The problem in part, is that some people expect the TV, the video game, or whatever to babysit their kids. This rather then taking the responsibility to be the parent and raise one's kids themself. Neither the TV, nor the computer was meant to be the kids babysitter...
I saw this on one forum sometime back (though I don't remember which one). I wouldn't mention names anyhow, as I don't feel that would be appropriate when peeps aren't here to speak for themself. But just giving the general gist of what was going on...
Someone was asking on behalf of a neighbor, who was complaining that his daughter spent too much time on AOL instant messenger, rather then doing her homework. So the person asked for assistance, but here's the rub. It turned out the father routinely spent 1 year to 18 months away from home at a time (I gather the kid was left unsupervised by any adult)
What's more, whenever peeps would suggest something, the gist was that it would require too much work, and he shouldn't have to blah, blah, blah... He wanted a no brainer, no work on his part required method to force his daughter to not chat online while the kid was left alone for a year at a time :down:
It finally came to a point where people (including those who were parents themselves) started asking:
So let me get this straight. His daughter is left unattended for a year at a time. And the guy doesn't want to have to do anything which would require even a tiny bit of work on his part to raise his kid?
So when the child is left unattended, who takes care of the house? Who does the cooking and cleaning? Surely his 16 year old daughter doesn't. Or does she? I'm sorry to say, but if she's doing all of this, and raising her brother too, it is the father who needs behavior modification here. Not the daughter...
Sigh!!!