Does Your Child Watch Too Much TV?

There was a time when homework was given first priority, and everything else followed. However, nowadays it seems that the only time children do their homework is when nothing good is coming on television or of course, when parents hang the Damocles' sword on their head. Television is affecting sleep, studies, mealtimes. If your child's favorite programme is on, she will only go to bed when it gets over. The 'trash' that might affect young, impressionable minds gives parents sleepless nights. So how would you tackle this problem?

1. Make it a Family Decision

If you tell your child "No watching television after 9:30 at night," you can be sure that's one rule that's not going to be adhered to. You should involve your child in the decision as well. Have a family meeting and say "There's a problem. How are 'we' going to solve it?"

2. Choices

Give your child the choice of programmes and timings. Sit with her while she makes a study plan and tell her that this plan will have to be adhered to. Let her choose for herself when she wants to study and when she wants to watch television. You will, however, have to hold her to it. The minute you slack off, so will your child.

3. Let Children Think for Themselves

Don't impose your opinions. Tease them into expressing their own. Ask them who they thought the 'bad guy' was, and why. There is an inbuilt moral lesson to be learn from most programmes, the bad guy never wins. Turn this to your advantage. Ask your children if they think it's fun to beat up someone, and what they thought was right and wrong.

4. A Critical Eye

While watching a movie you could pass comments on how unbelievable and unrealistic certain aspects of the plot are and you'll find plenty such aspects when watching a Hindi movie! This will help your children develop a critical eye and spot an absurdity when they come across it.

5. Educational Programs

Encourage your children to watch educational programs on television. They would only be interested in watching Discovery Channel and the like if you inculcate an interest in such channels. If a programme on bees is coming up, you could give your children some fascinating facts, perhaps show them a book or article on bees. This will build their interest.

6. Cartoons

Get your children a coloring book of their favorite cartoon characters. Encourage them to sketch these favorite characters. You never know what undiscovered creative talents are hiding behind their mischievous exteriors. The television need not be such an enemy if you know how to cope with it, and use it to your advantage.

Art As An Experience For Child

Art for most of us is the physical act of drawing and painting. On stretching our viewpoint beyond we will realize that it is much more. Art is an experience, an expression of one's inner self.

Most of us in our schools have been conditioned to a particular way of art. As a part of the ISP(Infant SSY Programme) course we have asked a number of Parents on several different occasions to draw 'a beautiful picture'. 95% of them have always drawn a similar picture comprising of mountains (having pointed peaks), the sun rising from between them (typically with alternating big and small rays), birds flying (drawn as the alphabet 'r'), a river flowing (from between two mountains), trees (more often coconut trees), some ducks or fish in the water. We were shocked to notice such a striking resemblance in most pictures.

The culprit here is our education system and the fact that we have all been trained to think in the same way. The art within us has thus died down making us more mechanical than expressive. In a similar manner when dealing with a child, 'expression painting' must score over 'object painting'. What we can do is give the child (even as young as 1 or 2 years) a blank sheet of paper whenever possible and ask him to draw on it, his feelings about a particular thing, situation or event. The smaller the child the bigger should be the paper.

As the child grows older he will be able to point on the paper and tell us what he has drawn. At this vital point of time it is very important for us Parents to remember not to discourage the child by correcting his drawings, passing remarks or giving suggestions. The visual effect of the drawing is immaterial, what he has expressed is only what matters.

In our curriculum the children are now well accustomed to this form of art and they come up with the most beautiful imaginations. Maximum possible right brain development is thus made possible giving the child an incredible opportunity to become more creative and artistic in the real sense of the words.

It is also very important that the child learns to differentiate between various shades of the same color such as scarlet red, crimson red etc. or turquoise blue, peacock blue etc. In order that this becomes possible expose your child to a range of colors at a very early age rather than only the 12 common colors obtained in every crayon box. We don't limit a child to coloring within boundaries. This activity creates unimaginable strain on him and brings in him a sense of tremendous binding.

Allow him to be free and color with crayons, in a manner suitable to him. Always remember that the child should be stress free and joyful. Freedom within will inevitably reflect freedom without. Coloring within boundaries will come to him naturally with age. So do not waste precious time and effort in teaching him the most obvious.

To develop the child's expression in art, I recommend that you keep one wall in your house free just for the child to freely paint or scribble. In each house there should be a wall painted black, serving as a black board too. 

                           

 - By Manoj Lekhi (Key Disciple of Guruji Rishi Prabhakar ji)