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Originally Posted by willravel
The thing is: anything you make in to a reward will be, after a time, galvanized as a reward in the mind of the child.
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I don't think of it as a reward. It is a priveledge that can be revoked at any time for improper behavior. Really, it's part of the status quo package. You wouldn't call letting a child have dinner a reward would you?
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Originally Posted by willravel
TV or video games can be used as a reward, BUT it's very important that while this is used as a reward, the parent also helps the child understand that too much TV or videogames can be destructive. If these values aren't instilled, when this child is no longer under the watchful eye and tutelage of his or her parents, they will gorge on TV and video games like a kid at a candy store. It's a matter of combining the understanding of real world consequences of TV and video games with impulse control.
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6 year olds, on the average, don't have a lot of self-discipline to begin with. That is why they have to be supervised. Televisions/videogames shouldn't be babysitters. And yes, parents should teach their kids that too much of anything is a bad idea. People are born with predispositions to have addictive personalities. It is wise to be aware of this when raising children. Once you are addicted to anything, you are more likely to trade that addiction for another rather than eliminate addiction altogether.