Summer Media Survival Guide

School’s Over! No more homework, baseball practices, or rigid bedtimes. That also means no more predictable rules about when media can be on or off. What’s a parent to do?

Here are some ground rules from Common Sense Media to help you get through the summer:

Homework still applies. Before kids go to a movie, surf a new website, watch a new TV series, or plunk down money for a video game, parents still have to know the content and make sure it’s age-appropriate. For instance, just because the older version of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” was appropriate for a 6-year-old doesn’t guarantee the remake will be.

Create a balanced media diet. Agree with your kids in advance how much time each day may be devoted to watching TV, playing video games, or IMing friends. In addition, there are many movies your kids are going to want to see. Make sure you include reading, playing, and being outside as part of every day’s activities.

Enjoy media together. Have a family movie night. Go to the bookstore or library. Buy some board games. Put old rock’n’roll in the car CD-changer. Enjoying media together is a wonderful way to understand what impact media has on your kids and to put your two cents in about the messages your kids are receiving. Talking with your kids about what they see, play, and hear is one of the most important interactions that parents can have with kids. Since we can’t cover their eyes, it’s our job to teach them to see.

Common Sense Media is the leading nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving kids’ media lives. Common Sense Media provides trustworthy information, practical tools, and a respected public voice that help create a healthier media environment for children and youth. Common Sense Media’s website, http://www.commonsensemedia.org, is a comprehensive one-stop resource for kids’ and family media. Common Sense Media also sends out a weekly online newsletter that provides reviews of the most recent media releases, parenting advice, and important news and research on kids and media.

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