Setting boundaries on your child’s TV viewing

Parents have an important role to play in guiding their children’s viewing habits, whether they’re watching shows on a phone, tablet, TV, or computer. The Comfort, Play, and Teach approach can help you better manage your child’s TV viewing.

Comfort

• Only allow your child to watch age-appropriate shows. Also, make sure that the programs your child watches align with your values and are free of violence.
• Choose shows featuring kind, caring characters. They are role models for your child.
• When you’re watching a show with your child, laugh with them at the funny parts and snuggle in close together during the scary parts. This helps create moments of closeness between you.
• Ask your little one questions about the show they’ve just watched. They’ll be delighted by your interest. Your child will also love talking to you about what happened on the show.

Play

• Suggest other activities to your child that are not related to screens (e.g., reading, arts and crafts, and playing outdoors) so that they can choose more creative or active play than watching shows on a screen.
• Encourage your child to create and act out stories with you or their friends by having a space just for costumes or puppets. Through that activity, your child will learn that all it takes is a little imagination and a few accessories to invent a story themself.
• Take your child outside to play often. Playing outside provides your child with a number of stimulating experiences that develop their confidence, curiosity, and creativity. Plus, your child will move more when they’re outside, and screens will be the last thing on their mind.

Teach

• Introduce your child to different types of TV shows (e.g., about science, nature, the arts, and sports). That way, they’ll realize there are programs that help them learn about the world around them.
• Limit your child’s TV viewing to align with recommendations on managing screen time, and explain why. For example, you can tell your child that watching a show takes time away from playing outside and having fun with friends.
• Let your child close or turn off the screen themself when their show is finished, as soon as they are able to. It’s a positive way of giving them a sense of responsibility. It also gradually teaches them self-control.
• Set a good example by limiting your own screen time and showing interest in other activities. You’ll be helping your child develop good screen use habits, because you’re their most important role model.

To learn more, read our fact sheet on screens and children.

Scientific review: Annie Goulet, psychologist Copywriting:The Naître et grandir team Updated: August 2023

Photo: iStock.com/aphrodite74