3.  Does your child watch a lot of television or play violent or aggressive video games?

Just as we look at the purity of the food that we eat, we should also look at the quality of the thoughts and emotions we feed on.

What are our children watching?  Is it violent?  How frequently does the picture or frame change?  The more it changes, the more unsettling it is.  The more violent it is and the more conflicts not resolved, the more disquieting it could be for the person watching.  This can be over-stimulating.

You may choose to eliminate a particular type of video game or television program and see how your child responds.  This may require that you watch television or play video games with your child.  If your child is old enough, you may wish to discuss the programming or games with your child.  You can eliminate the games or television permanently or perhaps several hours before bedtime.

Here is an activity to play with your child: Compare the different children’s television channels and video games and see how rapidly the scenes change with different channels or games.  Look at the difference in the advertisements and what is being advertised.

What music does your child listen to?  Is it fast, loud, etc.? What messages are in the music? Some music is loud with great messages like some rap songs.  Some families listen to their children’s music with their children; enjoying music together is another way to get closer to your child.

By observing what your child is doing at home, you may be able to establish a plan that greatly benefits your child.

One family we know of took away video games, and only allowed the children to watch educational channels (e.g., Noggin) which do not change the scenes rapidly.  Their eleven-year old boy watches little television.  He hated reading when he watched television and played video games.  He now reads an average of 1,000-2,000 pages a month because he likes it.  He knows how many pages because his school makes him document the number of pages he reads outside of the school curriculum.  In other words, he was so bored doing nothing that he took up reading, piano and lacrosse.  At first it was hard; adjustment to changes of this extent can be difficult.  However, the family feels that it was well worth it.