

	Downsize Your Child's Screen Time The average American child watches three to five hours of television every day and spends between 20-33 minutes a day playing video games. By high school graduation, most children have spent more time in front of the television than in the classroom! In fact, television viewing accounts for more of a child's time than any other activity except sleeping! Excessive television watching and video game playing encourages a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating behaviors that can lead to obesity in children. The amount of time per day spent playing video games varies by age. 2-7 years old, average eight minutes per day, spend the least amount of time playing video games. 8-13 years old spend an average of 32 minutes 14-18 years old spend an average of 20 minutes According to a national survey conducted by the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF), 92% of children and adolescents ages 2-17 play video games. More than two-thirds of all children from the ages 2-18 live in a home with a video game system. Roughly a third of all children ages 2-18 have video game players in their bedrooms. By comparison, half have a television in their room, 29% have a VCR and 16% have a computer in their room. ( www.kff.org ) Kids average television viewing during a week is 1,680 minutes, which is 28 hours. In contrast, parents report an average of 38.5 minutes of meaningful conversation with their children per week. To help teach your children good television and video game playing habits, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has developed the following guidelines: Set limits. Know how much your child watches television and how much they play video games. Don't hesitate to reduce the amount of time that they engage in these activities. Minimize the influence of TV in your home. Make it a practice to keep the television off during family mealtimes. Make conversation a priority in your home; don't center the furniture in your family room around the television. Avoid having television sets in individual bedrooms since this tends to physically isolate family members, minimize family interaction and decrease the amount of physical activity. Don't use television to reward or punish your child. Practices like this make television seem even more important to children. Provide alternatives. Parents are responsible for how much television their children watch. Encourage both indoor and outdoor activities for your child. Examples of this would be field trips, hobbies, sports, reading, and chores. Regular physical activity is critical for the health and well being of children especially since the percentage of obese children has been increasing steadily over the last 20 years. Be a role model. Children are more likely to engage in physical activity if their parents are doing it with them. Create opportunities to be physically active with your children. Go on a family bike ride, play catch, hike together, play tag or hide and go seek. Designate certain evenings for special family events that include physically active games, sports, or pastimes. *"TV Nation," The Well Workplace , Wellness Councils of America, ( www.welcoa.org ). In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens watch no more than two hours of television a day. ( www.kidshealth.org )

Downsize Your Child's Screen Time

The average American child watches three to five hours of television every day and spends between 20-33 minutes a day playing video games. By high school graduation, most children have spent more time in front of the television than in the classroom! In fact, television viewing accounts for more of a child's time than any other activity except sleeping!

Excessive television watching and video game playing encourages a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating behaviors that can lead to obesity in children.

The amount of time per day spent playing video games varies by age.

2-7 years old, average eight minutes per day, spend the least amount of time playing video games.
8-13 years old spend an average of 32 minutes
14-18 years old spend an average of 20 minutes

According to a national survey conducted by the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF), 92% of children and adolescents ages 2-17 play video games. More than two-thirds of all children from the ages 2-18 live in a home with a video game system. Roughly a third of all children ages 2-18 have video game players in their bedrooms. By comparison, half have a television in their room, 29% have a VCR and 16% have a computer in their room. ( www.kff.org )

Kids average television viewing during a week is 1,680 minutes, which is 28 hours. In contrast, parents report an average of 38.5 minutes of meaningful conversation with their children per week.

To help teach your children good television and video game playing habits, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has developed the following guidelines:

Set limits. Know how much your child watches television and how much they play video games. Don't hesitate to reduce the amount of time that they engage in these activities.

Minimize the influence of TV in your home. Make it a practice to keep the television off during family mealtimes. Make conversation a priority in your home; don't center the furniture in your family room around the television. Avoid having television sets in individual bedrooms since this tends to physically isolate family members, minimize family interaction and decrease the amount of physical activity.

Don't use television to reward or punish your child. Practices like this make television seem even more important to children.

Provide alternatives. Parents are responsible for how much television their children watch. Encourage both indoor and outdoor activities for your child. Examples of this would be field trips, hobbies, sports, reading, and chores. Regular physical activity is critical for the health and well being of children especially since the percentage of obese children has been increasing steadily over the last 20 years.

Be a role model. Children are more likely to engage in physical activity if their parents are doing it with them. Create opportunities to be physically active with your children. Go on a family bike ride, play catch, hike together, play tag or hide and go seek. Designate certain evenings for special family events that include physically active games, sports, or pastimes.

*"TV Nation," The Well Workplace , Wellness Councils of America, ( www.welcoa.org ). In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens watch no more than two hours of television a day. ( www.kidshealth.org )