|
     
ACTIVITIES
FOR WHEN THE TV IS OFF!
First
a note to the parents:
skip to
activities
The
more I flip through the channels of our “basic cable” TV
stations, the sadder I get. What used to be “family programming”
is now offensive and even obscene at times. It is not unusual to see
and hear things that were banned from network TV only a few years
ago. I came across some startling facts on the television viewing
habits of young people in America. Television can be fun,
informative and even a family activity but like anything else, it
can also be harmful if watched excessively. Here is the information
I wanted to share with you. God bless you with wisdom as you make
decisions affecting the lives of your precious kids!
-
The
average child watches television 4 hours per day.
-
The
average American child from birth to age 18 spends more time
watching TV than in the classroom.
-
On
the average only 1 of 5 acts of violence on TV is properly
punished.
-
In
a 30-page Senate report, the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and
the American Psychological Association all agree that violence
in the media is related to aggression in real life!
-
On
average a child sees 30,000 TV commercials per year.
-
Children
and teen still look to their parents more than anyone else for
advice.
The
Human Cost:
-
Parents
spend only 40 minutes each week in meaningful conversation with
their children.
-
Time
spent watching TV leaves less time for homework, sports,
socializing, community service, time with the Lord, dreaming and
hobbies.
-
Young
children watching TV may have difficulty accurately
distinguishing reality from fantasy.
-
59%
of Americans can name the Three Stooges but only 17% can name
three Supreme Court Justices.
-
Kids
may be exposed to sexual activity and hear inappropriate
language
-
Children
who watch a lot of TV read less than their peers and don’t do
as well in school.
-
TV
stories are fast-paced, giving children a distorted sense of
time.
-
TV
commercials encourage children to crave toys or other products
indiscriminately.
What
Can Parents Do?
-
Do
as I say and do as I do. Don’t just tell your children to
watch less TV – model other ways of using time.
-
Monitor
what and how much TV your children watch and discuss the
content.
-
Use
events you see on TV to explore ideas and discuss different
points of view.
-
Teach
children to be savvy media consumers.
-
Discuss
how the media influences people to buy certain things and think
in certain ways.
-
Make
a list of non-TV activities.
-
Do
what’s on the list!
HERE’S
THE LIST!
-
Play
games with your siblings
-
Go in
your basement or closet and find an old game!
-
If
there are at least two or three kids, you could go outside and
play tag.
-
Do a
puzzle
-
Play
cards
-
Play
with your pet if you have one
-
Pretend
you’re a grownup or an artist
-
Make
up tricks with cards
-
Make
up dances to worship music!
-
Read
a book
-
Do
your homework!
-
Go
for a walk
-
Help
prepare a meal with your parents for your family or for someone
else!
-
Help
your parents in the garden
-
Write
a letter to a friend, family member, pastor or teacher
-
Write
a poem or song
-
Go
for a bike ride
-
Ask
your parents what life was like when they were your age.
-
Lay
birdseed out in the lawn and watch the birds that come and eat
-
Learn
how to play a musical instrument
-
Call
a grandparent
-
Bake
something
-
Get
crafty
-
Do
something for someone else
-
Fix
something around the house
-
Take
it easy!
-
See
some live shows or perform your own play
-
Take
pictures or organize old photos
-
Take
an evening walk together
-
Have
a tickly party
-
Let
the kids take every cushion off the sofa and build a fort
-
Share
a skill with your kids
-
Take
a class together
-
Go
ice-skating
-
Get
to know the museums and historical societies in your town (Stony
Brook is a good place to start!)
-
Stock
up on books and stories on tape
-
Set
out a lot of good dress-up stuff and let your kids play with
each other!
Laugh
more, talk more, enjoy each other more and love each other even
more! Please e-mail me and let me know which activities you tried
and which ones you liked! Let
me know any ideas you have that I may have missed!
Love
Miss Amy
Back
to our Church Home Page
A Spirit
Filled Ministry to Generations |
|
