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Very good thoughts about kids' rooms. That is exactly my thinking as well. I knew enough people growing up who had their own TV's in their rooms. And as you say, nowadays some kids' rooms lack only a kitchen to be a private apartment. And check this out: with some of these people with the multi-wing houses, I've heard them refer to "the door the kids use." Their own door? LOL! If one of us had tried to get to the door to sneak out, it would have been like a prison break, probably only lacking the big searchlights!

"Everyone" has their own computer, say my kids. Also their own TV, and on and on. Sure--so those kids can sit and play computer games 23 or so hours a day. BTW, in my opinion, that's what most kids do when they get unlimited access--not surf the web, although some teenagers, particularly girls, do go to chat rooms a lot. I almost had a fit when I found out that the calculator that someone "just had to have" for math, can also be used for little games. It's hard to get them away from those games!

As for our 2 TV's, my spouse really wants the cable. Otherwise I don't think I'd bother, I'd get over it. I know people who can well afford it who do not have cable; their kids are so ashamed, LOL! The "parent" thing you use to block certain channels? The kids periodically use it to block each other's favorite channels. We end up with things like ESPN blocked, and only one person knows the code. It's terrible when they forget what code they used. One time the kids decided WE and Oxygen were icky, and blocked them. That caused a big stir!

As for their seeing something gross on TV, well, the rooms with the 2 TV's are not private, so anyone can, and does, walk in at any time. Ditto for the computer. That's the only way.

Some people WANT the kids to be in their own private wing. I can see wanting a break from the chaos sometimes, but everyone needs to be in common areas in the evening, why have a family if they don't even know each other? If people don't want to raise 'em, they shouldn't have 'em!

Maybe the neighbors weren't told about an 'armed man'...

Exactly. This raises these possibilities, IMO:

1. The neighbors weren't told about an armed man b/c Ed and Lois hadn't yet gotten all that Mary K. had to tell out of her. Ed just took off running when she said Elizabeth was gone, he searched his own property, then went running to the neighbors; he didn't want the details at that time, b/c like most of us, he'd heard that quick action is very important when a child is missing, and quick action was his priority.

2. The neighbors weren't told about an armed man b/c Ed and/or Lois hadn't yet made up that part of the story.