Limit viewing to one quality hour per day, and try to watch along with your children. Use the time wisely by not channel-surfing and, instead, using a VCR to control the content of what comes into your home. Explain to them that television is a low priority in your home, behind family time, homework, exercise, and daily chores.
Resist the urge to use television as a baby-sitter. Instead, read to your child whenever possible, and lead by example — don’t be a couch potato yourself! It helps to place the TV set away from the kitchen or dining table.
From “Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World,” by Jeffrey Freed and Lauri Parsons