Did you participate in the spring by turning off your screens for a week? Whether you did, or not, I hope you'll join us in the Fall TurnOff Week that kicks off Sunday, September 20. It's no easier for us than you, especially in the fall with college football and season premiers. But we're motivated and armed with our DVR.
National TurnOff Week is about re-thinking how and why we use TV, looking at the impact TV has on our family life and determining what role we want it to play.
Here's a snapshot of the research that describes the consequences of too much screen time - for us and our children:
- a preschooler's risk of being overweight increased by 6% for every hour of TV watched per day
- for every hour of TV children watch each day, their risk of developing attention-related problems later increases by 10%. So, a child who watches 3 hours of TV each day, is 30% more likely to develop ADD.
- the more TV preschoolers watch, the more their academic performance will suffer in first grade
- Children in households where the TV is on "always" or "most of the time" are less likely to read than are children in other homes
- Children six and under spend an average of two hours a day using screen media, about the same amount of time they spend playing outside, and well over the amount they spend reading or being read to (39 minutes)
- For adults, too much screen time is the leading cause of obesity, and leads to a sedentary and lonely lifestyle that isn't healthy from a physical, emotional or mental perspective
We've all plopped our kiddos in front of Sesame Street or Dora, justifying that it's educational for them, while we clean house, get dinner ready or simply relax. And there's no need to feel bad. Instead, take this opportunity to think about the topic and decide if you want to make a change for your family.
Here's a few ideas to fill the time in ways that are fun for the whole family.
- Read! Go to the library to find new books and stock up! Have a book exchange with friends or neighbors so everyone gets "new" books.
- Get outside. Bike, hike, walk, run, scoot, explore - just get some fresh fall air.
- Socialize. Plan potluck dinners with friends, neighbors and family. Fall is a great time to get out the slow cooker and share a warm bowl of soup or stew.
- Can. Stock up on peaches, pears or tomatoes at the farmer's market this weekend and spend a cool night in the kitchen preserving the late summer harvest.
- Play. Get out the board games and cards to have some fun. Don't have any? See if your local library or pizza joint do. Go bowling.
- Write. Teach your child the joy of recording special moments from their day by "journaling" (we draw or scribble special moments in a spiral notebook). Write letters or notes to family or friends.
- Create. Find projects that your children will enjoy, discover a new hobby or reconnect with activities you used to enjoy.
- Bake. Make some cookies or cupcakes with your kids and deliver them to the neighborhood.
- Help. Find organizations that you have passion behind and see what you can do to help them this week. If nothing else, clean out your pantry and donate the unwanted items to your local food shelter or bank. Write letters or draw pictures to elderly. Clean your closet and find clothes that don't fit to donate.
For us parents, we need to set a good example, which means turning off the cell phone, laptop and other screens to enjoy those special moments with our kids while they're young. And still want us around. If you don't think setting a good example is important, maybe this little video will serve as a good reminder.
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