The National Center for Education Statistics tells us that those children who watch more than six hours of television a week fare worse academically than those who watch less.

        There are many more impressive statistics about the numbers of illegal and illicit acts that children see on television. Rather than quote them in this limited space, I turn your attention to two resources to help you get ready for this week, with the hopes that you can extend the lessons learned beyond next week and throughout the coming years.

        First is TV-Turnoff Network (202-518-5556, www.tvturnoff.org). Their Organizer’s Kit includes information for organizing a TV-turnoff, lists of family activities, impressive statistics about family life, children and education, violence and health, commercialism, general information about the impact of television on our lives, and reprints of several articles about TV-turnoff from newspapers and magazines.

        Second is Adams Media Corp. (800-872-5627, www.adamsmedia.com), publishers of 365 TV-Free Activities You Can Do with Your Child by Steve & Ruth Bennett, an outstanding resource of ideas that capitalize on the use of time and common household objects to focus on family members spending time together. The goal is to relate to each other, rather than looking at the television.

        Here is a partial list of some things you can do to instead of watching TV: play games, read, jump rope, build things, write letters or stories, put on a play or puppet show, visit people, plant flowers or a tree, take a walk or hike, listen to music, dance or sing, tell stories, practice musical instruments, keep a journal, create art, clean out your closet, visit your public library, bake something, rearrange your furniture, have a garage sale, fix something, put photos into a family album.