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Hello everyone, I just recently joined the forum. Just a quick introduction, I'm the father of 4 children. 3 girls and 1 boy... ages ranging from 5 to 7 (5 year olds are twins). Anyway, they love watching TV, it's nearly impossible to get them to go outside or pretty much do anything besides sit in front of the TV. I've been trying different things in an effort to break this. I've come up with a few which I shared on my blog. Not sure if I'm able to link the article as I'm new and don't want to be considered a spammer. I was wondering if anyone else had some suggestions. It drives me nuts, when I was young I would stay outside until it would get dark and my parents forced me to come in.
"it's nearly impossible to get them to go outside or pretty much do anything besides sit in front of the TV. " was created by you.
You can put an end to it.
A "we are not watching tv today" will elicit whining, but unless you cave, they get used to it.
Or as jstriding said, give them a time limit.
Or, no TV until you get chores done.
I completely understand what you're saying. However I was thinking more along the lines of making them want to get away from the TV.
It doesn't matter what they want. You know it isn't healthy for them to spend all their time in front of the tv so you have to be the one that makes it happen.
You will have to get them interested in doing something outside and it will probably take sometime to achieve. Turn off the tv, get them outside and play with them..basketball, throwing a football (girls can do this too!), riding bikes etc.., Once they see how much fun it is, they will be "wanting" to go outside, but you and your wife will have to be the ones to turn off the tv.
We lived for years without a television, and the computer was Dad's for work and strictly off limits. I think it's the best thing we ever did for ourselves and our children. Even today, I take an extended breather from the electronics once a year, and I encourage the kids to do the same. (I've been gorging this week, because mine starts on August 7th when I leave for a personal retreat.) The first few days are hard, but it soon gets easier. My suggestion is to remove the TV from the house for awhile. Fib a little and tell the kids the set is broken and at the repair shop. They'll surprise you with how quickly they adjust.
"it's nearly impossible to get them to go outside or pretty much do anything besides sit in front of the TV. " was created by you.
You can put an end to it.
I agree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carrie2979
You will have to get them interested in doing something outside and it will probably take sometime to achieve. Turn off the tv, get them outside and play with them..basketball, throwing a football (girls can do this too!), riding bikes etc.., Once they see how much fun it is, they will be "wanting" to go outside, but you and your wife will have to be the ones to turn off the tv.
I agree that modeling by example is always a good way to parent.
Our children never had problems going outside. In fact it was hard to keep them inside even when the weather was too cold or too stormy for extended outside play. Since my husband and I love to read we had a "reading hour" every evening. The TV and computers were all turned off and everyone read books, magazine and newspapers. Often the children would get so involved in their reading that the TV, video games, & computers were never turned on again for the rest of the evening. We started this before our children were born so it was very easy for them to adapt to it as it was all they knew.
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