Fair game
14th March, in Parents
Dear Wendyl
oy husband watches too much sport on TV. He limits our kids to one programme a day, but will lie on the couch for hours and watch tennis, basketball, cricket, football, rugby – even lawn bowls! I think it sets a bad example for the kids and I personally loathe the drone of sport. He argues it’s his favourite form of relaxation and he’s not going to give it up. Any advice?
Book Lover, Blenheim
Dear Book Lover
I think one of the biggest mistakes parents make is when they get stuck in the “do as I say but not as I do” mindset. on the one hand, your husband has registered that too much TV is not good for kids, yet he is modelling exactly the opposite message by excluding himself from family time, and quite frankly boring his partner rigid.
Children learn by example and this kind of double standard only leads to them becoming sceptical and not taking him seriously. Instead of tackling this head-on as in, “You watch too much sport on the telly,” why not talk to him about his parenting style and use his eating as an example. Would he sit in front of his children and eat junk food, lollies and soft drinks, yet ban them from eating them? What kind of message is he sending his children? Suggest that perhaps he limits his time watching sports and instead gets out and plays with the children, using some of those sporting skills he has no doubt obtained from the TV. That way he’s teaching them that he too can accept limits and enjoy them.
