Several times a day I hear: "Mom, come quick," from my four-year-old son. "I want that," he says, pointing at the TV screen.

It's that time of year again, when Christmas advertisers saturate our children with ads for toys which are seldom as exciting in reality as they appear on the screen.

Parents could disconnect the cable and let the kids watch videos. Alternatively, you can sit with your children and explain that they're being brainwashed by advertisers who want to sell them stuff.

Making your children media- savvy seems the only solution, but what we really need is legislation preventing the exploitation of children through advertising. We could start with refusing to allow advertisements to misrepresent the action and drama of toys. Even better would be a ban on ads during children's TV.