MASKED THE PLAY

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How do your children know what’s on television? Do they ffip channels or do they read the schedule of programmes in a television guide?
Encourage previewing what is on offer by reading the listings with your children in the newspaper, a television guide or magazine. Reading the listings gives the whole family a chance to think and to make decisions about their television viewing. You may also want to establish some guidelines ahead of time, for example no TV until homework is finished, only a set number of programmes per week, or only between certain hours. You may wish to sit down and work out a set of rules with your children.
The following activities can give your previewing some direction.

Family Guide. Sit with your children and read through the weekly TV listing in the Sunday paper. Divide a piece of paper into sections for the days of the week. In each section, list the shows you agree to watch. Or you may want to circle program mes in the newspaper listing.
Previewing the week’s offerings serves a few purposes: you can make sure your children know about a TV special they wouldn’t want to miss; you can resolve conflicts before viewing (Jonathan gets to watch his program me Tuesday night, and Ian gets to watch his on Friday); you can influence what the children watch by discussing their choices; and it gives you a regular opportunity to limit their viewing.
In addition to their regular favorites, help your children find shows that feature their personal interests or parallel what they are learning at school.
From TV to the Library. Cut out articles and help your children find books about tcpics treated in TV shows and films. Tape an article on the fridge or near the phone where passers-by will h notice, or put it inside your child’s lunch box. A show’s subjector star, or even the place where it was filmed, could lead your children to reading. TV Categories. Ask your child to list programme categories as headings on a piece of paper: situation comedy, news, dramatic series, documentary, soap opera, sports, cartoons and so on. While reading through a day’s scheduled programmes in a television guide or newspaper listing, your child writes the names of as many shows as possible in each category. Which categories are most represented? Which are least represented?

It’s up to each family to decide what role television plays in their family life, how much to, watch, which programmes to view, an4 even where the set is to be located in the home. Here are some ideas to keep in mind before you turn on the set.
• The TV set can be simply another home appliance whose use is monitored by the parents. Many parents set limits on their children’s viewing so that they have time and energy to develop a multitude of interests. Most children are comfortable with rules — even welcome them, despite occasional gripes — if the rules are fair and the children understand them.

• You might consider keeping the TV set on a table with wheels so that it can be unplugged and moved out of the way when not in use. Some parents find that storing the TV in a cupboard encourages the whole family to choose only those programmes they really want to watch.
• If your set goes on the blink, you may want to use this as a chance to take an extended holiday from TV. Wait before having it repaired, and see what other kinds of activities — like reading, conversation, evening walks, games — your family turns to instead.
• Try not to set up television viewing as a reward for reading. If you say, ‘You can watch a half hour of TV for every half hour you read’, your children may get the message that reading is a chore and that TV is a treat you value highly.
• Try looking at your own TV viewing through the eyes of your children. If they see you thoughtfully choosing a show to watch and turning on the set only when you want to see something special, they may want to do likewise. If they see you spending time with books, magazines, newspapers, board games, hobbies and other alternatives to TV, they. will learn valuable lessons about spending their free time.
• Of course, children pick up a whole range of habits from parents. If they see you watching hour after hour -of television, they may follow suit.
• When you sit down with your children to watch a show together (an excellent idea in its own right), talk with them about the programme. What do they like? Dislike? What’s happening in the story? Was it believable? The point here is to use the TV show as a way to talk with your children, not to turn the conversation into a quiz. Look for ways to use TV shows as conversation starters.

A book corner is any inviting place for your children to read, away from the hustle and bustle of the household. Your home may already offer some built-in corners: a window seat, loft or hearth. A few cushions and a good reading light are all the furnishings you need.But if the architecture does not lend itself to cosy corners, you may want to improvise. For example how about setting up a camp-site in your children’s room? Drape a sheet or blanket over a card table or some chairs for a tent. You can also buy a pop-up tent that is attached to a fitted bed sheet, or put up a real tent that does not require staking. Inside the tent go a few cushions, a sleeping bag, a battery-operated light, and maybe a book or two inspired by the setting. When your children are not camped out with a good book, the tent makes a great place for creative play or time alone.
A large box makes a nifty room-within-a-room. Cut off the top and line the bottom with a carpet scrap and some cushions or old pillows. Your children may consider this their cabin, cave or reading room.
Here’s another unusual environment you or your children can set up easily: create a jungle or woods with a circle of large houseplants. What better place to read animal and nature stories?
While a comfortable chair will often do, a special place that inspires the imagination may also inspire your children to settle in for a good long read.