Where to draw the line |
| Where to draw the line |
| Children often talk about what they see on TV. Many young people watch
soap operas. They watch wrestling and other violent programs. Many cartoons
contain violence. Young people also talk about the music they listen to.
We like to see our children reading. We don't always know or like what
they read. And now there's the Internet. There's a lot of stuff out there.
Some of it is excellent. Some of it is not so good.
How do parents keep tabs on all this? Is it possible to control what children see and hear? Should parents control what children see and hear? How much control should you have? These are just some of the questions we can ask. How much control you have depends on your views about this subject. It also depends on the age of the child. Many parents do not want their young children exposed to violence or explicit sex on television. The same goes for the Internet. Some parents also feel that some music is not good for children, especially young ones. Some books and magazines are not right for young children. There is a thing called the V-chip which can be installed in TV sets. The V-chip lets parents block out TV shows they don't want their children to see. There are also programs to help parents control what their children find on the Net. Some of these programs are Net Nanny, Net Shepherd, Cyber Patrol, Surfwatch, Tattle Tale and Kid Web. Some of these programs are free. You can download them off the Net. Some cost as much as eighty dollars. You cannot control everything your children see and hear. You can't hide everything from your children. But you can help them pick what's good and what's bad. Talk to your children about different things. Watch some TV shows with them. Listen to some music with them. Cruise the Internet with them. Talk about things that don't seem right. Ask your children to think about whether something they see or hear is good or bad. The best censorship is self-censorship. There are other things you can do. Turn off the TV. Help your children find other activities. Go camping, fishing or swimming. Read a "good" book. Play Scrabble. Sit around and talk about "the old days". Ask your children to suggest things to do as a family. Books, TV, music and the Internet can be good or bad. It depends on how we use them. Children can learn a lot from these different media. Remember one thing. As a parent, you have the final say on what your children see and hear. You have to decide where to draw the line. |
| Rodney James Taylor is this year's winner of the Superior Propane Literacy
Award. This award is presented to an outstanding adult basic education
student. Rodney is a Level 2 learner at the R.E.A.D.Y Centre in St. John's.
"Rodney is a very mature student who puts a great deal of effort into his work," says Bernadette Galgay. Ms. Galgay is Rodney's instructor. Rodney has a learning disability, but he has made a lot of progress since attending ABE classes. He has shown a lot of improvement in language and mathematics skills. Rodney is writing a short novel set in Medieval times. He says he would like to complete Level 3. Rodney attends school from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. He also works as a part-time salesperson. Rodney received his award during last summer's annual Peter Gzowski Invitational Golf Tournament. The tournament is held to raise money for literacy. |
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