The minute the television is turned on, the whining begins from my two daughters. "Mommy, can I have a snack?" and "Mommy, I'm hungry!" are two household standards. Even if my children have just finished a big meal, they insist that they're hungry again the minute the television is turned on. Without a doubt, my family and I have fallen prey to the television snack food habit. There's nothing wrong with a little TV time, but don't let your kids become couch potatoes at the same time!

Have Rules About Food in the Living Room
One of the easiest ways to keep kids from snacking away while they watch a television show is to have specific rules that you enforce concerning when and where they may snack. Children who know they can only eat at the kitchen table, for instance, won't stuff their faces mindlessly while they watch a show.

Snack First, Show Later
School age children might be content to get home from school and decompress in front of the television with a candy bar or a cupcake. Instead, don't allow snack time and down time to become one and the same. Serve snacks right when children return home from school, do homework and then allow kids to watch a show before dinner. Keeping a schedule like this discourages snacking out of habit.

Watch Interactive Television Shows with Your Children
Watch television shows with your children and select quality programming that asks everyone to get involved. Who can eat while you're shouting out answers to Diego's questions or trying to find the super letters on Super Why? Try Kung Fu Panda or another film that can entertain the entire family. Keeping children active, even while watching television, can keep them from the television snack habit.

Don't let the television snack food habit take over your home - by enforcing rules, schedules and keeping television watching interactive, you can help your children from snacking out of habit while they watch their favorite shows.