Could you live without TV?

[Girl-23]

I know what you are saying WAITING.

TV is always off unless DH is watching something. When DD and I wake up, we play, have breakfast and I read (because I am studying). While I am reading, she plays with her toys or comes to sit on my lap as I read. So I guess she thinks I am reading to her or talking to her. Of course, I use the TV to watch News, Private Practice and The Desperate Housewives of OC . For DD, its a no from me. No TV for her. Unless DH turns it for her. I can live without TV, I think.

[Tinks]

I don't watch tv at all with the exception of the biggest loser. When the kids get home from school they put it on then when they go to bed DH watches anything on the screen. We can't get radio here but if we could I'd have that on constantly.

[amberj]

I think I could, but I'm not sure I want to. We've really cut back on our TV watching in the past few months and its great to have it at a point where it feels like watching TV is a choice rather than the default.

I too try to use telly to occupy DS sometimes. He is very demanding of attention and sometimes at about 5pm I am just a bit over it and its nice to pop the telly on. Although he gets bored in about 5 minutes and is soon crawling all over the room and up my legs again!

[AwesomeFoursome]

I grew up without TV but I don't think I could live without it now. DS wouldn't be worried, his pretty easy to entertain but I need it for ME, I use it for company.

[Starfish]

I only ever have it on as background, so could easily live without it, but DH couldn't, which is why I leave it on. DD sometimes likes to watch Night Garden and loves some ads, but doesn't mind if we go out or swith it off. I honestly don't understand why TV is so demonised. If you want to watch, watch, if you don't, don't. I don't understand what the problem is.

[Patooties]

I guess I could live without it if I absolutely had to. I love watching it though - and the crappier the show the better for me

eta - Bek - maybe we should set ourselves a 'no tv for a week' challenge!! I'm up for it if you are!

[Bathsheba]

I'd actually like the challenge of living without TV. I think it ultimately would be for the better. I have a theory that what I gain by having the TV "look after" my kids while I cook/dress etc is eventually negated by it making their moods more volatile after watching it for more than half an hour or so. It's like Newton's 3rd Law: Every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction.... meaning sure my kids might be quiet for an hour.... but the next hour is pure hell with them fighting and letting off all that pent up energy that was contained while glued to the box. It's like eating sugar: nice at the time but afterward your mood crashes. Just my observation.

So yes, I think we could do without it and cope just fine. My 14 yo would read more books and learn to use her imagination in finding ways to entertain herself too... sad to say that all her screen usage has just taught her to be a "consumer" of entertainment rather than a "maker" of entertainment

ETA: When we have a blackout i think to myself "yay! now we'll have some peace and quiet!"

[BekZ]

I guess I could live without it if I absolutely had to. I love watching it though - and the crappier the show the better for me

LOL - At least your mind gets a rest

Michelle - Every thing is moderation is a good rule!!!

MBear - My girls have days like your girls with outings, playgroup, friends over etc. After a huge day of activity DD1 often tells me she needs a rest and wants to watch a movie. DD2 won't move for a whole espidose of Wiggles so I know I can get tea on the table or at least have shower.

Starfish - I think most of us mums and dads monitor closely what our kids watch and personally my DD1 has learnt alot from certain shows. I often listen to what they are watching then repeat songs etc in our playtime.

Personally I don't watch TV much..BB/FB takes up all my free time. So I could do without it but don't take away my lappy!!!

[krysalyss]

We could and DH wants to. But I like it to watch DVDs and DS has a couple of favourite shows. If there were more quality shows on I would probably watch it more but it is so full of rubbish at the moment. If I am home alone at night I will have it on for company. We definitely minimise ads though. We usually use ABC and SBS (which now has some ads grrr) but if we are on one of the others we use our mute button. We love radio though especially radio national and ABC classical. But I avoid the others because I can't stand the marketing and the hosts drivelling on trying to be clever yet stupid at the same time.

[Trillian]

We probably could but it would be hard at first. We do have it off during dinner when we all eat together an sometimes we will turn it off at night. I like to have the background noise though and prefer the telly to the radio as there is so much crap music and stupid radio hosts LOL. Our neighbours don't have it for religious reasons but whenever their kids come to our place (similar ages to my older 3) they stand right in front of it and you cannot move them from it so there is one extreme in that respect in not having it makes them want it as well as not being able to live without it kwim? I think in this day and age it is hard to go through school without a telly, especially in high school as we were often told to watch a specific show as part of our subject at the time (usually doco's on ABC etc for geography or science and some current affairs stuff - never commercial TV)

I think it's going to be ironic soon if people really do start to be hit hard financially and so will be relying on TV more and more for entertainment as opposed to going out considering the big push till now has been about getting the kids away from the box kwim?