How can you limit your child's exposure to TV? Here are some suggestions:

1. Start with yourself: Take a fresh look at how much time you are spending in front of the television screen. If you spend four hours a day watching soaps, you can't blame your child for watching too much TV. As a parent, you are required to make some personal sacrifices only to set the right example for your children.

2. Find alternatives: Think of healthy social activities that will improve your physical health and help you in social interactions. Choose the sport you like and introduce your child to it. Or revive your interest in an old hobby. You may just want to relax reading a good novel, or even a comic while listening to your favorite music. But, initially you will have to put in extra effort to make it work.

3. Discuss the matter with your child: Come to an agreement on rules of television watching, such as, no TV before school and during meals. You may even like to fix one day of the week as a regular TV-free day.

4. Cut down on your channel subscriptions: This way you will watch only what has been pre-booked. You save time on aimless channel surfing, and the family can jointly decide the programmes that are actually worth watching.

5. You may want to use television time as a reward for other activities, such as completing household chores, or getting homework done. You will need to draw up some sort of chart to keep track of all this.

6. Learn something new: The best method of getting rid of all TV woes is to watch television together - and then initiate discussion on what you have viewed. This will help your child to evaluate the programme and learn something from it. If you discuss the commercials, it will help your children to be less naive and gullible.

7. Be reasonable: Wait till the show is over and give some reasonable warning before turning off the TV.

Also, remember not to overdo it. Be selective. Find the good programs and watch them. The rest of the time, do something more active or more sociable.