What should you do to prevent your son from watching too much TV, and keep him busy? He's four years old.?

Question

I don't want him to do homework all day, but all I can think of to keep him busy is either schoolwork or TV.

Answer 1

Turn off the television and videogames. They have become the babysitters for parents that are too busy or too lazy to interact with their children.
There are lots and lots of books with activities to do with your children. Try doing crafts with him, kids love that! Paint, glue and glitter things to his heart's content. Get big cardboard boxes too, 'cause boys love playing fort. Also, get him together with a play group of other children his age. This is great for teaching social skills as well as getting important exercise that children seem to be missing out on these days.
I'm sure you can come up with something...but the most important thing is to turn off the television.

Answer 2

First of all don't let him have the remote or allow him to turn on the television without permission. Take him outside. Let him ride his bike. Get a dog and take the dog for a walk together. Sign him up for soccer, they usually start that about 4 years. Also try board games. They have junior versions of lots of board games like monopoly. Legos are also good. They have bigger ones for little kids and then as they get older you can get the regular small legos. Just play with him. At four not all kids can entertain themselves, but they will be able to more as they get older.

Answer 3

While my other 2 children are in school,I take my 3 year old daughter for walks to the park,we go for bike rides,she's in a trailer,we play games, color, paint, playdoh,etc. I limit the amount of TV time she has so that she also is being active instead of a coach potato

Answer 4

Oh! Four year olds are really fun! Yes--there is a time to practice letters or colors but then he should be PLAYING. Four year olds have the best imagination! I would play with him. Does he like cars? Does he like leggos? Does he like Play Dough? (Although a bit messy).

I bet if you sat with him at the table he'd color with you and/or draw.

Yes--if you give him lots of Mom time he won't even miss the TV.

Good luck@

Answer 5

For kids that age, especially boys, any sort of building toy can occupy them for hours. Blocks, tinkertoys, Duplos, Lincoln Logs. You should play with him, at first, to give him ideas for what to build (Lool, mommy made a robot! Can you build a house bigger than mommy's? How about a castle or a schoolbus?).

Also, anything that makes noise has an attraction for kids that age, if you can stand it.

Answer 6

Play with him. Go outside and kick the ball around. Take him to the park or sign him up for extra curricular activities like karate, soccer ect...of make play dough with him. He'll play for hours. It is your job to teach him how to keep busy.

Answer 7

at 4 he should be learning to entertain himself for longer periods of time.

for us actually closing the armoire doors and putting the remote controls out of site works the best. out of site, out of mind. turn on some music so it is a nice, fun, but calm atmosphere and dump a box of wooden blocks onto the floor. at first he may not want to play alone but tell him you need to start dinner and his job is to build a cool fort or a tall tower and you'l come count the levels, etc. when he gets bored with those then he has to clean up that box and you can get him something else...

legos, puzzles, play doh, water color paints, animals, mr potato head, matchbox cars, etc.

the key...give him a specific task to do with them...i want to see when you get all the cars in a line for a parade. i want to see when you get all the animals separated into their cages at the zoo.

if you want to play together hide and seek always get you some time. dancing and singing.

you can make him a fort int he family room and he'll probably play for hours!

good luck1

Answer 8

Turn the television OFF to begin with and TAKE him outside. Take him to the park/playground, go for a walk/nature hunt. Spend some time with him. PLAY with him.

Answer 9

Take him to the park or the library, both are fun and free! Most libraries hold story telling hours, where people will read to the children and sometimes there's crafts and activities. Use your resources around you!

Answer 10

Doesn't he like toys? I can buy my kid a toy from the dollar store and it will keep him busy all day. I'm sure he must like trucks or trains or Transformers.

Do you take him out? library, museums, swimming, parks ect.?