If you set strict rules about what your children can and cannot watch on television, you may want to rethink your efforts.

Researchers at Ohio State University found that teens whose parents highly restricted their television viewing simply watched objectionable shows at their friends' houses. These teens also had a less positive attitude toward their parents.

Another finding was that talking to pre-teen children about why they couldn't watch certain programs backfired. Researchers found that parents who talked to 5-12 year olds about objectionable programs only confused the younger children.

Since the studies only looked at objectionable types of programming, it's possible that children might be more receptive to parental input about other programs that may contain disturbing content, such as news.