• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Do You Know What Your Kid is Watching?

June 24, 2010 by Madison Pados Leave a Comment

It’s the beginning of summer and your kids will be playing outside, going to summer camp, swimming, and now that they have a break from schoolwork, watching TV. There will certainly be times when you are not around to monitor the content on the screen. TV Watch, a national group promoting parental controls, helps you take control of what your family watches. There are a variety of tools to help parents manage what their children see on TV, including the TV rating system, on-air advisories and warnings, the v-chip in your television and parental controls on cable and satellite. Here are some tips for parents on monitoring what your kids watch.

Monitoring Do’s

Here are some good ideas to help you monitor your kids. Set time limits on how much TV your kids are watching; two hours a day is a good amount. Be familiar with the ratings systems and parental controls that come with your TV, cable set, or satellite. Schedule family viewing times so that you can watch with your children and discuss the content with them, if necessary. Be consistent with your partner about what programs are appropriate for your kids. Use your DVR to record child-friendly content.

Monitoring Don’ts

Don’t let your TV become the default entertainment or worse, the go-to babysitter. Make sure to persuade your kids with alternatives to watching TV, like reading or physical activity. Don’t assume that new programs on a normally kid-friendly channel will be appropriate for your kids. Try to watch one episode of a new show to make sure it is consistent with your values. Try to avoid putting a TV in your child’s room, but if you do, activate the parental controls to block out inappropriate content.

Understanding TV Ratings

TV-Y: This program is designated for children of all ages. TV-Y7: Directed children 7 years old and above. This program may contain themes and elements that include mild fantasy violence or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of 7. TV-G: Most parents would find this program suitable for kids of all ages. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations. TV-PG: This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children. Many choose to watch it with their younger children. The program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L) or some suggestive dialogue (D). TV-PG 13 or TV 14: Parents are strongly cautioned against letting children under 13 or 14 to watch this program as it contains one or more of the following: intense violence, intense sexual situations, strong coarse language, or intensely suggestive dialogue. TV-MA: This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17. This program contains one or more of the following: graphic violence, explicit sexual activity, or crude indecent language.

About TV Watch

TV Watch is dedicated to using all communications available to educate parents about the existing tools to manage their children’s television consumption; and to give voice to the majority of Americans who believe responsibility – not more regulation – is the solution. Visit their website for more info: www.tvwatch.org (see link below).

For More Info, Visit TV Watch

  • televisionwatch.org

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Parenting

About Madison Pados

Madison is a prolific writer who has been contributing to ModernMom since 2010. She has 4 children and has taken a long hiatus from her 'real job' as an educational psychologist to spend more time with her kids. She loves cooking, organizing, exercising, traveling and stealing a little me-time when she can.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

What To Expect When You Are No Longer Expecting

The world is full of advice for pregnant and … [Read More...] about What To Expect When You Are No Longer Expecting

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

Male Fertility Tips

Pregnancy and Sinus Pain

Pregnancy and Sinus Pain

Tell If You Are Pregnant While Breastfeeding

How to Tell If You Are Pregnant While Breastfeeding

Upper Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy

Upper Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy

Bake Frozen and Pre-Breaded Chicken

How to Bake Frozen and Pre-Breaded Chicken

Early Signs of Pregnancy While on Birth Control

Early Signs of Pregnancy While on Birth Control

basal temperature as sign of pregnancy

Basal Temperature As Sign of Pregnancy

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.