The most precious thing parents can give their kids is quality time. A personal investment in your children is much more important to them than any toy, video game or electronic gadget.

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Here are some great, and sometimes creative, ways to get together with your kids in a positive way.

Tell  a story / Chat: Younger children especially love stories. And it is a fun way for you to invest time in their lives. Find out how to become a great storyteller and enjoy making believe with your kids.

Plan a picnic: Kids love to be outdoors with their parents. Planning a family picnic—food, games and fun.

Take a vacation: While it is great to hit the big amusement parks during summer vacation, families tend to spend more time apart than together in that kind of setting. Find out how you can plan an effective, positive and rewarding summer vacation and really be together.

Turn off the TV: It is frightening how important the television has become in some families. Sitting together and watching TV is entertaining, and sometimes educational, but it doesn’t foster quality together time and interaction.

Spend the evening together: Families can have a great experience over the years with setting aside one night each week for the family and only the family.

Grow a garden : What can be better than that for a great parent-child activity? Explore the world of gardening and find ways to involve your children in this interesting and positive activity.

Eat together as a family: So many families struggle to find time to interact. Many families have found one key to more time together—planning mealtimes for family involvement and commitment.

Help with homework: This can be a great "quality time" activity while building your child's confidence in you.

Go for a drive: While time cooped up in car is not considered quality time by some, it can create great memories and a chance to talk and interact in a different and enjoyable activity.

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Television:

Television rules our life today. Most people today spend at least two to four hours every day watching TV. The numerous channels and the variety of serials have people glued to their sets till late into the night. With adults spending so much time front of the television, why should we be surprised that children  spend more time in front of the idiot box than outdoors?.

With families becoming more and more nuclear, mothers start off by using the television as a 'babysitter'. Children as young as a year old are left to watch TV while the mother cooks or bathes. The children soon make it a habit to gravitate to the TV whenever it is switched on. Some children even need to have the TV on while eating or working. So, let us examine the side effects of over exposure to the television?.

It is estimated, that is the USA children in the 6 - 10 age bracket watch, on an average, around 28 hours of television per week. This includes violence and viewing not suitable for their age. By the age of eight, aggression becomes ingrained in the. Children who spend a lot of time in front of the television do poorly in school and have poor eating habits. TV watching also reduces the verbal and social interactions with others ultimately affecting their intellectual and speech development.

But, with television being such an integral part of our daily lives, its almost impossible to completely banish it from our child's life. So what can parents do? Here are a few suggestions:

Make it a family decision and mutually agree upon the programs your children watch

Ordering your child not to watch television after 9:30 at night is a surefire way of ensuring that it is  one rule that is not going to be adhered to. Instead, the child should be involved in making the decision. One way is to have a family discussion on the problem and how the child is going to help to solve it. 

Not all TV programmes are bad for children. Children should be encouraged to watch educational programs on television. Let TV time be family time. Watch the program with them and try to answer their questions. This will establish your bond with the child and will also mean quality time that will be cherished throughout life.
You should also be able to clearly underline the programs not meant for children.

Discourage meal time and late night television viewing

Watching TV while eating can interfere with digestion. It can also lead to obesity as children glued to the TV set tend to overeat. Moreover, they do not enjoy food or learn the concept of a "family meal.

School-going children, should never be allowed to watch TV after ten' o'clock in the night. Not only does it affect the eyesight, but it also disturbs the morning routine on the next day. Inculcate the "early-to-bed, early to rise" habit.