Parents urged to supervise films their children watch on television

Cape Coast, Sept. 11, GNA - A lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr Mrs Adeline Arkhurst on Saturday, urged parents to monitor and regulate the type and quality of films their children watch on television.

She said it was not a bad practice for children to watch films, but it should be the duty of the parents to monitor the kind of films they watch and be able to discuss such films with them.

Dr Arkhurst said this at the 17th Annual Diocesan Conference of the Mother's Union of the Anglican dioceses of Cape Coast under the theme "The Home and Family" at Cape Coast.

She said films should have moral values to educate the family and that parents should be able to educate their children, which means it was not all programmes on the television that were good for children. She regretted that due to television and films, many homes were saddled with a lot of problems because there was very little communication among families, since they resort to watching television instead of discussing issues concerning the family.

Dr Arkhurst said as Christian parents, they should serve as role models for their children by showing them love and care, which would enable them to confide in them instead of discussing their problems with their peers, who might advise them wrongly.

She in this regard asked mothers to make their home havens for their families and also endeavour to respect, submit and be the immediate advisors to their husbands and family members. Mr Ato Ampiah, president of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) said, the values of the home and family is reflected in the society and asked parents to instil discipline in their homes, which he said would by all means reflect in the society.

He urged parents to sacrifice and invest in the needs and education of their children and pointed out that, a good family should be the one in which, people share, protect and encourage each other either in time of joy or sorrow.

Rev. Daniel Sylvanus Adotei Allotey, Bishop of the Cape Coast diocese of the Anglican Church, advised the participants to set up achievable goals that would enhance their living conditions. He asked them to take the activities of the Union seriously to enhance the growth of the church.

Mrs Elizabeth Croffie, president of the Union, was unhappy that the Union started in the Central Region, but has been over taken by other regions due to the apathy of the members and urged them to embark on a membership drive to gain back its past glory.

She announced that, plans were far advanced to establish a hostel for rental in the Cape Coast Municipality and appealed to the church and NGOs to support in achieving this goal.