FEATURED ARTICLE: What Are Your Kids Watching?

Christian parenting in a TV-and-Net world

Suzanne Woods Fisher

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Something didn't feel right. We were set to sign the lease on a new apartmenta much larger one. Raising four kids in a 44-story highrise in Hong Kong is not for the squeamish, and I looked forward to the additional space. But something kept nettling me.

Later that day, I attended a seventh-grade parents' coffee. One mother complained that her 12-year-old son was accessing pornography sites on the Internet. When asked where the computer was in the house, she replied, "Well, we each have our own computer in our bedrooms."

A light went on in my mind. That's what was bothering me about this new apartment. The area for the TV and computer would be tucked downstairs, far from the goings-on of family life.

That evening, my husband and I decided to stay in our apartment. The computer is in my bedroom, which creates friction. The TV is in our only living area, which creates more friction. But it's a good friction.

I had been looking at the issue all wrong. The friction that comes from living in small quarters isn't because we're parenting ineffectively. It comes because Steve and I have chosen the hardest possible road regarding education/entertainment for our kids, convinced (most of the time) that it will yield the best long-term results. The television is in the living room because we want to know what's being watched. The computer is in our bedroom to avoid problems like the mother of the seventh grader experienced.

What's Your Family's TV Diet?

How do you compare to these national averages?

Most Christians complain about the entertainment media, but research indicates they have the same media diet as non-Christians:

The average American family watches seven hours of television every day. American children watch an average of four hours of television every day. (Most experts suggest a limit of two hours a day.)

Most kids spend more time in front of a television than in any other activity besides sleeping and school. Children see 20,000 TV commercials a year. By age 18 they have watched 22,000 hours of TVmore time than they spent in the classroom. Many children spend more time with a television set before age 6 than they will spend with their fathers during their lifetime.

Women over 35 watch more television than men or children.

Ted Baehr, The Media-Wise Family (Victor)

Option 1: No TVs/PCs

It would be easier to not have TV or computers. We've considered that option seriously, especially no TV. For some unknown reason, our daughters show little interest in TV, but our sons love it. It's the first thing they turn to as they wake up in the morning, or if they're bored or home alone.

I grow weary of being the family monitor-cop, listening to children's objections over viewing time or choices and enforcing family viewing rules. I often tease my children that they will grow up to be lawyers specializing in negotiationFisher, Fisher, Fisher & Fisher.

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Originally published in: Christian Parenting Today, Page 34

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