by Frieda

Created on: June 30, 2008   Last Updated: September 03, 2009

Shall we raise the children without sweets and chocolate,because they make their teeth rot?Shall we tell them not to ride bikes,because they will fall and scrape their knees?It is impossible in the modern world to grow up without telly.And I am not saying it should be on 24/7,everything is good in moderation but talking of not allowing it ever is nonsense.

As parents we all know,before our children were born,we vowed to be perfect:no TV, no junk food, no toys on demand.Yes, we did think it is going to be so easy to be strict and parental.But then the rainy half-term day came,and you have let the children paint to their hearts' content, run about with the noisiest toy in the house, chase the dog, make mess at lunchtime, and before you know the house has seen the last day of Pompeii.You have run out of ideas and the will to live, and this is where telly is the sanity saviour.

The minute the silver screen is on your inner peace is restored.They will be sitting with their mouths open,staring at all too familiar cartoon looking like angels. My best moments of the holidays are spent in front of the TV while my grandma was happily making dinner. I can still remember which films were on during different seasons.And even now when I get fed up with being supermum, I put telly on and snuggle up with my children to watch something mindless and universal rated.

There is no need to take every guideline to the extreme. Forbidding children watch TV and watching ourselves will make us hypocrites in their eyes when they are older.They will know that we watched it when we were kids and didn't turn out to be couch potatoes.To my mind,the more we label things, the more likely they will come true.So if I tell my kids not to sit too close to the telly, because it will ruin their sight and their backs, the chances of them actually doing it are pretty high.We achieve what we ask for,so negativity breeds negativity. We need to stop being competative with other parents and let our children enjoy their childhood. We all know how strong those memories are!

I think, parents should be in charge and set the limits always showing the example of the desired behaviour, and then we will not have to worry about our precious ones! I am grateful to my parents for not trying to copy the latest trend in child-rearing but just following their own instincts and giving me a wonderful example of how to bring up my children.

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