http://news.discovery.com and the American Academy of Pediatricians

Recalls are a painful fact of life for manufacturers in the U.S. When a product has been found defective, much money is lost in informing the customers and making the necessary repairs or replacements. When Fisher-Price announced this morning that it was recalling more than 10 million products, you know they're feeling the pain.

 

Fisher-Price is a familiar and trusted name in products made for infants and little children. Problems have been found, however, in some of their tricycles, high chairs and other toys made for little tikes. To their credit the company has sounded the alarm. Though it will cost them millions of dollars, the safety of children is far more important.

 

If safety for our children is so important, isn't it odd that no recall has been issued for television?

 

Actually, the American Academy of Pediatricians did issue something like a recall in 2001. They underscored their feelings by recommending that children under the age of two shouldn't watch any television at all. An article on Discovery.com, however, states that "... recent data found that babies between 8 and 23 months are exposed to 5.5 hours of background television per day" (http://news.discovery.com/tech/is-television-harmful-for- children.html).

 

So why all the concern about kids watching TV? The above-mentioned article notes that excessive TV viewing by children has been linked to childhood obesity, poor brain development, sleep disturbances and insufficient physical activity. TV, the article states, is "like junk food".

 

You know, of course, that the Bible says nothing about television. It has plenty to say though on the subject of parental involvement with children. Deuteronomy 6:6,7 is a classic statement: "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." The scene is of parents who personally interact with their children throughout the day, taking time to make sure their daughters and sons know the Lord and His will.

 

Timothy is a good case study of how to raise children as God directs. Paul wrote that "... from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). How was it that Timothy was given such careful tutoring in God's word? The answer becomes clear when you read Paul's comments earlier in that letter about the faith of Timothy's mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5).

 

The most dismal book of the Bible would have to be Judges. God's people drifted away from Him and darkness descended upon the land in the form of wickedness and idolatry. How could that have happened to Israel? Just read Judges 2:10: "... another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel." Ignorance of God's word is not bliss!

 

We'd do well to heed the recall alert issued by Fisher-Price if we value our children's safety. But let's not stop there. Let's consider also the warnings of those who have studied the effects of media on young minds. And may we especially heed what God has said about properly raising a child.

 

Timothy D. Hall.

 

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