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Life With the TV - Muslimah - 10-25-2005
Not everything that comes through TV is bad. However, because the average child between two and 11 years old watches over 27 hours of poorly supervised television per week; because the only thing that kids do more than watch television is sleep, and because most parents are unaware of the indecent liberties that television takes with our children, you must control this 19 inch Shaitan, as a friend of mine calls it.
1) Halal (permissible) and Haram (forbidden) on TV: TV programs include stirring documentaries about history, science, and nature as well as excellent dramatizations of classics. It also includes a lot of Haram in terms of violence, sex, antifamily and anti-Islamic values in cartoons, sitcoms, talk shows and films. It's the job of parents to observe Halal and Haram on TV programs and guide their children. One rule you can use when teaching your kids the right and wrong of television is the following: if it's Haram to do then, it's Haram to watch.
2) TV Rules for Children: A carefully programmed TV can be a beneficial ally! Set clear rules for your children on how much TV they can watch, when they can watch it, and which shows are permitted. Then stick to your policy no matter how many tears and voices protest. You are the boss. You can unplug the television whenever you want to.
3) Don't Just Allow "Watching TV": Allow children to watch a particular program which you have approved, not just "watch TV."
4) No Channel Surfing: Channel surfing usually means watching the worst of the shows which are on at any given moment. More stops at sex and violence scenes.
5) Homework First: Insist that homework and chores be done before TV is turned on. (No this is not considered child abuse, not at least in Illinois where I live.) Only one in ten parents require children to do homework first at this moment.
6) Watch Together: Watch TV with your children. It will be lots of fun. You might have some topics to talk about later. You may share some laughter as well. If you cannot watch with them all the time, at least do it occasionally.
7) Talk to Children about the Programs: Talking to your children about the programs they watched or you watched together will give you an opportunity to debrief them about the rights and wrongs in them.
8) Never Use TV as Babysitter: No matter what, don't just train your little Muslim to become an avid TV watcher by letting TV calm him down when he is crying or when you want to do something else other than attend to the baby. Also make this rule clear to the babysitters you hire as well. If you have no choice but to subject you child to a daycare center, choose one which does not use TV as its control mechanism. Seventy percent of daycare centers use TV during a typical day.
9) A Smaller Screen is Better: A small-sized TV is better than a larger size TV. The larger size encourages worse watching habits.
10) One TV is Better than Two: One TV placed in the living room will help you keep an eye on what is being watched. A TV in your child's bedroom is the worst thing. It is not that you don't trust your children. It is the TV which you don't trust. The average household in America has 2.24 TVs in their homes and 54 percent of kids in America have a TV in their bedrooms.
11) No Cable Channels: With a few exceptions, cable provides more of the bad TV and adult-oriented programming. I was staying at a pious Muslim's home as the TV brought a rush of his kids in the room I was staying in. To my astonishment, they ignored their "uncle's" presence and protest as they intensely watched a hot nude sex scene on some cable channel. Recently in Florida, during the daytime, a cable company showed adult programs.
12) Encourage Commercial-Free Channels: Public Television and other Commercial Free TV have more informative programs. It is estimated that the average child sees 20,000 commercials per year. Unlike adults, who often mute out commercials, or who get up and make a mad dash for the bathroom during the 60 to 180 seconds, children like TV ads. They like to be told what to lobby for...and lobby they do.
13) VCR Gives Parents More Control: VCR gives you control of TV time and programs. Many parents use the VCR more than television programs broadcast scheduled times. Balance your TV consumption with videos of good programming offered by Muslims and non-Muslims. This will be more in your control and will contribute to the learning process of children. Some of the good video programs could be as good as anything on TV. Adam's World for children ages two to nine is one such video series. Tens of thousands of children learn and have fun with Adam and Aneesah.
One day, I noticed Sister Lonnie Ali (Champion Muhammad Ali's wife) had ordered another set of Adam's World. Since I knew they had a complete set of Adam's World, I asked why she was buying another one. She told me that Asad (their son) had watched Adam's World so many times that all the tapes were worn out. She said he must have watched each tape more than 100 times. His game at one point was to say the dialogue before Adam said it.
14) TV Off Days: Some Muslims keep TV off all Ramadan. Every year there is a campaign called TV Turn Off Week, which encourages people to not watch TV for at least a week. You may want to do the same for very personal reasons. Television can affect young children in adverse ways: aggressive behavior, difficulty falling asleep, nightmares and an insatiable appetite for advertised products. If your kids are showing signs of this nature, eliminating TV for a week or so may help.
15) More Family Activities: TV takes away family time. Poorly managed television wastes opportunities for kids to learn how to relate to other people - including their parents and siblings. And relating with their families is a desire of today's youth. In a nationwide, ethnically balanced survey of 750 ten to sixteen-year-olds, "three-quarters said that if they had a choice between watching TV or spending time with their families, they'd opt for family time."
16) Buy a Movie Camera: Yes you read it correctly. Instead of children being subject to TV, give them the tools to control TV. Empower them with technology. Give them a gift of a video camera. Consumer Reports has a lot of recommendations for good camcorders. Let your kids write a script, shoot a video, edit it on their computer, and put it back on VCR or incorporate it in a multimedia production (and send a copy to Sound Vision. That little producer might have more talent than you think.)
17) Plan Your Time: If you develop the habit of developing a personal plan, children are likely to follow you in the considerate use of their time. By developing a plan for using your time, you will learn to place TV time in proper proportion to other things in life which you want to achieve.
18) Start a TV Journal: To make good use of TV programs, ask children to write a report about it. Have them answer questions like: who were the characters? What was the plot? What was good? What was bad? What did the program try to promote? Let them be the critic instead of simply being lost to agenda of television producers.
19) Fight bad TV programs: Always protest wrong types of things inserted by producers in what you and your children watch. If you don't protest and pursue the matter, they will learn that they can get away with this and will do more of it, not less. Call toll-free to record your dislike of a program: 1-800-TV-COUNTS (operated by the Parents' Television Council, a family oriented, non-Muslim group).
20) Stick to Your Guns: Your children will resist all rule-making efforts to limit their TV time and program selection. Discuss your reasoning with them, but stick to your guns. This is a decision about their growing up as Muslims. More than 4,000 studies have proven that the behavior of children is affected by their TV watching habits. You cannot let false images and wrong ideals distort the future of your children. You must help tomorrow's Muslims today by being reasonable, but firm. If you don't control TV, TV will control you, your pocket, your children, and your worldview.
21) Children Follow You: The bottom line principle of parenting is that children follow you. If you are a couch potato, and fail to practice what you preach, don't expect your rules to have any value. Watch what you are watching if you want anyone to follow your rules about TV. Whether you give prime time to your family or to TV will determine the future direction of your life and your children's life.
"O ye who believe! Why do you preach something you are not practicing? It is of most distasteful in the sight of Allah that ye say that which ye do not" (Quran: 61:2-3).
By: Abdul Malik Mujahid
Source: soundvision.com
Life With the TV - alliex - 10-26-2005
Assalam Allikum,
Muslimah, this is another good topic also. At the moment I think that there is harram things on the t.v & radio but I can sensor my self. Then I think if I had children I don't want them to be watching or listening to this. It made me relise even though I can de sensitise myself my children can't. So this Ramadan I only listen to Islamic channel, which on Saturdays they tell you stories from the Qu'ran & expalin the significance. It is much better to listen to a Muslim station while driving. I was getting so sick of commercial stations any way. I am glad I made the switch. The next thing on my list is t.v shows.
Wasalam
Life With the TV - jameela - 10-27-2005
as-salamu Alamualaikum-again agood article but easier said than done.How many people at the most I wonder will have the willpower to do so ?The attraction of t.v programes are so much at increase ,leave alone the children ,even the adults can,t resist.o.k ,even if the parents are strict as said in the above article can they really guranty that their children may not see what is forbidden?The moment parents go away who knows what happens?children are not adults. They can fall at anytime.What if some guests come and on the t .v to see some programes we avoid?how many of us have the guts to say no to them face to face. even pious people give lame excuse such ,there are good and islamic programes and online news etc.But just weigh it and see?which weighs more.?The evil or good?Not a single person in his proper mind will say that there is more good in t.v than evil.No;Iman and t.v can never go hand in hand.It is like keeping choclates in fridge and asking the children not to eat it.The only solution is to do without it.chilldren will gradually accept .This my expreiance.Wedo,nt have T.v at home.Alhamdulillah; How happy we are; even my children.
Quranic quatation-"They ask thee of wine and gambling.Say thou;In both is great sin and some benefit for men.but the sin of them is greater than their benifit."(sura Baquara-219)
ALLAH THE ALMIHTY din,t give us choice .He the Great just made it Haram.
Allahu Ahlam.
Life With the TV - Dan - 10-27-2005
Bismillah
At optimum functioning, the television only served as a means of viewing Islamic videos. If one does not have cable nor an antennae, then there are no signals coming in. Also, many televisions have parental controls that can be used to lock out channels unless the code is used.
But as jameela said, getting rid of it all together is what worked best for me in the past. Insha'Allah, I will get there again. In all reality though, I have found that I do not like watching it like I used to. It is too annoying and predictable.
As Salam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu
Life With the TV - SisterJennifer - 10-28-2005
Asalaamu alikum,
We do have a television in the home, but for the past 7 years we dont really view it. I think by not making television a focol point you learn to use other things. For example we can educate ourselves by reading books. But I can see some positives from the TV. Maybe especially in areas where the programming is different. I know that Amr Khaleds show and similair shows are quite popular, and I think to use TV for things such as this is a good thing.
Of course its about intention, but I think that if one has it off or doesnt have it at all, that person will find that they arent missing anything they can get from another source and at the same time avoid alot of haram.
Asalaamu alikum [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]
Life With the TV - Muslimah - 10-28-2005
Bismillah
as salam alykom
True watching TV can really have a negative impact on the heart and soul. However, just as Jennifer said it depends on the intention. Myself Im not a fan of TV as means of entertainment, I mean I can just go one for months without it. Even before trying to be more committed as a muslim, it was not my number one source of entertainment. Yet, for example as recently Alhamdulelah Allah guided me to something that I apply to make life easier, whatever I do, i take the intention to Allah. For example going for a walk to excercise, I do it in order to entertain myself and be able to resume worshiping activities. Same thing, here in Egypt of course we dont have the level of corruption TV program can have in Western countries, apart from sattalite channels of course, which I dont have. So if I sit and watch a cartoon movie to smile or even a comedy series I do it to sort of flush my mind out and be able to resume duties. [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]
Life With the TV - arclight - 03-19-2006
Drop the word Muslim from the original post, and it would work for absolutely anyone of any religion.
TV has its good points, it can educate an inform, entertain and bring pleasure. But it certainly has its bad points, and if you have children it definitely needs monitoring. Not just what they watch, but how much. The problem with TV, and the reason it is so popular, is that takes away the need to think, and thats the last thing you want in children. My young nephew used to love 'Blues Clues', and he used to watch when I looked after him. After the program we would then play it out together, looking for clues around the house etc. Best thing I ever bought was sticky paper, and printing little blue paw prints on it :D
I have some really fond memories of power cuts,from when I was a kid. No TV, or lights. A dozen candles flickering around the room, and the whole family playing a board game, interacting in a way that TV actively stops.
Life With the TV - Muslimah - 03-19-2006
Bismillah
I agree with u Arclight, it does take away the family bond and interaction. In some cases people even arrange their schedule according to TV schedule in terms of their favorites...
Life With the TV - AlShamms - 03-21-2006
Peace.....
I have to chime in and agree with the previous thoughts offered. While I do sensor what my children watch and for how long, it is good to give them better alternatives. In the summer time, they have to go outside. I can remember when I was a child, being overweight was not common at all because we were all outside running around having fun. So basically it all comes down to the parents and how they choose to raise their children. If you allow the television to "babysit" your children, then the TV sets the moral standard (which everyone agrees is a bad choice), instead of the parent's values being the standard.
Shamms
Life With the TV - jameela - 03-22-2006
salam-have u,ll noticed?even house visiting time has to be sheduled. by chance if our visiting time collide with their t.v programme especially movies,how little welcome we get from them.I have seen many times their face shrinks for a second