Take Back Control

Take Back Control

When your child walks in and the first thing that he or she does is to turn on the television, begin to play a video game or start posting on Facebook then you have lost control.  You have given your power away to all sorts of media and technological devices and it is hurting your child or children.  Ask you self this: Does my child spend more time watching television than on homework? If you’ve answered this honestly and the answer is yes, then this is a cause for concern.  I know some have allowed a television in their child’s room and it is on from the time the child gets home from school to the time he or she leaves to school the next day.  Now ask yourself this? Is my child doing well in school? I don’t mean is he or she passing.  Is your child being the absolute best student he or she is capable of being.  I’m telling you this will strike a never with many of you because you have allowed your child to watch way too much television or play that video game.  Your child’s education has taken a back seat to all that other “stuff” that is of little value right now.  You need to set some ground rules.  While I can’t tell you how to raise your children here is what I do: No television before homework is completed period.  My children have a specific place to complete homework assignments.  I check to make sure that it’s done.  With one child, I sign off both on the actual assignment and in the agenda book.   Reading is a must.  They must read for at least ½ hour a day outside of school.  I thank God that both children really enjoy reading.  It helps when you have established a love for reading at an early age.  Watching television is limited to 1 ½ hour a day during the school week and most of what they watch, I watch with them.  That may seem crazy but I control what they are exposed to in my house.  I can’t control what they do when they visit someone else’s house but I pray that they remember what I’ve instilled in them.  Parents take back control.  It is your responsibility to make sure that you child or children is doing his or her very best academically. The long standing saying was true when my parents were children and it is still true today, parents are their children’s first teachers.