This article originally appeared in the March-April 2004 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.

A week without TV?

April 19 through 25 is the 10th annual TV Turnoff Week. Why should you participate? And how would your family survive?

By Julieta Santana

The national TV Turnoff Network urges families to go without TV for a week each year. Why? They say TV:

Markets to kids. "I used to work for the Power Rangers (cartoon program) in L.A. I saw how television works firsthand," says Kim Jaffe, mother of a one-year-old boy. "The only way shows can pay for themselves is by advertising. So they tell children to buy, buy, buy." Thirteen billion a year is spent on marketing-mostly TV-to children (2-14), who in turn influence the purchases of $500 billion a year, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Models violence. A Pennsylvania State University study of about 100 preschoolers found that children who watched violent cartoon shows were more likely to strike out at playmates, argue, and disobey authority, and were less willing to wait than other children. "The violence is replicated the next day in the playground," says mother and writer Ellen Augustine Schwartz.

Contributes to obesity. Using information from a national health survey, public health experts found that kids who watched more TV were more likely to be overweight-and to consume more calories. TV sells kids sweets and fatty foods and keeps them sitting very still. "You can only burn less calories by sleeping," says Karen Lewis, program director for the TV Turnoff Network in D.C. "You just have to be around a child to know sitting around is not what their bodies are supposed to be doing," notes Anne Eyle, a Southern California mother. "If the TV is off, they are moving around everywhere."

Interferes with literacy. TV "actually undermines reading," adds Lewis. "While reading is active and requires practice, TV is passive and offers instant gratification."

Undermines family time. According to A.C. Nielson Co., the average American watches three hours and 46 minutes of television per day. That's time they're not spending talking or doing things with their families.

TV Turnoff Week

But how do parents busy with jobs and housework break the TV habit? And how can they deal with their kids' demands to turn the TV back on?

Barbara Brock, a mother in Wash-ington, is working on a book called No TV?No Big Deal, to be published next year. She recalls one mother who wanted to participate in TV-Turnoff Week, but worried that not having TV would lead her children to boredom, fighting, and mischief. Struggling after divorce with the new role of single mother, she prepared for the worst. But during the week, she reported, her children drew, played outside, and read. They got along better and helped out more.

TV time limits

Debal Acquaro of Encinitas, Calif., has her television in the back of the house: "It reduces temptation." But she also sets strict limits on TV time. She allows her seven-year-old daughter and two-and-a-half-year-old son to watch TV after Sunday morning breakfast, but always warns them that "after a certain time or program, the television gets turned off."

Brock advises parents to set limits and stick to them. "Kids have an idea of what they can do [instead of watching TV]," she says. "If you can handle 20 minutes of whining, they'll find something to do." Adds Jaffe, "We have to be stubborn!"

If your children can't think of anything to do, here are a few suggestions:

Physical play

"Kids need to be active," says Jaffe. "For kids under seven, much of what they learn is by manipulating their body. Kids should not be hyper and wigging out in school because they spend too much time sitting watching a TV."

Kids can be physically active even indoors. "Hold a dance contest. Have each family member pick a favorite tune to jam to. Or take turns inventing new dances," writes Libby Snyder for the Chicago Children's Museum. Some simple props-a punching bag, a hula hoop, a tumbling mat-encourage kids to get moving.

Pretend play

"My children love to role play," says Eyle. "My daughter has a little kitchen set and yesterday she was the chef and my son was the customer. They have so much imagination. They don't need much, maybe just pieces of clothing, to pretend they are someone else, somewhere else." Or kids can build an indoor fort using chairs, blankets, boxes, and other materials-as long as they put everything away afterwards.

Sharing jobs

When you're making dinner, "make a game of helping with preparation," Schwartz suggests. Maxine Garcia says her four-year-old "always helps prepare the vegetables, spin the salad, or load or unload the dishwasher" while she is busy in the kitchen.

Art supplies

Schwartz also suggests collecting a box full of magazine pages, lost or odd jewelry, lace, twigs, stones, leaves; any small object with color and texture. Then kids have a ready-made box of materials for art projects.

Play dough is a favorite for keeping kids busy. If they're old enough, they can make it themselves (mix one cup salt with four cups flour then add 1½ cups warm water). After their creations are made and painted, you can harden them by baking at 325 degrees.

Reading and writing

While you're busy, Schwartz suggests, you can "have your children design and write a card or letter to a family member or friend. You can offer to help with spelling or topic suggestions [such as], 'Wouldn't your grandma like to hear about when you...' If children are older than seven, encourage them to read or write a story."

Her family lived without a television for a year and a half, Schwartz says. "Instead my husband read a chapter of The Hobbit aloud after dinner every night. The kids really looked forward to it."

There are even books that encourage kids to declare independence from TV (see p. 12).

Friends!

When you invite other children to come over, the kids keep each other busy. And their play also helps them develop social skills. "Childhood is about developing a physical, psychological, and spiritual relationship with the world," says Elizabeth Thoman of Los Angeles Center for Media Literacy. "Children can't have such a relationship with the TV."

Resources

• TV-Turnoff Network, 202-333-9220

• Taking Charge of Your TV: A Critical Guide for Children and Parents http://www.cyfc.umn.edu/
  schoolage/programs/CC1024.html

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