My personal journey started when my first-born son became mesmerized by the television. Our television was never placed in the living room where our family spent most of its time. It was always relegated to an out-of-the-way basement family room. My son began to spend more and more time downstairs, away from the family.
I became alarmed at the programming available to him.
Looking for a solution to this problem, I began asking friends for advice. Some told me to “take the television out and never bring it back in. “ Others said, “that’s not a problem; it does not effect your children”. Lots of advice, but no solutions. Just as I taught my son safety in the streets and safety with strangers, I needed to teach my son proper judgement and willpower regarding how much and what he watched on television. How could I monitor and control access to shows that I did not want him to watch and yet give him the freedom to watch the “good” shows?
I looked for a way to achieve my goal. Then it occurred to me: if I put a lock through the tiny holes in the electrical plug, I could prevent him from plugging in the television. I could block access when I wished, and restore it when I wanted. I looked for a lock but I couldn’t find one. In desperation, I used a drill to enlarge the hole in the one prong to make it fit a combination lock. It was a great success! Click here for ideas on how to improve your child's television habits.
I was in control again.