I have 3 year old who will not sit away from the television. I turn off the tv, I put him on time out, I have even tried to sit with him, but if the TV is on, and something catches his eye he put his face up to the screen. What can I do to make him understand that he needs to stay away from the television screen?
So far I have not been successful getting my son to stay away from the television. The only time he does stay away is when I sit him on his high chair. I have not taken him to the eye doctor because often when he sits on the high chair (a far far distance from the TV) he does not squint and he does not ask to get down from the chair, his enjoyment of TV is high even at a lengthy distance, one of his favorite shows is wheel of fortune and he sees all the letters perfectly at any distance. At his age he does understand a great deal of things. I'm going to continue trying different things, time outs, even taping off space. I could keep him on the high chair, but I want him to have the freedom of not having to be restrained all the time, and I want him to follow directions. Any new ideas on this subject would be appreciated. C. B.
You might buy (garage sales or thrift stores might have this) a special chair (like Elmo, Bob the Builder, etc) to sit in for TV watching. Even a beanbag chair might work. Something for him to sit in only to watch TV. That would get him off the floor and ultimately, you could choose (by where you put the chair) how far away he sits from the TV. Hope this helps!
Unplug the TV. Sit him in his room Don't let him win the battle... It is very important that he knows what mom says goes and that he will not win Don't give in to his demands!!!!! I know that it is very hard I have four kids and believe me it is really easy to give in... But stick to your guns it will benifit you and him for a lifetime
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I would have his eyes checked immediately. Cut down on the availability of TV watching opportunities. Put a line down on the floor and tell him he can't cross it or there will be no more TV today and then stick to your word. At 3 years he can learn to obey it just could be that he has a visual problem.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who had a similar problem It turned out that her son had a vision problem and now wears glasses. Have you noticed him struggling at other times? It may be worth talking to your pediatrician about.
Good luck.
You may want to try a "TV Mat" It can be a pillow, blanket, towel, anything to sit on. You place it where you want him to sit and that's the magic spot where he can watch from. If he moves the mat any closer or leaves it for a "better" view then the TV is turned off. You could also use colored masking tape to mark off the area and he can move around in that area but again, if he leaves the area to get closer, then he loses the privilege of watching tv. Just as a side note, have you had his vision checked? I have 3 girls and 2 of them are in glasses before I was. Just a thought.
I would go see your pediatrician to have his eyes checked. He may have trouble seeing far away. Your pediatrician can do an eye screen and refer you to a pediatric ophthalmologist. If everything checks out okay, then I would put a piece of colored tape (his favorite color) on the floor and show him that he has to sit behind the tape whenever he watches tv. Every time he demonstrates that he can do this for 3-5 minutes, praise him for being a good listener and following directions, make a BIG deal over him doing is RIGHT. When he ventures past the line closer to the tv, CALMLY remind him that he should be behind the line and say, I need you to sit behind the line.
L.
L. Kandell, MS, RD, IBCLC/RLC
Registered Dietitian/Pediatric Specialist
AFFILIATED NUTRITION CONSULTANTS, LLC
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
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Well, first, you should have his eyes checked for any vision problems. I beleive I have heard from doctor's that sitting close to the T.V. actually does not do anything to your vision. Maybe you should speak with an optometrist.
Hi C.,
Have you had your child's eye sight checked? Maybe he has an issue with his sight and that is why he approaches the tv. I read an article where a mother of twins noticed that whenever one of them was breastfed on a particular side the baby was always fussy and didn't feed as well. Later, there was cause to check the child's eyesight. It was discovered that had he had a perpherial sight issue and that was why he didn't like to feed on the one side. He couldn't see his mother. Good luck.
hmm He's only 3 - kids forget easy.
Is the tv on the floor, in an entertainment center? Can you put a small bench or toy chest or something in front of it so he can't get close? A special chair just for him that is far enough away? Maybe put that blue painter's tape as a "guide" of how close is too close? Ha, it'll look funny but trust me in all parents homes you can find something funny and say "oh yeah! good idea!" If he gets in the perimeter of 'too close' remind him that he's supposed to be on this side of the line.
I'm a big believer in positive reinforcement, catch him sitting the right distance and go nuts praising him "WOW, look how nicely you are watching tv from the chair/couch/whatever! I'm so proud of you!" or something silly like "Hey Mr. Eye #1 appreciates you sitting away from the tv so he doesn't get a headache!"
Too much praise for something like that may seem silly but it will let him know you notice when he is doing something right.
When my kids did things they weren't supposed to I'd try different tricks like for him maybe I'd say "I'm sorry but when you sit too close I have to turn the tv off so I don't worry about you hurting your eyes. Maybe when you're ready to sit on the chair over here we can turn it back on. I love you an dI don;t want to worry about you hurting those handsome eyes of yours."
Stay consistent... your child is lucky to have a parent that cares! My friends have made fun of me for silly things I do but the funny thing is I catch them doing the same thing! My son wouldn't take his medicine when he was about 3 so my hands transformed into "Mr. Fitzgerald Hello" and "Mr. Winston Hello" and they would always 'taste' the medicine to make sure it was okay first. My mother in law laughed at me but the next day when I picked my son up after work she said there were problems getting the meds down until her hands became a Mr. Hello also.
=) Good luck
My first thought is that he might need his eyes checked. I would start there. -A.
I agree with the other girls, get his eyes checked to make sure he isnt having vision problems.
Then i would not allow the TV. My daughter started kindergaten this year and she Still prefers to not even have the TV on before school.
Its a good habit too.
Unplug the tv....only have designated times to watch (limited). As soon as he puts his face up to the TV unplug it! Don't plug it back in untill he understands why. I don't know if it will help for you guys but I tried it and it worked.
