PARENTS- WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Don't panic! One minor violent television show will not damage your child. Teach your child to know why violence on TV is wrong and about violence in the real world.

2. Make rules to stick to, but allow some flexibility. You are responsible to make the right decisions for your children

3. Try to influence the exposure of television to your children at a young age, because it will be easier to handle them.

4. Make rules about what they can watch, reduce the amount of violent content they are exposed to, limit the time spent watching television to do other activities, or make them earn their television time.

5. Make sure you can live with the rules you set and are willing to enforce them by Keeping it simple with just a few rules to remember and obey. Be ready to keep to your word to let them know your not joking.

6. You cannot watch every program with your children, so you can let them watch a tape you have already seen instead of worrying about what they are watching when your not there.

7. Make a list of the programs you will allow. The Penguin Guide to Children's TV and Video can help you find appropriate selections for different age groups.

8. You can now get electronic devices that will limit television watching and this will make it easy to control what they watching, especially when you are not there.  

9. Put them in community programs, make outdoor excursions a routine, indoor crafts and teach children how to enjoy a wider range of activities.

10. Find out how your children see television and if they understand how children can be fooled or hurt by what they see, then you can keep your children from being affected by the violence.

11. You may have to change what you watch for your children’s sake, but you can always tape them and watch them when your children are in bed.