 A Teachable Moment:
It's a new decade and if you're like me, milestone years get you thinking...how do I want my child to grow up over the next decade and beyond? What key tools should I give my child to ensure that he becomes a caring, self-sufficient, courteous and industrious member of the community?
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 How much media time does your child spend? It could be 7 hours a day!
A new study finds that with TV,computer, cell phones, iPods, and video games, the amount of time kids--as young as eight--and teens spend 'tuned in' rivals the amount of time they spend at school. The rise in cell phones amongst the under-18 set is particularly responsible for the constant access to media.
While the variety of media that kids consume isn't inherently bad, school work, family time and good quality socializing definitely suffer dramatically when kids spend this much time on it.
Once your child has an iPod or a cell phone it is much more difficult to control media time. But there are things you can and should do to reduce your child's time electronic time:
- Turn off the TV! Turn it on only for specific shows, after homework and chores are done; don't leave it on when no-one is watching; if your child has a TV in his room, password-protect it so he can't watch at will.
- Limit cell phone use for kids-particularly during meals, family time and bed time. You may need to hold your child or teen's cell phone overnight if you find that it is interfering with sleep.
- Limit computer social time--especially late at night. If necessary, remove laptops from your child or teen's bedroom.
- Delay purchasing portable internet devices (like iTouch, iPhone, PDA's) for as long as possible. I recommend 13 years at earliest.
- Delay permission to establish a Facebook (or other social networking) page until at least 13 years. In addition to this limiting your child's time spent on media related activity, 13 is Facebook's legal age, by allowing your child to sign-up earlier, you're colluding with her in establishing her first 'fake ID'.
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