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[T191]Thats A Good Idea

by Maria Macfarlane, Mar

If you are like many North American families, your kids enjoy the privilege of watching TV in their bedroom. Have we, however, given this decision the deliberation it deserves? Consider this - Both the American and Canadian Pediatric Society are not in favor of allowing children to watch television in their room.

As parents, have we discounted the negative social and physiological ramifications already associated with television viewing? Various levels of obesity, youth violence and even sexual promiscuity have been linked to our obsession with the tube. A recent study by the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has identified that children with a television in their bedroom watch an average of 2 more hours per week and are not only more inclined to under perform academically, but are more likely to resist going to bed. Of these children, a slightly higher percentage is boys, who also use their TVs to play video games. In North America 40% of low income kids between the ages of 1 and 4 who have a television in their bedroom are likely to become overweight.

How will watching more TV encourage them to develop the social and intellectual tools that they will need, as they grow older? The bedroom is not a communal place. Issues of isolation family communication are compounded when a television is brought in, since many children already spend an inordinate amount of time on their bedroom-based computer. Outdoor play, family interaction and group activities are extremely hindered.

Are we conveniently choosing to ignore the obvious for the sake of some temporary peace and quiet? A TV in the bedroom means that a child can be less selective about what they watch. Without the proper monitoring you may have less control over their viewing habits and are less able to educate them about what they see. A busy parent has less opportunity to participate in the very valuable process of jointly discussing the appropriate program material and sharing their experiences as they watch TV together with their child.

Have we acted too quickly in bringing yet another TV into the household? Easy access to the remote control means that it is possible to watch TV during hours when programming is unsuitable. It is also a more readily available distraction from homework and household responsibilities. For many children TV acts as a stimulant before bedtime creating an environment for unhealthy sleeping habits.

In a fast-paced world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to find time to connect with our kids and supervise their actions, what are parents giving up by advocating even more television in their children's lives? Wherever possible, it would serve our children well if we gave them a chance to take a break from the media hype that bombards them everyday.

Statistics reveal that pet theft has overtaken mobile phone and ipod robberies to become the most rapidly growing crime in the UK. Each year, there are 50,000 dogs which are snatched from their owners. Of those victims, 40,000 had pet insurance. This sort of insurance can offer help in various ways.

First of all, the insurance pays for the costs of advertising. It also pays for the costs of offering a reward. Then, when you find your dog, it will provide the financial assistance to get the animal back home. You can claim anything from •£200 to •£1000 depending on your insurance policy.

Then, in the unfortunate instance that your pet is never recovered, the insurance company will pay anything from •£500 to •£1500 for the value of your dog, provided that the animal has been missing anything from 30 to 90 days.

You can take out claims with insurance companies like PetPlan, E&L, Marks and Spencer and the Kennel Club is another. In fact, many mainstream insurers also offer cover as well and you can find out about quotes for different companies through the internet. If you do pay for your policy online, it can be the case that you can claim an online payment discount.

Some of the problems that cause pet theft in the case of dogs is that the owners don't take enough care with respect to their dog's security. Owners leave their dogs tied up loosely outside shops and the advice from experts is that by doing this you are making your pet easy prey for a criminal.

Pedigree pets in particular are targets. So are dogs owned by celebrities. A criminal might not steal the pet because it is high quality, but so they can make a ransom demand for the animal to be returned.

Along with taking out insurance, there's also other things you can do to guard against your dog's safety. This includes making sure that your dog wears a collar and identification tag with your contact details displayed on it. Dogs can also be micro-chipped or tattooed so they can always be identified. The Kennel Club Pet Reunification Service offers this service.

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Both Maria Macfarlane & Micheal Challiner are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Maria Macfarlane has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family Concerns. . Maria Macfarlane's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.

Micheal Challiner has sinced written about articles on various topics from Auto Insurance, Finances and Credit Cards. Insurance bazar provides articles based around for uk residents.. Micheal Challiner's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.