ANSWER: Limit television viewing to two hours a day, says the Committee on Public Education of the American Academy of Pediatrics. (No TV for tikes 2 and under.)

Cincinnati-area parents and teachers say homework should always come before TV.

Douglas Sawan, a teacher at Shroder Paideia in Kennedy Heights, says little on TV is healthy for grade-schoolers. "Parents need to take control and turn off the TV. Stop pampering children and set some high expectations."

Beth Marshall, an Anderson Township mother of four, said her family avoids TV on weekdays. When she was a child, her parents gave her "TV coupons," redeemable for a half hour of TV. "I can remember combining coupons to watch Little House on the Prairie. We never felt deprived."

Cindy Zulla, a Mariemont mother of one, said appropriate TV time depends on the child. Her sixth-grader sometimes does homework with the TV on. "TV doesn't seem to distract her for most assignments, but she will turn it off if she needs to do reading."

Vicki E. Hirsch, a retired teacher at Montgomery Elementary, said appropriate homework time varies with a child's age: Generally 15 minutes' work is OK in first grade, increasing by 15 minutes each year. By Grade 4, homework can take up to 60 minutes.

Jeanette Pruitt of Milford said one of her three children has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, so she sticks to a routine. Her kids do homework in the same place, where they can't see or hear TV. She separates work time into blocks of 20 minutes, giving five- to 10-minute rest periods. TV or videos aren't used as rewards, because then children may view homework as torture and TV as the treat, she said.

Joyce Alpiner, a Symmes Township grandmother, said, "Homework has to come before TV or the GameBoy." This teaches children how to set priorities.

Vickie Ryan, a speech-language pathologist at Liberty Junior School, said parents can motivate children by showing that they value homework. "Ask about it; review it," she said.

Q: What's the best way to get preschoolers off the TV habit?

A: TV viewing patterns develop during the preschool years. Parents should encourage reading and eat dinner together as a family, according to the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Preschoolers in 16 preschool and day care centers in upstate New York participated in an "intervention program," which included reading and a family dinner time. The study showed they watched less TV than peers who weren't in the program.

---

E-mail education-related questions to damos@enquirer.com