Our Modern-Day Hypnotist

(Flickr: Aaronyx)

This is a chilling image. As a parent of three young boys it actually scares me. It scares me to think about the amount of time they spend in front of the TV. Television is our modern-day hypnotist. It is often a pacifier for parents too stressed to address a hyperactive child.

I'm not suggesting that families go radical and throw away their TVs. But most likely we could all cut our children's TV-time at least in half. The long-term effects of being "plugged into the Matrix" are probably different for each child, but I doubt anyone would argue that a reduction in its use won't have a positive impact on their development.

So here's a place to start. NFLrush.com has a promotion on their site called NFL Play 60. The idea is to suggest outdoor activities that kids can do for 60 minutes a day. I think 60 minutes a day is a great starting point. I'll bet the average is much lower than that.

I'm going to give it a try, and I hope you will too.