How To Monitor What Your Kids Watch On TV

Children can spend hours enjoying their favourite television programs, and if you’re not setting rules or limits on your child’s viewing habits, the child can be exposed to potentially inappropriate content.

This also means that your child will not be participating in other activities, such as educational activities, house chores, or outdoor fun.

Here are some useful tips for how to effectively monitor your child’s television time.

1. Set Limits

Set limits for your child. Let children know how much time they can watch TV each day, perhaps one hour. Let them know when they are young so they grow accustomed to this rule. As he or she grows older, he will be used to the idea and find other ways to occupy himself.

2. Watch With Them

Watch television with your children. Make sure you know what kind of television shows your child is watching. You may be extremely busy with work and other activities, but you must make some time each day to sit and watch TV with your child. this helps you bond better with your children.

3. Parental Control

Set the parental controls on your TV set. Most televisions made after 2000 have a V-chip in them to block out certain programs or channels. All programs come with a rating. Refer to your TV owner’s manual for instructions on blocking particular shows.

4. Talk To Your Child

Talk to your child about TV. Ask them what their favorite show on TV is and why. Ask them what their friends are watching. Explain why certain shows are not appropriate. Try to have an honest discussion with your children, they would trust you and always confide in you.

5. TV Timer

Have a TV timer, your child should always enter a code each time he or she turns on the TV. This device lets the child use the TV for the amount of time you allow. This is a big help for parents who work and can’t be there to monitor their children all the time.

6. No Personal TV

Keep the television in the living room. As much as possible, do not allow your children have a TV in their room. A TV in the room makes it more difficult to monitor what they watch. You can make an exception to this rule only if the child is a teenager and you are certain of the kind of programmes that would interest him or her.