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Turn off the TV
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| H&N photo by Todd E. Swenson Noah, from left, Hannah, Taelor, Gabrielle, Tanya and Robert Stanfield sign a contract detailing a plan to turn off their TV April 21-28 during TV Turnoff Week. |
Basin family signs
contract to go without
television for a week
By LEE BEACH
H&N Staff Writer
CHILOQUIN — The Stanfield family will not turn on television for seven days, play video games or watch movies.
Instead, Tanya, Robert and their four children will play board games, read and go fishing.
The Stanfields are among several Klamath Basin families who signed a contract to observe TV Turnoff Week from April 21 to 27.
Even 4-year-old Hannah signed with an “H.” Joining her were her siblings, Taelor, 14, Gabrielle, 9, and Noah, 8, and her parents.
The family became interested after hearing about the challenge from a Klamath County OSU Extension Service nutritionist.
Barbara Templeton made a presentation at Head Start in Chiloquin, encouraging children to turn off televisions and computer games for a week. Instead, she told them to be active and eat healthy foods.
The idea started following studies about children and “screen time” by Kaiser Permanente and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland.
Poor performance
Those studies linked excessive television viewing (and sometimes video games) with poor performance in school, especially in language and reading, as well as less imaginative ability, problems focusing, sleep disturbances, excess weight, poor planning and judgment, and a tendency to use violence to solve problems.
The studies determined each hour of TV viewing by school-age kids contributes to the intake of 167 additional calories, associated with higher consumption of fast food, sweets, chips and pizza.
And, if children watch television in their bedrooms, they will snack more than those who don’t.
The Stanfield children admit they snack while watching TV, eating such foods as popcorn, chips, candy, soda and sometimes, fruit.
The family knew it had to develop a plan – alternatives to watching television during free time.
Noah suggested riding bicycles, playing outside and fishing.
Gabrielle wanted to use the time to play board games like Monopoly, Scrabble and Boggle, and card games like 31 and War, and Hannah likes the game Memory. Their father said he would do more reading, which he finds relaxing.
“They haven’t protested too much, but I think the test will come when we turn off the TV and computer,” Tanya said.
Noah offered to put a sign on the TV to remind them.
Instead, Tanya, Robert and their four children will play board games, read and go fishing.
The Stanfields are among several Klamath Basin families who signed a contract to observe TV Turnoff Week from April 21 to 27.
Even 4-year-old Hannah signed with an “H.” Joining her were her siblings, Taelor, 14, Gabrielle, 9, and Noah, 8, and her parents.
The family became interested after hearing about the challenge from a Klamath County OSU Extension Service nutritionist.
Barbara Templeton made a presentation at Head Start in Chiloquin, encouraging children to turn off televisions and computer games for a week. Instead, she told them to be active and eat healthy foods.
The idea started following studies about children and “screen time” by Kaiser Permanente and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland.
Poor performance
Those studies linked excessive television viewing (and sometimes video games) with poor performance in school, especially in language and reading, as well as less imaginative ability, problems focusing, sleep disturbances, excess weight, poor planning and judgment, and a tendency to use violence to solve problems.
The studies determined each hour of TV viewing by school-age kids contributes to the intake of 167 additional calories, associated with higher consumption of fast food, sweets, chips and pizza.
And, if children watch television in their bedrooms, they will snack more than those who don’t.
The Stanfield children admit they snack while watching TV, eating such foods as popcorn, chips, candy, soda and sometimes, fruit.
The family knew it had to develop a plan – alternatives to watching television during free time.
Noah suggested riding bicycles, playing outside and fishing.
Gabrielle wanted to use the time to play board games like Monopoly, Scrabble and Boggle, and card games like 31 and War, and Hannah likes the game Memory. Their father said he would do more reading, which he finds relaxing.
“They haven’t protested too much, but I think the test will come when we turn off the TV and computer,” Tanya said.
Noah offered to put a sign on the TV to remind them.
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