There is controversy over parents letting their children watch hours and hours of television. It is easy for the parents, who can do other things (house chores, read, talk on the phone, etc.); but many feel that this is not a substitute for quality time WITH the parent (usually the mother). If a mother let's her son watch TV all morning, critics might say she is "giving her son to mother television". She is not being the mother. She is letting the television "be his mother". You will also hear people say, "She let's the TV babysit." This means the same thing.

Hi, no one I know uses this phrase.