had during one "regular" program is absolutely staggering and add to that 30 hours average a week
and more!  You have got to be kidding.  No thanks.

TV has become a habit in our culture and we need to replace it with family and fun!

Here are some scary statistics: (and these are only a few)

The more time preschool children and babies spend with screens, the less time they spend interacting with their parents.  Even when parents co-view, they spend less time talking to their children than when they are engaged in other activities.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids ages 8-18 now spend, on average, a whopping 7.5 hours in front of a screen for entertainment each day, 4.5 of which are spent watching TV. Over a year, that adds up to 114 full days watching a screen for fun. That’s just the time they spend in front of a screen for entertainment. It doesn’t include the time they spend on the computer at school for educational purposes or at home for homework.

You did read that, right? 114 DAYS of watching TV.  Scary and sad to say the very least.

Toddler screen time is also associated with problems in later childhood, including lower math and school achievement, reduced physical activity, victimization by classmates and increased BMI.
Our society today is reflecting this.  Look at the violence, bulling, sexual harassment in our schools.

Research shows the benefits of reduced screen time.

Reducing screen time can help prevent childhood obesity.

Children who spend less time watching television in early years tend to do better in school, have a healthier diet, be more physically active, and are better able to engage in schoolwork in later elementary school.

Television viewing at a young age is associated with later behavioral problems, but not if heavy viewing is discontinued before age 6.

Limiting exposure to television during the first 4 years of life may decrease children’s interest in it in later years.

So this week do your family a favour and turn OFF the TV and PLAY!!  Come on...it'll be FUN! :)

Please check back or subscribe as we have all kinds of ideas of fun things to do that do NOT involved TV. Wooo Hoooo! 

Have a great weekend, and tell me what you and your kids do for fun.

Information courtesy of Commercial Free Childhood and Making Health Easier.