Parents lose control of their kids, so they use the TV to discipline them. Parents think sending them to day care will solve the problem. Wrong. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., “70 percent of day care centers use TV during a typical day.” This fact is true at my work place.
At work we have kids ranging from ages 6 to 12. When the older kids get inundate with the younger kids, our entire class becomes out of control. They start running around, throwing toys, and become very loud. My sanguine co-worker believed she could redirect the kids, and have them be quiet. Obviously it was not working. After twenty minutes of poignant behavior I turned on the TV.

The kids pulled up chairs in front of the TV and then it was time to decide what channel to watch. I asked the kids what they wanted to watch and they gave me a garbled answer. They were all talking at once. I couldn’t even understand what they were saying. My co-worker and I corroborated with each other and decided to watch a movie we picked out.

Finally the kids were quiet and all sitting in front of the TV. Then the licensure walks into the room. The licensure was phlegmatic when she saw all of the kids sitting in front of the TV. She pulled me and my co-worker and aside to talk about why the TV was on. She told us the kids should be doing something more comprehensive to their learning. The licensure asked, “What if the parents walked in and saw their kids watching TV.” I answered, “They would be upset because they get enough TV at home.”

My co-worker was very upset they we had to turn the TV off, so she refused. The licensure and I coerced her into turning off the TV. We told her it is best for the kids if they don’t watch TV.

When the last parent came to pick up their child my co-worker asked the parent, “Is it all right if we let the kids watch TV?” The parent became upset and started yelling. He yelled, “I pay good money for this program. If come in here and see my kid sitting in front of the TV I will know it has been a fruitless day and he didn’t get his homework done.” She said she was sorry and it would never happen again.