TV addict!!?

Question

my son is a TV addict! His eyes are glued to the TV at least 5 hours a day esp bedtime. he must watch his favourite DVDs before he agrees to sleep. if he doesnt get what he wants, he would throw a big tantrum and cries till he vomits. im the cause of the problem. i have been over-indulgent and gives in all the time. is it too late to stop this bad habit of ours? im on the verge of throwing away the tv and dvd player!!

Answer 1

start by lowering the time limit that he gets. For example, if he watches 4 DVDs before bed, then on night one, lower it to 3, night two, lower it to 2, and night 3 lower it to the shortest DVD. Don't let him throw fits, and if he does, ignore them. He throws tantrums because he gets results. Stop giving him those results, and the tantrums will diminish. It's not bad parenting to give in to your kids, it's you wanting to be a good parent... and you wanting to cut it down shows good parenting, too. It's not too late to stop it, and it might take some time. Just don't give in, because giving in shows him that tantrums get him what he wants. Good luck!!

Answer 2

no it's not to late to stop the bad habbit however it's to the point where he's crying and making himself vomit I would try to comprimise with him, let him watch a little bit of TV during the day and than when it's bed time, tell him he can pick out one dvd before bedtime to watch... that way he's still getting what he wants, but not as much as before, try taking him outside during the day maybe taking him to a park that way he doesn't have a TV around to watch, also the fresh air should make him fall asleep easier at night so he might even fall asleep while watching the first dvd anyway... you're the parent and you're in control so just remember that when trying to do things like this... don't always give in to him completly, but i do think comprise is a good thing to do that way your both getting a little bit of what you want.. make him do other things instead of sitting in front of the TV though, if he insists on sitting in front of it, turn on something that he will have no interest in and do not change the channel, if crys at least its during the day so if he does vomit you will be there to make sure he is okay and be able to clean it up... cleaning up won't be fun for you but it will teach him that throwing fits won't get him what he wants

Answer 3

when he goes to sleep take the tv and put it in your closet and when he ask tell him that today the tv needs a rest. Plan some things that you and him can do together. some examples of things you can do together.

Ocean in a Bottle

What you will need

mineral spirits, food coloring, water bottle

Fill half of the bottle with rubbing alcohol.
Put two to three drops of food coloring into the bottle and shake.
Fill remainder of the bottle with mineral spirits.
Put top on - Do not Shake.
Hold bottle horizontally until clear, then raise and lower ends to create waves.


Rainsticks from Recyclables

Materials needed:

Cardboard carpet tube (these are usually 3" to 4" in diameter. In this case, the bigger the better)
Corrugated cardboard (an old box will do just fine)
Packing or masking tape that is about 2" wide
Glue (hot glue, white glue, carpenter's glue -- its your choice)
A power drill or an awl -- ADULT ASSISTANCE REQUIRED
Flat head spiral nails (about 2"-3" long)
A hammer
Scissors
Paints & paintbrushes
Water
Found objects for decorating and noise making objects like rice, corn kernels, sunflower seeds or pistachio nut shells.

What to do

Do your kids have some time on their hands? Want to make a fantastic creation? Super! Creating a rainstick is more than a rainy day activity -- it's fun!

Ready, set, go and cut a piece of carpet tube to about three to five feet. An adult should help with this step. Next, have an adult drill tiny holes (smaller than your flat head spiral nails) around the entire area of the carpet tube. This will make hammering the nails easier and safer. If you don't have a drill, or are uncomfortable using one, just use an awl to poke your holes. Now, using a hammer, put the flat headed spiral nails into the holes that you have drilled. When you look into your tube, you should see a maze of nails.


Now you're ready to "plug" one end of your tube by placing it on a piece of cardboard, tracing around the tube and cutting out the circle. Repeat the process so you have a circle for both ends. Attach the cardboard circle using glue or tape. When one end of your tube is sealed, put a few cups of sunflower seeds, rice, corn kernels, or a combination of all three, into the tube. You will start to hear just how many or how few cups it will take achieve the desired sound. Remember, you don't want to make the rainstick too heavy, so don't put too much filling in. Once you are satisfied with the sound, you can seal the other end of the tube with the second circle.

Answer 4

If he doesn't go to bed when you say so, tell him that he can't watch TV the next day.

Or you could say to him after he has finished watching his program tell him he needs to take a brake, turn the TV off, make him do come colouring or help you make dinner or lunch and keep telling him that if he behaves then he can watch the TV and if you can do that every time the eps. has finished or the movie. You ever know maybe he will like the other activities SO much he will move his addiction!!! Or take him on walks or to a club.
(sorry if you have already tryed this)

What ever you decide to do, don't give in because your tiered or because he keeps nagging because that wont teach him a good lesson at all, you need to act like you are a brick wall and you are the grown up in charge and you are not going to let him win.

Answer 5

Make the TV a reward and not an everyday thing. Continue to allow him to watch his DVD before he goes to bed at night as that is part of his "calm down" routine, but other than that, engage him in fun activities with you, games, playing outside, arts and crafts, reading, and I'll bet that he will prefer your company to the TV anyday (it may take a couple days). Allow him to watch TV a bit during the day as a reward for jobs well done (ie: "If you pick up all your toys, you can watch TV for 30 minutes" maybe you could incorporate this with his favorite show when its on) Good luck!

Answer 6

Its never too late to try. I know that watching your son cry so hard that he hyper ventilates and throws up is difficult, but he has learned that this gets him what he wants. If his guerilla tactics stop working, then he will learn that this gets him nothing but an upset stomach. It will probably take a couple of pretty bad tantrums before you see improvement, so you must stick to your guns and don't be afraid that he won't like you anymore. He'll get over it.

Answer 7

I used to spend a majority of my time either watching TV or on the computer and when started going to my drama class twice a week and when I bought a 12 foot trampoline, I hardly ever watched TV or went on the computer for long periods of time. Just keep yourself busy but make sure you do a lot of fun stuff!

Answer 8

I had experience deal with children who addict TV. Three of toddler/kid who TV addict as i was nanny. I suggest parent to get schedule to go outdoor activities or take to classes in your local for your son age. There should be lots activities outdoor. If cant affordable, take him to hiking or park, Library is Best and it free. Library have some activities for children to play and have program for story time. I always take children to library and other outdoor fun activities. Even my son now 14mos i take him to library twice a week to keep him busy away from TV. Hope it help smile!

Answer 9

Well now that you have figured that out, you will have hell till he figures out he can have other things to do besides tv.