My Sons Spend Too Much Time In Front Of The TV
All my kids talk about getting every year for Christmas is video games if they don’t go downstairs and find Gears of War 2 under our new flocked christmas tree I do not know how they will survive. It makes me a little nuts since I do all I can to get my kids outdoors. I would prefer to get them something like new football equipment or bikes, really anything they can do outside. Alas, I suppose boys will be boys. Arguing with the boys over “appropriate” lengths of time is just too much work.
After saying that I guess I should get to the point that I’ve developed a few ways to control their television addiction. With a few techniques I try to get them outside more. The first way I try to accomplish my goal is by limiting time that can be spent in front of them television to only one hour per day. I have discovered that limiting the time is key to everything else because then they know time above and beyond that is to be earned. I do give them some ways to earn more time in front of the television. That leads me into my second trick. They have a few options to earn more television time, either playing outside or doing some chores for me. The chores is nice for me and generally has a pretty good payoff for them. I set it up so it ends with one hour of chores earning one hour of television time.
The second way they earn time, by going outside, is a little less rewarding. For every hour they spend outside they get fifteen minutes of video games. Like I say this isn’t a huge payoff, but I also don’t really think asking them to be outside is a huge thing to ask. That option works the best of their long Saturdays where they spend the majority of the day outside anyway. They spend all day outside on Saturdays and earn themselves a couple of hours in front of the television. Realistically a night of playing games and watching movies isn’t so bad after a full day outside.
Anyway I guess that I don’t mind a game or two under the flocked christmas tree this year , that is if it allows for the positives of getting the boys outside and making them a little more obedient. I hope they like their games, because I am going to like my “gift” of a little more control around the house.
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