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PARENT’S TV TIPS
A Healthy, Balanced “TV Diet”
By Dr. Helen Boehm
Television was long considered the “uninvited” guest in American households. However,
today many realistic and caring parents are partnering with television to create electronic
classrooms -- right in their own living rooms. They are no longer asking if children should
watch TV but, rather, which programs and on-screen activities should be part of their
children’s TV intake.
The same balanced and structured approach to developing healthy eating habits translates
to watching less, different and better television! This “TV diet” gives families a menu for
regulating children’s viewing, choosing “healthy” program content and reducing the quantity
and potency of television consumed.
So, what does a healthy, balanced “TV diet” look like?
A well-balanced diet is best…
Consider a healthy mixture of age-appropriate programming and activities that educate,
engage and entertain! A variety of viewing and interactive experiences can turn a TV
screen into an electronic classroom for learning and fun.
Trim the fat…
It is important to reduce children’s sedentary behavior and eliminate unhealthy programs
that contain violent, aggressive or disrespectful behaviors.
Move out of the candy store…
Parents are children’s first teachers and their most powerful role models. It is difficult
to improve children’s viewing when parents are modeling other TV viewing behaviors.
Consider adapting your own TV habits as a healthy example for your child.
Plan menus and season to taste…
Whenever possible, eliminate channel surfing and encourage the viewing of specific,
pre-selected shows. The PG-TV ratings help parents make more informed selections
that take into account the content and age-appropriateness of programs. For example,
Y-7 shows are designed for children 7 and older who can distinguish between fact and
fantasy. A TV-Y7-FV rating indicates that “fantasy violence” is present in an episode of
an animated program.
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