Today, parents have to monitor more than just their children’s television programs.  These days, we also have to worry about the commercials.  Even when watching what is described as family programming, some of the commercials are appalling. 

Some parents may not have noticed, since they trust well-known channels to only provide child friendly shows.  If you haven’t, try sitting down and watching an hour of television with your children and pay special attention to the commercials. 

Some of the previews shown for different movies are definitely not for kids.  Some of the previews for horror movies are very frightening.  It’s sad when you have to worry about your child having nightmares because of a commercial.  Other ads include sexually explicit language and imagery that is far beyond anything children need to observe.  Then, there are those, “This is Bob” commercials that lead to the most uncomfortable questions. 

These types of commercials should be shown only during adult programming or late at night when children are not as likely to be watching television.  It’s ridiculous when a parent has to flip the channel at every commercial, hoping he or she doesn’t run into something worse on the next channel.  Children should be able to view family channels without being exposed to adult content. 

If you are uncomfortable with the content of commercials your children are exposed to, contact the network in writing and ask for a response.  You can also ask also block the offending channels from your children’s access, and only allow them to watch those channels when you available to watch with them and make sure that the commercials are not out of hand.