Could you live without TV?

**saslia** · April 24th, 2009, 04:39 PM

NO WAY

not me couldnt live without my TV not just for the kids to watch while I am on BB

but for meeeeeeee I would be sooooo soooooo board... with BHL away with work all the time its my only adult company some days... well most days, without it I would be more nuts than I am now....

Agree 100%

**Willow** · April 24th, 2009, 05:08 PM

I could live without it, so could the kids, but DH couldn't! LOL.

My kids generally watch ABC kids either in the morning or in the afternoon (not both) and DD is allowed to watch a DVD during 'rest' time while her brother sleeps and I sit down and have a cuppa etc.

Having said that, the last week DS in particular has watched a lot more because he has a broken leg and we've had wet weather and I just run out of ways to entertain him eventually! DD will generally just ignore that it's on and do her own thing anyway.

**ubba82** · April 24th, 2009, 05:18 PM

Nup, I couldnt live without it.

**Inanna** · April 24th, 2009, 05:28 PM

Absolutely. I think everything in moderation -but it's certainly something that doesn't get used daily in our house. My kids do their art at the table while I cook at night - or lego/duplo/dolls. I use it as a treat thing. Definitely not every day. Just because I try and encourage imagination when I can. Of course there are times when I put on a dvd - and we have a movie night occassionally with pop corn etc.

**Nadine216** · April 24th, 2009, 05:33 PM

I probably could .. love reading. DH - No, DD .. she'll bug me to put on Nemo or The Incredibles, but if I don't, she'll find something else to keep her busy.

But I have to agree. There is nothing nicer than to get dd dressed in the morning, brush her teeth and then plonking her down for her 1700th time of Nemo (I know ALL the words

) and then getting myself dressed in peace and putting on make-up without her writing on herself with my lip-liner

Also I am a Disney/Pixar animation NUTTER!! I just adore those movies and will watch them with dd. Then I also agree that TV time have to have it's limitations. Like all good thing in life, too much is not always good.

**Glamourcide** · April 24th, 2009, 08:02 PM

OMG I would DIE without my TV. DD doesn't watch it, so her TV consumption isn't the problem (oh God, what I would do to be able to get her to just SIT in front of it for ten minutes while I shower/do the dishes/get dressed/have a cigarette!!), I just know that I couldn't live without it. I can't stand silence, and I can't stand the 'empty' sound of a radio/CD playing - it has to be TV in the background, even if I'm not watching it.
It's the first thing that gets turned on in the morning, and the last thing to get switched off at night. I do enjoy things like reading, but I find it hard to sit down and concentrate on books during the day - it's much easier to catch half na hour or so of a program, than it is to get absorbed in a book and then be interrupted/not notice DD getting into mischief lol. I'm sort of a 'one-eye-on-the-box' person - I don't pay that much attention, but no way could I bear to not have it around!
DH is the same - we don't go out or indulge in any forms of entertainment other than TV, internet and the occasional DVD (which has to be at night, after DD is asleep, so we can concentrate), so yes, the box rules our household with an iron fist and DH would probably rather eat Ratsac than go without the TV for 24 hours!! It's funny that so many people mention feeling guilt/concern over their kids' TV consumption - mine won't go near it unless it's on the music channels and playing her favourite song, and as soon as that's over she loses interest and goes back to begging me to read her a story, or playing with her toys, or chasing the dog/cat!! I wish I could get her to watch Scooby Doo or something so I could have ten minutes to myself occasionally!!

**Amity** · April 24th, 2009, 09:50 PM

My parents have never had one in the house. I've lived without one for 2.5 years now, since I moved back here. There is one outside in the office, but the kids don't really go there.

So no TV, they occasionally get DVDS (on a 10" DVD player) but only on weekends, and only if they're really tired and need a nap!

I can definitely do without it (although I do miss NCIS...)

**Lisa** · April 24th, 2009, 11:36 PM

My older 2 kids and I had no TV for a few years... we listened to the radio & Cd's a lot and also read a lot.
I love my TV and don't want to be without it, but if I had to, I know I could go without it.

**krysalyss** · April 24th, 2009, 11:45 PM

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.

**Bathsheba** · April 28th, 2009, 11:14 AM

Same here Kryss... we listen to a lot of radio but generally only ABC (mainly their international news radio that has reports from the BBC etc) and sometimes I'll put on Golden Days for their music when i feel like channelling Doris Day while I'm baking which I listen to on my reproduction bakelite radio pictured HERE

And if I really need a free half hour I'll also pop on a DVD... but select French audio... my 2yo doesn't mind... he understands a little bit of French for it to not sound like complete gobblygook.... and I don't feel so guilty... because at least then he's "learning something".... not just mindlessly absorbing... his brain is at least trying to make sense of what he is hearing a bit harder.

**Glamourcide** · April 28th, 2009, 11:23 AM

^ Lol sometimes I'll stick on a DVD with French or German dubbing just for giggles, kwim?? I learned a little bit of each at school so I usually know enough to understand the basic gist of what's going on, but DH thinks I'm completely bonkers

I remember he downloaded 'Vanilla Sky' for us to watch once, and when he put it on, it was gibberish. He's like, 'That's not Cameron Diaz's voice!' and I said, 'I'm pretty sure you've downloaded it in Spanish!'

He was so mad to have wasted a DVD lol

**Rouge** · April 28th, 2009, 11:24 AM

Absolutely I could. We have TV Free days all the time. And TV free periods of the day. I'm no martyr, I do use it from time to time to give me some peace and also some enforced rest for my kids. But we don't zone out when watching anyway, we normally end up in rather involved conversations about shows my kids watch and my kids start the conversations LMAO!

I think all things are good in moderation, TV, Internet even music. Its important not to take the simple things for granted.

We just spent the weekend in Neerim South, and the house we stayed at didn't have a TV and the kids had a ball. Played together, went for long walks, talked to the neighbouring farmers, they even got to see a calf that was only hours old. Their bedroom was a spaceship for the majority of the weekend. Some of the best fun comes from the imagination, and some of the best toys are blankets and pillows used to build a fort, spaceship, tent etc.

**Lulu** · April 28th, 2009, 11:24 AM

NOPE. I luurve it! The kids could certainly do without it, I don't think they would care really.

It is wonderful to put the doco shows on for DS on a rainy day. He really absorbs alot, and since he is totally obsessed with building things and taking them apart good old Discovery Channel is right up his alley.

I never watch it during the day (except for sunday arvo family veg outs), I love recording all my programs and racing through the ads at night. I am right in the middle of this interesting program on the Freemasons....

**Pretty Butterfly** · April 28th, 2009, 11:27 AM

The tv rarely goes on throught the day, but I love it at night.

Once homework is done, showers done and kids in bed, Ad and I grab the lounge, a drink and watch our shows together. We usually talk all through it

, but its our thing. Its mindless, escapism, entertaimnent!! We chill, talk, laugh and watch shows we both enjoy. We'd be fine if it went, but its good for now!

**Inanna** · April 28th, 2009, 12:40 PM

Awww Bath I have radio envy.... Where do you get one like yours????

**Bathsheba** · April 28th, 2009, 01:03 PM

Retrovision had them about 2 years ago... but I haven't seen them around in ages. If i do I'll PM you Deb. I love it... it has all these cities on the dial... London, Moscow, Budapest etc like the original Bush radio did too.