Show Time!

With the hustle and bustle of daily our lives, it can be difficult to find time to spend together as a family. Sports, music recitals, school projects, business meetings, household tasks—while these activities are important, it’s just as important to put family time on the same priority level.

There are many ways to spend quality time together as a family, such as vacations and extended getaways. But you don’t have to go far to create cherished memories. Family time can also be spent in the comfort of your own home playing board games or curling up in front of the TV watching family-friendly programs.

When children watch TV on their own, they’re engaging in a passive activity. Sharing the activity as a family, however, can transform it into an interactive learning activity.

With so many movies, shows and programs on TV these days, it may be difficult to choose just the right show to watch together as a family. You can go the educational route with shows that cover history, science and current events. Not only will your child enjoy the knowledge they’re gaining and be able to share it with their friends, but it also gives you something to discuss afterwards and to help them see how to apply it in the real world.

Or you can go with family dramas or comedies, which can help teach life lessons through timely storylines. Whether the show deals with underage drinking or teenage sex, ask your child what they think about the characters in the show. Ask them their thoughts on the character’s actions and what they would do if they were in that situation.

Giving your child options about how to deal with negative situations will make them feel more confident about the relationships they have with their friends and teachers. It may even make them start thinking about the relationships they have with their family and how to improve them.

Watching TV doesn’t have to be a passive activity for parents or children. Instead, by watching family shows together on a regular basis, you are creating the opportunity to bond with each other. TV can be a learning experience in so many ways, but it has to be regulated and shared as a family to be most effective in communication, teaching values and discussing current events.

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