by Timothy D Heard

Created on: March 22, 2008

The term 'Parental control' is relevant to the control a parent has over themselves. What good is parental control when the parent doesn't care what their child watches?

The option to control what your child watches on TV, by means of technical programming, is one of the best ideas ever invented. The youth of today are extremely desensitized to violence, sex and drug use, mainly because of what they have seen on television, and parents today should pay more attention than ever before to the tv programing available to their children.

It used to be that a child learned most of what he shouldn't know at that age, on the school playground. Today, most foul language and knowledge of bad habits comes from what a child learns in his own home. I am referring mostly to television shows, and not to the parents themselves. But even what we as adults view as material not suitable for children has changed. Sometimes we don't even realize that our children are even in the same room, much less realize that they are watching the same adult related content.

When I was growing up, children were told to leave the room when a female on TV was in her underwear. Today, some parents don't even tell their child to leave the room when a female is half naked. Some fathers even joke with their son's about it.

Parental control should not be limited to television. It should also be utilized when regulating use of the Internet and the content of books. The best solution for parental control is verbally communicating to them what is right and what is wrong. Show them that you, as a parent, are in charge. And if they are caught watching what isn't allowed, there will be major consequences to face.

This type of parenting is very useful with younger children. But with teenagers, we must instill morals and ethics within them that override any type of remote control settings. Our children should reach the point of being their own parental control. They should depend on their own self control when the opportunity for elicit video is offered.

I have faith in a lot of today's youth. Some of our young adults display more common sense and maturity than some of today's older adults.

The option for electronic parental control with video is without a doubt very helpful in certain aspects of raising children. But the all-time best way to ensure your child develops a good character does not lie within the options of electrical devices; it lies within you. You are the parental control device

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