TV Shows are Fine When:

• They encourage creativity and thinking.
• They encourage responding, singing, dancing and reading.
• They teach values that are important to you.
• They help kids appreciate all cultures and people.
• Kids want to learn more about what they see.

TV Shows are a Problem When:

• They show violence as a way to solve problems.
• They show things that scare or confuse children.
• They take up too much of a child's free time.
• You don't like the way your children act after watching a show.

Some Ways You Can Help Your Child When You are Watching Television Together:

• If someone on television is learning something you feel good about, you could ask your child to do it or say it along with the person on the screen.
• When children see someone on television making something, they often want to try it, too. It's a good feeling when a child says with a proud smile, "Look what I made!"
• When there is quiet time on a program, children can have time to think and to feel. If you are nearby, your child may want to share those thoughts and feelings with you.

Listening to what your child thinks about something on television, you might hear some things you never expected - things that help you better understand your child. That is one of the best gifts television and a parent can give!