I have lots of hypothetical television concerns on my mind these days, apparently. Let’s just go with it. It will pass eventually.

Anyway, I was surfing around the ‘net and came across this post by Diana Fischer, yesterday. In it, she discusses how her parents handled television-watching in her house as she was growing up (very little was allowed, and she felt deprived of the “good stuff,” plus there was no talk of why there were TV rules), then points out that she both allows her kids more viewing time and talks to them about why moderation is good and necessary.

The result? Her boys feel just as deprived as she did, growing up:

So, it turns out, Ace and Deuce get just enough TV regularly to want more, and enough inconsistent extra TV to realize what they’re missing out on the rest of the week. We try to explain our motivations, stressing the passivity of TV viewing, and the idea of all things in moderation. They don’t care, and why should they? Our hope is that some day this will make sense to them.

There’s more, of course, and also some really great comments from her readers, but it got me to thinking.

Here’s my professional* opinion: Kids always want more of anything they can’t have in unlimited quantities. I think that’s more or less the definition of being a kid. So I don’t think that Diana has somehow failed, here. I think that all it takes to make kids want more of something is to tell them they can’t have it.

(Though that doesn’t necessarily work with beans. In case you were wondering. Kids can smell it when you’re trying to trick them. Trust me.)

My own philosophy is similar to hers, by the way—keep the screen time to a minimum during the week, Saturday morning cartoons are not only an inalienable right of kid-dom, but they mean I get to sleep in, so you do the math.

Anyway, I do think it’s an interesting discussion. Do you suppose there’s a magic formula out there for an appropriate amount of viewing time where the child isn’t being negatively impacted, but never feels like he wants more more more? And a formula that includes slipping them Benadryl doesn’t count.

*Why yes, I’m a professional mom. I am too. Don’t you roll your eyes at me, buster, or you’ll find yourself with extra chores. I mean it.