:)

Hello Everyone,

If you are like me, then you must appreciate gardening. I love my garden. While doing some gardening today I was able to reflect on how gardening is very much like nurturing a child.

The garden needs to have the soil prepared and then to sow the seed and water it and nurture it. Much care is needed to have a beautiful garden. A child is also like that garden in that they need care, love, and training to grow to maturity.

Proverbs 22:6 Says: ““Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.”

No doubt you all would agree that a major factor in a well rounded and mature adult is the training that adult receives as a child.

Having said this, what is your opinion of allowing children to watch television?

Can television have any long term effect on our children?

What do you feel about children who watch television because parents use it as a babysitter?

Can this also effect a child spiritual well being and growth?

What is you opinion about this?

Take care,
Hope12

Depends on what the kids are watching. Thankfully there's lots of good stuff out there like E.W.T.N. and other religious networks that include programming for kids.

I agree with Rick on this one. There is also another new one on our satellite, although it is not religious in nature, it is educational. It is called Babies First. As a mother of four (19, 18, 12 & 4), and as a nursing student focusing on psychology, I find this to be very educational to both children and parents. There are no commercials and they even give pointers to the parents on how to interact with the kids about what they are seeing.

My husband and children love this channel.

My kids are only allowed to watch CBC Kids, is a series of educational programs from Canada, the US and the UK, which airs in the mornings on CBC Television from about 7 am - 11 am. There are no commercials on the station during that time, and I approve of all the shows. I often record the shows so that I can play them back to the kids later. I don't allow them to watch more than an hour a day (unless we've rented a movie), and they watch even less than that in the summer when the weather is nice.

I'm not a big fan of TV in general because I think it prevents people from reading (remember reading?? Lol), doing sports, interacting with others, being creative, etc. It's a very solitary activity. I grew up watching a lot of TV, but I was also alone a lot as a kid. I saw a lot of things I probably shouldn't have seen. I'm not sure if it had a horribly adverse affect on me or not, but I certainly could have been interacting with others more, using my imagination, being creative and having some "real" fun.

I think that a little TV is okay. I think if you restrict the type of shows and the length of time they are watching them then it should be fine.

I am guilty of telling my kids to go do something, watch TV, or whatever. I don't think my kids watch too much though. They get plenty of outside time and just because the TV is on, doesn't mean it is being watched.

I think the most damaging part of kids watching TV is WHAT they are watching. I was allowed to watch whatever I wanted and I got to see some horrific, sex-filled, killing, etc shows when I was young. Not good for a person.

Every child is different.

Totally agree with Orange. My mantra is 'everything in moderation'.

As parents we have the responsibility of safeguarding our kids from bad influences. At one time you couldn't limit what your kids could see. But today those who subscribe to cable are given the option of locking certain channels so that they can only be accessed by adults. But keep in mind that if we prohibit an activity and engage in it ourselves then we are setting a bad example.


Romans 2:20-22 (KJV)


21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

Except for Saturday morning cartoons we all watched, my kids kept the wife and I trim by wanting to be outside running around chasing balls and butterflies and there was no cable or internet just Cosby and Hill Street Blues. Now my grand babies are trying to do the same, I wish they would sit down and watch TV and let my old butt rest for a few minutes. TV babysitting kids.. yeah right tell me another one!

For what its worth, my parents (who were pretty progressive thinkers) thought much of TV was terrible from the beginning. They restricted it much like Orange is - with a shift in focus on other activities. As a result, all three children in my family grew up to have many varied interests - for me, reading is a big one. To this day I watch very little of it. I think what is on these days (at least in the US) makes it really necessary to weed through it. What I have seen at friend's houses often makes me cringe either emotionally or spiritually so I shake my head in wonder at what its doing to kids. I think you are on to something here Hope and good for you.

We had the TV on like most Americans, about 5 hours a day.

My children hated reading, they vegitated in front of the tube and did not want to go outside much.

When the TV left the house, they began reading, going outside, talking, experimenting etc.

The dynamics in our house totally changed!

I think you should put limitation to your children.First, it is not good for mental wellness of children and adults.A lot of pictures are passing sequentially like snapshots and because our memory center wants to have everything we see, hear etc. memory center begins to delete some other information that are more necessary than learned in soap opera:). I am not sure about full mechanism of this event but that was like that. But I think educational programs can be useful somehow, Of course, providing limited hours. Also some programs can affect some children negatively as spiritual growth. I think that is the best one that is done by lutheranmom

I don't think parents you the TV as a babysitter. Actually it's good for them like my 9 year old's school has cable in the classroom. The History channel has a lot of shows about the Bible. Animal Planet is good for your kids because they learn about different types of animals and if you have small kids they would love to watch Nick Junior in the mornings. My 4 year old learned how to count to ten in Spanish from Dora the Explorer. Not every show on TV is bad it just depends on the channel.

There are good TV programs which I encouraged my kid to watch. Beyond those "good" programs, I limited my kid's TV time to 30 minutes per day. This was to make sure that he grow up focusing on school, and enjoy a balanced social life.

I applied 30 min time limit on video game as well. This worked well as 30-min per day don't give a kid to get obsessed with any game. My kid never got into video game scene and stuck to other healthier hobbies.


Ditto for internet.


All of the above needs a firm guidance from both parents. It wasn't popular at times but my kid grew up with very well balance approach to life.

Eh. I watched a lot horror and violence growing up and I'm as sane as they come. So then maybe the real question is:
Was I taught what I needed to know before I started learning things from television?
I think the television is half pro half con.
But definitely not a moral teacher.
I ditched mine a month ago-I have too much too do and create.

Nowadays, cable has brought a whole lot of better programming to TV as well as something's I'd rather not let the Grandkids see. I watch with them and make sure I know what they watch. There was no cable when my kids were growing up and no one had a computer and video games were just starting. Kids should have fresh air and activity to balance TV and school and should be taught early at home before the TV and peers can influence them.