A Student's Ball and Chainby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 04 Jun 2009 12:10 PM How far would you go to get your child to complete his homework? Would you consider chaining your kid to a 20-pound ball in order for him to finish a school project? A Spanish company is hoping you (and millions of other frustrated parents) will embrace their "Study Ball," for the low, low price of just $90. According to the company, your hard earned cash will get you "the results you desire." Seriously. The gadget (the company refers to it as a "study aid") is designed to mirror a prison-style ball and chain. However, unlike the traditional device used on law breakers, the Study Ball also features a red LED indicator, which displays the "Study Time Left." Parents are encouraged to set the ball's timer and leave their child to his studies. The gadget's designer claims that once a parent enters the desired study time, the manacle will remain secure until the scheduled time is up. The device beeps and the chain unlocks when time is up. The ball is made of "highly durable steel" and weighs nearly 21 pounds, which makes it difficult to raid the refrigerator or sneak out of the house to play with friends. In case you are wondering how the controversial device made it to store shelves, consider that it can't be locked for more than four hours at a time (the company calls it a "safety feature") and there is a special key that lets parents open the chain at anytime. The ball's designer says he came up with the idea after a friend compared studying to jail. That "friend" could have been my brother. He was one of those kids who simply could (and would) not sit still long enough to finish his homework. He squirmed, stalled, and tortured my mother with his incessant whining. She could have (though, probably would not have) used the Study Ball on him. Would you consider getting one for your homework-challenged child? Related Articles: Schools Taking a Bite Out of Lunchtime Colorado Making it Easier to Support Kids in School Do You Punish Your Kids for Bad Grades? Are You a Teacher's Worst Nightmare? Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanteducation tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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