What does your child ask when bored? Is it, “I’m bored. What can I do?” or is it, “I’m bored. What can I watch?”
If it is the latter, you are raising a future watcher, not a future doer. And if this is the case, my heart goes out to your child. Becoming a watcher is not a recipe for future happiness and productivity.
Brain research shows that the brains of doers and the brains of watchers are different as a result of the way that person spends his/her time.
Do your kids a big favor and restrict electronic entertainment to 30 minutes per day. Turn your child’s bedroom into a bedroom instead of a multi-media entertainment center.
Take the TV out of the child’s room, and put the computer in a public area of the house. This is not illegal. It is the act of a responsible parent. If you have any doubts, read the works of researchers such as Dr. Stanley Greenspan.
When your child complains about this, answer with, “I know it’s hard, but I’m your parent. It’s my job.”
Jim Fay
©2009 Jim Fay, Charles Fay, Ph.d.& Love and Logic® Institute