When I was young and still living at home, my parents instituted a family rule of only allowing 2 hours of television a week.
As a child I didn't understand this stupid rule. It made it so I didn't understand television show references my fellow classmates would make. I knew the shows' characters and the basic premises, but even with the 2 hour rule, I was also limited to "wholesome" viewing. "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley," and "Saturday Night Live" did not fall into that loathsome category.
Unfortunately, when my friends in school talked about how cool Fonzi was, all I could say was that I thought that Mr. Darcy was probably just as cool. It was completely lost on them and forever branded me a nerd in their eyes.
Because of this house rule, I became a reader. A huge reader. Oddly enough, my mother did not censor the books I read. Maybe she felt my imagination was scarier than any book could be. Either way, I tore through her collection and mine and was a frequent visitor at the Library.
Looking back on how I was raised, I did not use that house rule with my own child. I didn't want him to be out of the loop socially if I could help it. There were age-appropriate limitations, but nothing severe. If he could have a conversation with me and plead his case intellectually, then he might be able to see something that we otherwise might not have allowed.(It all worked out very well)
However, he was encouraged to read. And I did not limit his reading. He became a voracious reader. I opened up my collection and introduced him to many authors he knew nothing about. We had conversations about the books he read. What he liked, what he didn't.
Eventually he wound up gravitating towards Manga, and yes, I consider that reading. I would read some of his books to broaden my horizons - to understand, really understand what he was reading. What attracted him to those kinds of stories. We would have conversations about what I liked and what I didn't. There were times I had to tell him that I didn't understand the story.
To date: he doesn't read as much as he used to. Life has him pulled in too many directions. I guess at some point he'll slow down and pick up a book. As for me, I have stacks around the house just waiting for me to dive in between the pages. If I could, I'd be reading right now.
ps - When I was finally old enough to move out, my first purchase was a television. And yes, I watched everything because I could.
