Turn Off The TV Week April 25th - May 1

This week is National TV Turn-Off Week. This campaign is aimed at school aged children in an effort to get them away from the TV and most particularly reading more. But it is also aimed at encouraging them (and maybe us too) to discover TV alternatives. It the perfect time of the year for it, with Spring in full bloom, and all those extra daylight afternoon hours.

For some children not having a television is a way of life.

For others, it seems that television watching in the early years can lead to behaviour problems later in life.
Frederick J. Zimmerman; Gwen M. Glew; Dimitri A. Christakis; Wayne Katon. (2005) Early Cognitive Stimulation, Emotional Support, and Television Watching as Predictors of Subsequent Bullying Among Grade-School Children Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 159:384-388.

In our house-hold, my two children just love the thrill of keeping a diary of what we did instead. We even have a sign on the TV telling us that it's TV turn off week so that we never forget.

Whatever your daily routine, take this as a great excuse to get together and talk to children, yours or other people's. They really have a lot to say once you get them going!