How to Create a Family Standard for TV Programming
We spend many days/minutes/hours teaching our kids how to make good choices. I mean, if we could make a choice for them all the time, we would, right? However, that’s not always possible and we have to teach our kids about making good choices when it comes to tv programming and our family standards.
Today, I wanted to talk about teaching our kids about family standards, especially when it comes to tv programming. If your child was watching television alone, would they be making a good choice? Here are some ways you can create a family standard for TV programming.
How to Create a Family Standard for TV Programming
Talk about the programs on TV with your child
You cannot expect your children to magically have a standard for television programming, you need to chime in. Talk about what is okay and what isn’t okay. Maybe when your child gets old enough, showing them some movie title/show examples of what’s okay or not okay is important. Have a little quiz so your child knows what is okay and what is not okay to watch.
Keep Televisions in a Central Location
Having televisions in bedrooms opens up a door that no parent wants to cross. One way to have family standards for television is to keep it in the open. I look at this much like having a computer. Children have access to so much thanks to the Internet and it’s up to use to help them hold those standards. I mean as your child gets older, you can change your stance, but a child having access to cable in their room without any supervision or blockage could lead to unwanted trouble.
Keep Media Rules Out And Accessible
We like to make a chart and keep it in the open. You can easily frame a printed chart and add near your television, or you can use a dry erase board so it is easy to update and change as things on television change. Our chart might look different than yours, but when creating it, you might put something like:
Choosing a Television Show:
- Is it family friendly?
- Does it have curse words?
- Are there naked people?
- Would my mom/dad approve of me watching this?
You don’t want to be overbearing, but sometimes you have to be “this way” in order to protect your kids from something they aren’t old enough or mature enough to protect themselves from.
Encourage picking a family show to watch together. When it comes to tv programming in your home, it’s a great idea to also not just make rules and standards, but to enjoy them together. We love picking a single show that we will watch each week together as a family. We can DVR the show to watch at a later time, or we can watch live week to week. We’ve even enjoyed some shows on Netflix or purchased DVD series on Amazon.
It’s important to keep communication open, especially if you have tweens or teens at home. With two teenagers now, it’s even more important for us to keep up with what they watch and set standards that give them freedom but keep them safe. What tips for family standards and tv programming would you add?
