How TV Affects Your Kids Health

Don’t watch TV shows with violent content and don’t buy from companies that sponsor violent TV shows. Did you ever notice how most of the companies that sponsor violence-based shows  are selling junk: soda, candy, and other violence-based TV shows.

I do not have cable at home and was on vacation last week.  Whenever I have the opportunity to watch cable TV I am always amazed how many channels are available and yet how poor  the offerings are that are featured on those stations. News, crime investigations, ridiculous reality shows and cartoons filled with violence and junk food commercials.

TV Affects Kids

Study after study has shown that TV affects your kids’ health and well being.

These are some of the facts about kids who watch excessive TV*:

• Kids who watch more than 4 hours per day are more likely to be overweight.
• Kids who view violent TV shows show more aggressive behavior.
• Kids who watch violent TV shows view the world as a scary place.
• Heavy TV watchers tend to participate more in risky behavior such as smoking, drinking and drugs.

After only 4 days of cable TV viewing, I am finding my sleep patterns changing and having weirdo dreams.

Violence On TV & Kids

Anyone who says that TV viewing does not affect young people is totally out of their minds.  What you put into your mind is what you get out! Violence in means violence out. Negativity in and negativity comes out.

Adults and young people should monitor what they put into their minds. It takes positive thoughts to create a positive lifestyle. TV is not good for anyone.

*University Of Michigan Health System

Active Lives = Kids At The Beach In The Winter

An Inexpensive Active Lifestyle For Children

Looking to add more “active” to your kids’ active lifestyle? When was the last time you took the kids to the beach? You know that it does not have to be Summer to go to the beach. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall the beach is one of the few places these days that doesn’t cost a fortune and has something for everyone.

Pinchot Park On A Warm Winter Day

A trip to the beach can start at home by packing a healthy picnic lunch for the family. By packing your own food, you can give your family healthier options for snacking during the day. Fruits, some cheeses, peanut butter sandwiches, are all foods that need little refrigeration and are quick snacks that the kids can grab while running around. A picnic lunch will also keep your costs low since you won’t be purchasing food from vendors at the beach. (They aren’t there anyway if you go in the Winter.) Get the kids involved in fixing lunch too!

Most of the activity supplies needed for a trip to the beach (buckets, shovels, castle molds) can be found inexpensively at a dollar store or other discount store. For activities, kids will run in and out of the water, make sandcastles on the beach, search for shells or rocks, and play games with the family. The whole family can play a game of Frisbee or beach volleyball while soaking up some much-needed Vitamin D. Or the kids can go on a “creature scavenger hunt” and see how many crustaceans, birds, fish or other small creatures they can find living on the beach.

The beach is also a great place to go on a slightly chilly day. The kids can still make sandcastles, search for shells or rocks, and enjoy the breeze coming off the water. Many people forget that you don’t have to go in the water when you go to the beach. Take a couple of kites and see who can keep their kite up longer.

Some beaches allow visitors to have bonfires in the evening. Ask the kids to help gather driftwood before sunset. Then watch the sun set with the family and enjoy more good, quality time together in front of a driftwood bonfire. Challenge the kids to find as many colors as possible in the flames. We gathered some twigs and made a fire in the grill and roasted some marshmallows at the end of the day.

Active Kids Love The Beach Any Time Of The Year!

The idea is to get the kids outside and keep them active. But adding the beach to your kids’ active lifestyle can be an event the whole family can enjoy. Get your kids out to the beach in the Winter and keep them active.

Nature Walks with Children

Instill A Love Of Nature In Your Kids By Walking – Photography

In today’s world it can be hard to get children outside and away from the TV. However, many children have a natural inclination to collect a variety of things. One way to improve children’s active lifestyle is by encouraging them to collect things in nature.

Go on nature walks and look for assorted leaves, rocks, shells, etc. By piquing their interest, a child will be much more likely to play and explore outside, especially if they are looking for a particular rock, or type of leaf.

Nature Collecting With A Camera

Children’s active lifestyles can also be improved with a simple digital camera. Technology is what kids love these days so why not get them started on nature photography.  Allow children to take photos of anything in nature that they find beautiful or interesting. There is no film, so really the use of a camera today is very affordable and plays well into the childs desire to mess around on the computer.

Children Walk = Healthier Active Lifestyle

Children will walk farther, climb higher, and get more activity in if they have a purpose for what they are doing outdoors. If you have a particularly tech savvy child, a digital camera can allow them connect with the outdoors on a whole new level. The photographs that they take on their walks can then be transferred to their computers, where they can then edit them and use their creativity. The more the child works with the camera and editing tools, the more they will also want to be outside collecting photographs for their projects.

Children can explore the world around their homes in all seasons through nature walks. Allowing them to collect objects or photos with the season can help them understand that nature is not something that can only be enjoyed during the warmer months, but all year round. By encouraging them to get out in nature in all seasons, children’s lifestyles will become even more active. Many children spend much of the cold winter months indoors, particularly if there is no snow. By showing the children the changes in the natural world around them, and the differences in the items they collect or photograph in each season, they will develop an appreciation for outdoor activities in all weather.

So overall, the key to improving the activity level of children in all seasons is to get them interested and invested in what it means to be outside. If a child enjoys the time spent outdoors, learning about his or her environment, the child will naturally become more active and healthier as well. Give your children the gift of nature, cultivate a love of walking and give your child a camera to play with along the way.