For Pre-School/Elementary School-Aged Children
1. Ask simple questions about the programs young children watch. It’s best if you can watch with them, but even if you aren’t there during the entire program, you can talk to your child about what he has seen. Figuring out what your child likes and why will be the first step to helping him select what he watches.

2. Play "real or make believe?" Ask whether a character is made-up or real-life. Could an object move by itself, or an animal talk? Can they guess how an effect was done, if it couldn’t happen in real life? Why do they think the effect was done? Ask what they think will happen next. Compare their prediction with what does happen. Ask if they think the characters would really do what they did. Why or why not?

3. Pretend with your child and use the TV programming to lead to other activities. Imagination develops in babyhood, so you are enhancing your child’s creativity. Draw pictures of the whales you saw in that nature documentary, act out an event or videotape your own "TV show," starring your child.

4. Screen and evaluate new TV shows – even cartoons – before your children view them. The Discovery networks, Nickelodeon, Disney and PBS, for example, have age-appropriate programs that will educate and entertain your child. The TV ratings can be used to make informed viewing decisions and can be found in TV Guide, local programming guides and at the beginning of the shows.

5. Give young children easy-to-understand categories of the different things they see on TV, and make a game of spotting them. For example, is TV trying to “sell” them something, "teach" them about something, or "entertain" them?

6. Collect some fun things, such as coloring books, puzzles and stickers, in a "P & Q (Peace & Quiet) Box" that children can do when the TV is off.

For Middle School/High School-Aged Children
1. Use TV to capture your children’s curiosity. Encourage them to go to the library to learn more about issues or ideas raised by programs they like. When sensitive topics are raised on TV, seize the opportunity to open a discussion. Ask how your kids feel about it; explain how you feel.

2. Look for connections to books. A movie may be based on a book; a plot line in a sitcom or cartoon may have come from a story; or your kids may become interested in a subject that’s covered in a book. Either way, encourage them to read more about it, and then compare what they’ve read to what they’ve seen. Were characters or scenes from the book left out? Why?

3. Learn geography from TV. Weather reports, news reports, documentaries, even sports all take place somewhere. Keep an atlas or globe near the TV set, and see where those places really are. Make a game of it by putting pins in every location you’ve "seen" on TV.

4. Discuss point of view. Who’s telling this story, whether it’s a news report, a documentary, or a movie? How would it have been different if someone else – a different character or the subject of the news story, instead of the reporter – had told it?

5. Turn the sound off, and add your own narration or sound effects. What kind of music do you think is being played to go with the pictures? How does that music make you feel? What music would be totally wrong?

6. Keep a TV ratings book. After watching a program, discuss how good it was. Your child can be responsible for making the entries. Give it 0 to 5 stars – 5 stars for a great show, 0 for a really bad one, and numbers in between for an average show. In the book, record the name of the shows, the number of stars given, a sentence or two explaining the rating and the name of the reviewer. Consult the book before choosing a program to watch.