How To Get Children To Read

[Adasunshine]

Wow, jacko and mosaix, you sure know how to make a parent feel even more guilty than they already do.... (it's a default mechanism with mothers)

I'm not sure I agree with the TV thing, my two boys are subject to it all day every day (as was I and my two brothers) and rather than turn them (or us) into zombies, it's actually gone the other way. Although it's on all day long, they probably watch an hour to 2 hours maximum a day, the rest of the time, they're playing with their toys or playing with eachother, cuddling up to me, eating, or out in the garden running around like maniacs.

And yes, sometimes, I'll stick on a favourite DVD of theirs so that I can do some housework or get some things done, I'll admit to that, but I have never seen it as a babysitter. God, I'm their mother and I find looking after them difficult so how a TV can equate to that is beyond me, it just helps keep them in one room for longer than 5 minutes which allows me to get jobs done.

Another argument of mine is that my partner wasn't allowed to watch TV when he wanted, his viewing was restricted like yours and Mosaix's and he had to do certain things before he could switch it on and now, although he is an avid reader, if you put the TV on, he'll sit there and watch it until his eyes are square. Deprivation of something isn't always the best way forward and I agree with both CVU and Theresa that TV is just the easy way out of arguments against reading, not to mention lots of other things.

Its all well and good saying that TV is bad for children but as with everything else, I believe that children can have (almost) "everything in moderation".

xx

 

[the smiling weirwood]

I don't like television for the same reason I dislike short stories. They both seem imcomplete. I want my story and I want it now! Give me full length novels and/or movies or give me death!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I think the point about limiting TV time is that once you take something away that people are already used to it feels punitive, whether it is or not. After a time, any privilege comes to be regarded as a right. If children haven't been watching a lot of TV all along, then well and good -- although even that can backfire. Some children will grow up thinking they've done fine without TV so far, and they don't need it, but others will regard it as a forbidden pleasure, and over-indulge when they reach an age where they can do as they please.

The truth is, children are not little machines so that if you push the right buttons you'll automatically get the desired result. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. And then there are the parents who don't press any of those buttons, and they still get a good result.

Different things work with different children. Some want to please their parents, and will do whatever will earn their approval (possibly developing good habits along the way). Others are stubborn and rebellious and whatever you tell them to do, they will want to do the opposite. With some of those stubborn types, reverse psychology might work, "Don't you dare pick up a book until I say you can!" But that could backfire too, as the children learn to amuse themselves in other ways.

A lot of parents think they are doing everything right because their children are docile. Then the little dears reach adolescence and begin to run wild. Other children are more troublesome, but maturity brings a change for the better. In the end, all you can do is the best you can, try whatever you think will work, and await the outcome.

(Also, no TV doesn't necessarily equate to more quality time. Parents who are home all day with their children, or who only work part time, although they put the kids in front of the TV while they do the household chores, they may still have plenty of time to interact with their children. With parents who work away from home, every minute they can spend with their children can be precious, because it is limited. Although I might point out that if the children are with a babysitter all day, they may be watching more TV than you know.)

 

[jackokent]

I really didn't mean to make anyone feel guitly. I know how shattered I feel having my neices or God daughters for a day. They are completely tireless and I have the upmost respect for parents basically for surviving. I don't know how you do it. Clearly playing games etc in front of the TV is other stimilus so you've obviously got it right. I am only concerned when there is no other stimulus.

I am not saying TV prevents quality time. I am saying it can do this if you are not carefull. Lots of things can, but TV seems to take over. Just as you say, everyone is different. For some children TV limitting is punishment and for some it is not. I wasn't talking about using it as punishment or even coersion, I was just talking about not using it. I am personnally glad I never had one and I don't think not having one did me any harm. In some ways I can only draw on my own experience. I love reading so much that I think it would have been a big shame if as a child the TV had been on all the time as I would have found it easier not to read and to watch this instead. Also as I child I learnt to play musical instruments and I don't think I would have been inclined to sit and strum my guitar in the lounge if the TV was on.

There are millions of reasons why kids might not want to read which are completely unrelated to a TV but when the TV is on it is harder to read.

I am not saying the TV is the axis of evil but I do think you have to be carefull with how you use something that is quite beguiling and can be watched 24 hours a day. Basically does anyone really think watching a TV all day every day is good for you. Children don't always have the mental discplin or the abilty to discern what is good for them (not all and again I am generalising), this is the adult's role. I see it as an adults role to take a hand in developemnt and if that means limitting something so that the child is encouraged to try other experiences than so be it. Just as in the same way some adults might limit sweets or burgers other things.

As an aside I don't know why I'm worried about TV adiction when I'm such a Chronicles adict. Talk about when in glass houses!

 

[the smiling weirwood]

I speak from personal(and recent) experience, when I say I think the best thing my mother ever did was allow me to amuse myself. I had no t.v.(I only read about them, I had never so much as seen one), no computer, no anything. I had only books, my house, and our backyard. I felt very much that I was living at the turn of the century as far as entertainment went. I never complained because I had a blast. I still prefer to find ways to amuse myself or to read than watch t.v. In fact, I remember when I was nine I re-enacted The Chronicles of Narnia over a summer. My only regret was that I was always alone and had no one to play with. T.V. kills creativity. Who needs an imagination when the t.v. pipes in an artificial one for you?