Swipe Card or Number Pad for Kids TV Time

[M.D. Holloway]

I thought I remember reading in Popular mechanics years ago about an engineer who made a card reader for his TV. His kids had swipe cards and were only allowed so many hours a week to watch TV. They could swipe the card and the reader would register them and them begin a clock. The kids got great at managing their time and even pooling their hours.

I thought it was rather cleaver and wondered if such a thing actually exsisted? Making it would be a bear. Maybe a number pad with a PIN for each kid would be easier.

Ever hear of such a thing?

[HardDrive]

I have an alternative system called the 'bull whip' that seems to be pretty effective.

[campbellcj]

He who holds the remote control, has great power!

[RickM]

There's a few products out there:

PC based: http://www.eyetimer.com/how-info.htm

Stand alone: http://www.thegadgetstore.com/TemplatePages/Product/868/427/2.htm

Even a swipe card system: http://www.time-scout.com/products/index.php?act=tscout

I love this line.. "It’s the no-hassle, no-fight way to control and monitor your children’s time with electronic devices...Because it’s hard to argue with a box. "

[magilla]

If your child is smart enough to use a swipe card or a number pad, wouldn't they be smart enough to plug the TV into another outlet? The swipe card does have a lock and the PC model has "security tape", but kids are pretty ingenious.

I'm skeptical. Better than nothing, I guess.

[stomachmonkey]

My kids self regulate. It's rare that I have to tell them that they are watching to much TV.

I don't mind the computer as much since right now it's purely educational, not entertainment.

[RickM]

Originally posted by magilla
If your child is smart enough to use a swipe card or a number pad, wouldn't they be smart enough to plug the TV into another outlet?

The swipe card unit locks the plug into it's extention outlet. Maybe there's a lock for the power outlet as well.

[VINMAN]

When my kids were younger, during the summer , I used to disconnect the cable tv in the outside of the house, when I left for work in the morning. If I didnt, they would plant thier butts in front of the TV, from the time they got up till the time they went to bed, never going outside. Had to put a stop to that.

[notfarnow]

I don't have kids yet, but here's my idea for when I do:

-Hardwire the TV & video games to an AC inverter
-Have the inverter hooked up to a car battery
-Have an excercise bike fitted with a car alternator, which charges the car battery

The kids can watch all the TV they want.

[BGCarrera32]

How about paying attention to the kids?

[legion]

Originally posted by VINMAN
When my kids were younger, during the summer , I used to disconnect the cable tv in the outside of the house, when I left for work in the morning. If I didnt, they would plant thier butts in front of the TV, from the time they got up till the time they went to bed, never going outside. Had to put a stop to that.

Growing up, both of my parents worked. That meant I had 5 days a week parent-free.

I can only recall staying inside during the summer when it was raining or when one of my friends got the latest video game. I lived in a subdivision that was under construction, and between that, the forest, and the farmland, we could always find things to keep us entertained.

[VINMAN]

Originally posted by legion
Growing up, both of my parents worked. That meant I had 5 days a week parent-free.

I can only recall staying inside during the summer when it was raining or when one of my friends got the latest video game. I lived in a subdivision that was under construction, and between that, the forest, and the farmland, we could always find things to keep us entertained.

Same here. My parents couldnt keep me in the house. Always found something to keep me busy. Whether with my friends or by myself. Till this day, I still hate being indoors.

[Rick Lee]

Most of the tv I watched as a kid was while sitting with my folks on the couch. I used to watch Gunsmoke, Nova, World at War and 60 Min. with my dad. Friday nights was Incredible Hulk, Dukes of Hazard and sometimes I'd watch Dallas, as they did a lot the filming right by our house. Those were the days before cable. My folks were usually at work when I was home for the summer. We had a pretty good homemade baseball field behind our house and that took a lot of my time. We also had a pool, which was totally my responsibility to maintain once the school year was over. It was my baby when I was 9 yrs. old - leaf raking, vacuuming, chlorine, scooping up the snakes and critters that got it there. I don't think my folks got cable until I went off to college. Once we lived in NJ and back when we still had real winters, we were always playing in the snow, shoveling ponds to play hockey on, etc. I had an Atari 2600 and loved it for about a year or two. Once I got a guitar, my folks never ever had to worry about my watching too much tv anymore. They had to take my guitar away from me a few times as punishment for getting low grades.

[EdT82SC]

When we were kids there wasn't a bazillion channels of cable plus play station and xbox plus internet. When we were kids TV sucked all day so we had to get out and play or we'd be really bored. The world has changed since then.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

this is so f***ing stupid.

Seriously, if you have to resort to something like this, just shoot your TV. throw it out the window, etc..

It does bring up an interesing observation. Ever notice how you never see kids playing outside anymore? When I was a kid it was, bicycle and shovel. Go find a field somewhere and build jumps. Of course, all the fields are now Wal Mart or Starbucks.

I'm convinced that the current generation of parents are raising a bunch of pussies. Every car that goes by is driven by a pedophile, breathing the air will make you sick. Safety helmets when walking..

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Originally posted by EdT82SC
When we were kids there wasn't a bazillion channels of cable plus play station and xbox plus internet. When we were kids TV sucked all day so we had to get out and play or we'd be really bored. The world has changed since then.

television has gotten better?

[Rick Lee]

Well, if I ever have kids, I just hope to get them interested in a musical instrument at an early age. I had piano lessons forced on me, which didn't stick and didn't do much for me. But once I hit escape velocity with the guitar, it was a lifelong companion and interest. Of course, now I play while I watch tv - ha ha.

[RickM]

Originally posted by Jared Fenton


I'm convinced that the current generation of parents are raising a bunch of pussies. Every car that goes by is driven by a pedophile

Let me guess...no kids. Report back when you let your eight year old boy or girl leave the house by hi/herself for the day. They'll be back in time for dinner. Yup, let us know.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Well, if I ever have kids, I just hope to get them interested in a musical instrument at an early age. I had piano lessons forced on me, which didn't stick and didn't do much for me. But once I hit escape velocity with the guitar, it was a lifelong companion and interest. Of course, now I play while I watch tv - ha ha.

Exactly. My dad started me on piano at 7, moved on to guitar at 10. Was always fun playing Zeppelin and Sabbath tunes with him, still is actually.

In my childhood we

rode BMX, built jumps and took our licks
skateboarded, built quarter pipes and learned balance
built and rode minibikes, nothing like a 5 horse Briggs
played music
went hiking

Video games never really appealed to me, TV always sucked except for things like Knight Rider, Dukes Of Hazard, A-Team, etc.. but that was always on friday nights with the family.

[Rick Lee]

I have my share of scars from riding my bikes down our driveway and jumping on the makeshift ramps into briar or concrete patches. Spent countless days running around the woods with my buddy and our bb guns, fishing in the lake in front of our house or in the john boat on the pond behind our house. Rural TX was a great place to be a kid, NJ was a better place to be a serious middle and high school student and DC is an even better place to be a young adult.