July 16, 2009
Q: I have 8- and 10-year-old daughters and a 6-year-old step-son. My new husband thinks that PG-13 movies and violent video games are fine for all of our children, even his 6-year-old. But I never let my daughters use violent media because as a school counselor, I am well aware of the dangers of media violence for children. How can I educate my husband on this issue?
July 10, 2009
Q: I see a lot of TV shows where women are not treated respectfully. How would you recommend talking to kids about sexism in the media? It’s rather like having a drunken bully over for dinner every night. How do you explain to your kids why you keep letting this kind of person into their home?
June 12, 2009
Q: My kids are four years apart (ages 8 and 12), and I’m not sure how to manage their media use since their needs are so different. Should my oldest watch only programs that are appropriate for the younger child?
June 1, 2009
Q: Recently, my children started singing the jingle from a commercial for an erectile dysfunction drug. I was shocked. Then I remembered that we had seen the ad during a baseball game on TV, and that I had thought it had gone over their heads. What should I do?
May 31, 2009
Q: Last week, my 2-year-old daughter watched the Disney movie The Jungle Book. She hasn’t stopped talking about how scary the characters were and how she’s having bad dreams about them, but she keeps asking the watch the movie. We decided to put the movie away until she’s a little older. Did we make the right decision? How can we address this subject with her as we move forward?
May 29, 2009
Q: The television is a constant source of conflict in our house. I am always battling with my 2nd and 5th grade kids about how much TV they watch, but I’m not even sure what a good limit would be. How much TV is too much TV?
May 28, 2009
Q: My child is still an infant, so he isn’t using much media yet. But I am realizing that my husband and I are constantly “connected”! Our laptops, cell phones, and iPods are always on, mostly for work reasons. How should we limit our own media use to set the best example for our children?
May 19, 2009
Q: I just became an aunt for the first time and while looking for baby gifts, I keep coming across educational DVDs for infants. Will these help my nephew get a head start on learning?
May 11, 2009
Dr. Michael Rich, The Mediatrician® answers your questions about media and kids’ health.
But while you’re here, subscribe to the Mediatrician’s Media Rx — a weekly prescription for raising and mentoring healthy, smart, kind kids in our screen-saturated world.
Subscribe to Media Rx✓ You’re on the Media Rx list — thank you!