I did a radical thing..., page 7

reply to post by AccessDenied

I'm sorry but I have to say, this seems incredibly rash, lazy and also somewhat unbelievable in how well you've described it working out.

I have 2 children (15yrs and 7yrs neither of which give us any trouble) and I don't deny them the ability to play games and watch TV, but I do it the way it should be done. Reasonably and sensibly, by putting limits on the amount of time a day they are allowed to spend with said activities. Also by only allowing certain types of media to be indulged, and by taking an active role in what they are interested in and helping to guide them towards healthy pursuits.

I'm sorry, to me it seems like all you've done here is taken the easiest option for you while not really considering all of the ramifications of your actions. If it truly has worked out for you as well as you think/claim it has then good for you, but don't expect it to last.

Also you said "I noticed my kids playing outside and talking with their friends and a lot of the conversations revolved around the movies they watched or video games they played."

I say maybe you should have been glad they were playing outside to begin with. What you've done feels like more of a preemptive punishment and lazy parenting than something beneficial for your children in the long term.

But do what you like, it's a free country after all, I'd just hate to see you resent having made an over zealous choice when your kids decide to start sneaking TV and games at their friend's houses.

You see you've set up a scenario in which they will find a way to get their fix, and without you having been a responsible guiding voice for them they will eventually find media that you would normally surely have protested, but since they will be doing it beyond your purview you will have no idea the kinds of things that they will find. They themselves may not even realize what they are watching is bad since you were neglect in your duty to more patiently manage their consumption when you could.

For all applauding this, step of the crazy bus for a minute and think about all of the possible ways of dealing with it before going the "zero exposure" route.

If you've mishandled something this "relatively harmless", how are you going to handle their teenage years and relationships with the opposite sex etc, will you bolt the doors and force them to never be out of your site?

Be careful not to build to many of these types of "zero exposure" barriers, or you could see really negative ramifications in the future.

To have done this type of thing without having a discussion about it with them, your thoughts on it, or that it may even be a self-meditated option, you robbed yourself and your children an important path to conversation about why you feel they needed less exposure to begin with. Instead you used an excessive heavy hand, and that is shameful .

[EDIT] edited for spelling

[edit on 13-6-2009 by sinesolis]

[EDIT] edited for spelling

[edit on 13-6-2009 by sinesolis]