Apparently new research is out showing the effect on nursery/primary age children of being brought up on a diet of television and computer games. Many are unable to communicate properly because their parents haven't talked to them or read to them, or even made sure they can go out to play regularly. There are constant outbreaks of aggression amongst the kids because they can't read facial expressions and so are always interpreting neutral approaches as hostile. Many are unable to use a knife and fork (at least, not to eat with...). We seem to be getting to the far reaches of alienation

And the big thing on the current political agenda? Inheritance tax

So what do you suggest we do grabes? It's a serious question. If you suggest taking their playstations and Intarweb away there'll be an almighty outcry about freedom and the like. I can't agree about the TV effect so much because we're well into the third or even fourth generation of adults who grew up with tellies.

If I leave my little lad alone with a playstation he will be there forever, seriously, there is tears when I tell him to get off it. These things have to be monitored and rationed. Take us lot; we're no different. A lot of us are on the internet an awful lot of the time - especially me! Far too much when we should be out walking, riding or whatever.

Like most things, a little is fine, too much is bad for you. Moderation is the key and its entirely a parental responsibility not governmental.

On the Radio Borer breakfast show this morning, they were asking for one tip for a new parent. One that a guest in the studio came up with was "spend twice as much time and half as much money".

The amount of kids programmes on telly nowadays Mr Head is nothing like as small as it was when I was a kid.

Plus there are now numerous readily available dvds for kids.

I know of some folk who think that the only way that they need to entertain their child is to plonk it in front of the telly all day, watching kids programmes and dvds- even feeding them in front of the telly "cos it keeps them quiet". It's ludicrous. It's lazy parenting by morons.

P.S. And this is kids as young as 2 and 3 years old I'm on about here!

Aye, the most valuable thing you can give a child is time.

Tell you what Rip, go and be a single mother for a day then tell me you don't need a TV to entertain the kids. Sorry mate, you're talking without any understanding of how time consuming it is to bring up kids. Telly is invaluable for all sorts of reasons: entertainment and educational. As I said above, the key is moderation.

Which is what I was getting at- in moderation is ok but sitting them in front of the box from 7am til bedtime is wrong and that is what some people do.


Single mothers is another thread...

I agree with Mr I that moderation is the key


I wish I was more moderate in my booze intake...but whatcha gonna do eh?!

But now, it's the case that many children have tellies and pcs in their bedrooms. They're used for massive tracts of time including thro the night too, so that kids are half asleep the next day at school. And it's nearly all passive activity that reduces the need for conscious thought about anything...evolution going backwards

To answer your question, we've just not allowed it except at..erm.. a reasonable level. There are really so many other things for kids to get involved in. It must be hard to do this if other parents you know are taking a hands-off approach, but luckily for us, we know many who take the same line. There've been lots of arguments along the way, but basically our kid now agrees we were right (at least about some things!)

a lot of the problems now are that people dont have the extended family they had in the past
some of the grand parents are still bloody kids them selves
nothing in the world could have been better for my daughter than to spend time with her grandmother
she taught her far more than i ever could yet we still spent lots of quality time together and still do

to be honest i cant rememebr watching that much tv as a kid i was always out round the beck building dens etc, but suprisingly the ther day we were on about kids programmes from the 80's and i knew them all so i prob have a good memory.

i agree about grandparents etc as when i was a kid i was surrounded by adults all the time being an only child and its very suprisingly how much kids take in and learn from their elders ie reading being more articulate. my half cousin is 4 now and has grown up in same surroundings to me ie all adults and she can hold a vaild conversation with you. my cousin her mum couldnt believe that some kids cant read and write at her play group and some had difficulty eating with a knife and fork. it just shows you that time and surrounding with other people hold a lot in the education with kids

Dibble has A LIBRARY??

a good week of spud bashing will sort the little fellow out mri.