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Today's Christian, November/December 1996
Five Great Things TV Can't Do for Your Children … but you can
-by V. Gilbert Beers
Three of our grandchildren were staying overnight with us. Spending such quality time with each of them is something my wife and I enjoy. But late in the day I felt the pressure to get some work done. My first thought was to put a videotape in the VCR and plop the grandchildren down.
You know the feeling, don't you? How many times have you breathed a sigh of relief when the kids want to watch TV, giving you some down time? Sometimes that's okay, but too often we lean heavily on the tube to babysit.
When you catch yourself thinking TV can substitute for you (or that you can't compete with TV's lure), remember these five advantages you have over the tube:
TV can't : say your child's name
Television has absolutely no personal interest in your child and does not even know that he exists. If he died, TV would not shed one tear. Your child is nothing more than one more unit in the total audience profile. TV doesn't care what your child thinks, how she acts, what he learned in school today, whether she loves God, and whether he loves you or hates you.
But you have the opportunity—no, the privilege—of whispering your child's name a hundred times each day. And with it you can transmit vibes that no TV set can send out, vibes of personal concern and interest that your child is sure to pick up.
TV can't: hug your child
TV is incapable of flesh-and-blood contact. There is no warm breath, no sound of a mother's heart beating, no twinkling eyes looking into a child's face, no sweet smile directed to that very important person sitting on your lap.
When your daughter cuts her finger or your son's friends make fun of him, they can never turn on the tube and get the solace they need. It's not there!
But you're there. Your warm hug counts at a time like that. A simple, yet loving, hug from mom or dad is everything. Even adults need hugs from a caring person now and then.
TV will never replace a hug because it has no heart to care for your hurting child. And it certainly has no arms to embrace him.
TV can't: listen to your child
Children want a listening ear. TV can't listen when your daughter is excited about a part in the school play. It won't listen when your son can't wait to break the news about making the Little League team. TV will ignore your child's simple question, "Do you still love me?"
TV spills out its words and images, and if you're there, you get dumped on. But try asking it one simple question. Try telling it what's on your heart. It has no ears to hear, no heart to care if it could hear.
You have a wonderful privilege when your child bursts through the door with exciting news: You can listen! At that moment you are more important to your child than all the TV sets in the world. More than anything else, your child wants to connect to a caring heart.
TV can't: tuck your child in
TV can't talk with your child about the good things and the not-so-good things that happened that day. It will not put a soft hand on your son's brow and ask how he feels. It will not put a thermometer in your daughter's mouth and get a drink of water for her. TV will never kiss your child goodnight.
TV can't: pray with your child
Perhaps most important, TV will not speak your child's name to God. When a child hears you praying for him, or thanking God for seeing her through another day, the child begins to sense God's presence in a way no cartoon or action adventure will ever replace.
In case you don't know, you are the star of the show. TV can never compete with what you have to offer your child.
Copyright © 1996 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine (formerly Christian Reader).
Click here for reprint information.
November/December 1996, Vol. 34, No. 6, Page 85
Last Updated: October 18, 1996
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