As a child, 9:59 p.m. was a crucial time for me.
The local television news was about to begin. My dad was asleep in his easy chair in the living room. If he woke up, the first words he’d say would be “up to bed,” and then I’d never know what happened in the world outside my Iowa farm. To delay the inevitable I crept over to the TV set (we didn’t have remotes back then) and turned the volume down so the news program’s theme song wouldn’t disturb him.
Standing inches from the television, I heard this public service announcement every night: “It’s 10 p.m.: Do you know where your children are?”
I didn’t understand that. Where else would I be, but home? Even as a teenager I was in my room most nights giving my parents little reason to wonder or worry about my location. They had it too easy.
Many parents today aren’t so lucky.
More moms and dads are working outside the home and their jobs demand more hours than ever before. They’d love to be home when their kids finish school in the afternoon or during winter and summer breaks from school, but many can’t be there.
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