by Traci Martin

Created on: June 17, 2008   Last Updated: December 04, 2010

No, parents do not need to cut TV from their children's lives. But what parents do need to do is actually raise their children. The television is not at fault here. There are many wonderful educational programs for children, and I know that my own have learned a lot from watching TV. They have even taught me things from what they have garnished from the big black box in the living room. TV is not evil, or the downfall of civilization. Some of the programs may be, but not the entire concept.

The TV is also an excellent source of family entertainment. We have spent cozy winter afternoons all curled up together with a big bowl of popcorn, enjoying the TV AND each other. Television also provides us with a link to the rest of the world. We get the local news, the national news, and the world news from it. Without television, we would essentially be cut off from many of the daily happenings elsewhere in the world. But what we need to do is use moderation. This isn't just for our children either. There are plenty of adults who need to learn that also. It is important to have downtime in front of the TV or in a good book, just as it is important to be up and active. Those parents who use the TV to entertain their children for endless hours, or do not monitor what these kids are watching are the ones at fault.

Television is not a bad thing on its own. But like everything else in our society, we try to put the blame and responsibility on someone or something else. It is the parents' responsibility to use it wisely. The same can be said for everything in a child's life. It always comes down to the parents' responsibility to guide and limit the child for their greatest benefit. Unfortunately, in our society, we spend most of our time trying to find something else to blame for our lack of interaction with our children.

Parents need to take responsibility for raising their children, not leaving it to the babysitter, the teachers and the television. We are already seeing what kind of children are produced when we do not give them enough attention and guidance. I can see it in my daughter's kindergarten class. I saw it in the preschool I worked at. And I see it in my niece's fourth grade class that I subbed in. We, as parents, are so busy living our lives that we forget we have these little people who consider us their world. When we ignore them and put them in front of the television with no restrictions, we end up with out of control, begging for attention children. And then we wonder what the heck that teacher is doing wrong.

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