Today, television has become an addiction for kids. They watch television when they are eating, when they are studying, when they are put to sleep, and sometimes even in the morning before they leave for school. They are hooked to television like a spider to its web. Do you share this concern? Don’t worry; we have a solution for you. Read our solution to Challenge #3 and discover ways to reduce your child’s television time.
Challenge #3: Dealing With Television-Friendly Kids
Tip #1:
Kids love solving puzzles, especially if you can link it to a story. Sit with your kid and help him with the puzzle in a way that he thinks he has solved it. Leaving your child to himself while playing mind games can make him lose interest after a point, when he thinks he cannot solve it. That’s when your presence is required the most.
Dear Mothers, it is time to reflect. Did you make your kid sit in front of the television to force-feed them? Did you ask them to watch television because you could not take out time for them from your busy work schedule? These could be a few reasons for their addiction to television. Juggling between work and home might become difficult, but it is unavoidable. It is here that you need to be ultra-efficient. How about completing work sitting beside your child when they are sleeping or studying. For some, having their mothers beside them when studying is comforting, while for others their mothers' presence makes them attentive to the fact that they have to complete their homework.
Ask your kid to spend time with their grandparents or let them just enjoy their favorite toy, skating board, or cycle. You can interfere when s/he is about to put the television on and opt to play a game or go out for a stroll with them. Too much television is not only going to spoil their eyesight but will also cause attention deficiency syndrome.
How Meditation Helps?
For busy mothers of today, it is important that you balance work and life well. You may begin
TIP#2:
Tell your kid a story every night before they go off to sleep instead of turning on the television. Initially, s/he may not like it, but eventually they will love hearing your stories.
with setting deadlines for yourself at work. But that isn’t it. If you have to finish work ontime, you’ve got to be focused, and if you've got to be focused, what you need is peace of mind. With our minds racing in all directions, have we ever been able to finish things on time? Meditation will help you discover that peace within.
Meditate for just twenty minutes every day and you’ll see that you've begun to compartmentalize work, completing iton time so you can spend quality time with kids. Why not meditate now and see the difference for yourself.
To Moms, With Love…
Bringing to you celebrated moments of motherhood that a mom would love to share…
“Aadya is a cartoon buff. The moment she's back from school, she races to the television set to tune into Pogo, her favorite cartoon channel, and shuts out the world. Her attraction was so strong that my warnings didn’t help. So I thought to myself—hmm...Aadya and I should have a deal.”
Kriti reminiscences the busy days when she was working and could not find time for her daughter, Aadya. So she decided to give herself a break and spend more time with her daughter.
She had an exciting and enticing deal with Aadya – “If you want, we can exchange your cartoon time for fairy tale stories”. The very idea of hearing fairy tale stories from Mum tempted her to forego TV. Now, Aadya and Mumma sit at the table for lunch while Mumma narrates stories to a wide-eyed Aadya. Kriti shares that her storytelling deal has done more wonders than she thought was possible. Aadyais more imaginative and creative than before. Sometimes, she interrupts Mumma and comes up with her own stories, like 'A journey to the moon'.
Voila! Kriti has discovered the trick! To make her daughter learn new things, she’d now tell her, “Aadya, if you complete your homework, Mumma will teach you cycling”. A quick learner she is, and so Mumma has to keep finding new things to teach her. These days Aadya is busy learning badminton and cooking.
Take to a Sahaj Samadhi Course and be the mom you’ve always aspired to be.
Is your child finding it difficult to make friends? Does s/he often complain about feeling lonely at school or at home? Let’s explore the solution to this problem in the sequel to this article.
Do you have an experience of adventure, wit, and inspiration to share? We'd love to hear your side of the story and share it with our readers.
Write to us at webteam.meditation@artofliving.org.
Related Articles
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: How do I deal with my kid’s endless list of questions?
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: Dealing with television-friendly kids
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: Nurturing Friendliness
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: Dealing with your kid’s obesity
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: Academics versus Passion: What should your kid choose?