Does watching church talks counts toward to TV time?

[CTRReturn]

I complain my son(who is 16 with Aspergers) that he watches too much TV and too much video games such as the cartoons like simpsons, power rangers, and Warcraft.

 

Now he is complaining that I watching too much TV because  I am watching older conference talks and church videos.  He feels that General Conference should be allocated to regular TV time.

 

What do you feel about this?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PolarVortex]

Well... your error was telling your son he watches too much TV.  He watches too much "bad" TV.  :)

 

Do you know who Dr. Ben Carson is?  I just saw an interview with him.  He credits his success in life to his mother, who required him and his sibling to read two books a week and write a lengthy report on each book.  The mother would read each report carefully and check off and underline the good parts.  Many years later, Dr. Carson learned that his mother was illiterate and had not really read any of his reports... but she still went through the motions to teach her son the value of learning, books, study, and writing.  Think of how different the world would be if we all had mothers like that.

[Crypto]

PolarVortex hit the nail on the head!

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

I would tell your son that he can watch unlimited General Conference Sessions if he wants too.  :) 

[Guest]

The TV is just another tool just like the Computer or the gun or the spoon.  You can't really have too much of it unless it contributes to a medical condition and such.

 

The teaching, therefore, is not to avoid TV or video games.  The teaching should be (especially for those with Aspergers who usually takes things very literally) to do something that has a specific purpose to improve on one's self.

 

My son at 13 is a whipper snapper... I would catch him playing video games and he would declare, "But I'm improving my hand-to-eye coordination!" so I would have to remind him, spending an hour on hand-to-eye-coordination is an hour you're not spending on improving your foot (it's my traditional line that brings a laugh to my kids but they get the idea of the reprimand without it having to be put-your-armour-on-the-battle-lines-are-drawn type of events).

[Dravin]

His underlying complaint is going to be based on "fairness". So that's what your response needs to address. If your complaint has indeed been "too much TV" and not "too much of the wrong TV" then he does have a bit of a point. Not that you necessarily need to scale back your conference and church video watching (though I'd suggest one could indeed overdo those things) but you need to clarify your position. In short, I tend to lean towards PolarVortex. Be prepared for him to essentially accuse you of gerrymandering the TV rules though, he is a teen and, "It's not fair!" is pretty much their battle cry.

[The Folk Prophet]

The TV is just another tool just like the Computer or the gun or the spoon.  You can't really have too much of it unless it contributes to a medical condition and such.

 

Exactly. I, for example, spend around 16 hours a day on a computer. At least 12 of that is earning a living. That does not, in any way, justify a child spending 16 hours a day on a computer.

[john doe]

Tell your son that when he is an adult and paying the bills he can make the rules. Be the parent, not the friend who negotiates with a dependent teenager. Kids don't need more friends at home, they need a parent who will help guide them through their adolescent years.