I had an interesting conversation with a mum at playgroup this week regarding TV.
This mum has banned TV completely!! They have actually given it away.
Apparently her 2 children 4yo and 2yo cope just fine and they seem to be able to entertain themselves very easily and they don't rely on mum too much either to keep them occupied.
This got me thinking..How would I cope without the good old electronic nanny??? Do my kids watch too much TV?
I do use the TV as a tool to entertain my kids whilst I get things done, and some days I think that they both get a little too much of it. My 3yo has always been a the type to need entertainment and if the TV is not doing it then I must!! My 1yo won't leave my side and loves to hang off me especially when I am cooking dinner. If the TV is not on the morning then I am bugged if I get a shower, let alone out the the door. My girls would be in the bathroom with me or taking off their clothes to hop in the shower too.
So I find myself turning to the TV for help. I use it in the morning so that I can get dressed in peace, I use it a lunch time for DD1 so that I can have a rest whilst DD2 is asleep and I use it in the arvos so that I can get dinner on the table...In between times my girls are playing outside and I am doing some sort of activity with them and the TV is turned off. Oh my just typing the usage makes me feel guilty. Although with number 3 due in 3 months I can't see the usage getting much less.
I am intersted in what others do and your prespective.
Well, I have three little ones and am expecting our fourth, and we do not have a TV. We do alright. But, I do allow my kids some time on educational websites, which might count as "TV time" in a way.
We are actually really glad we gave up on the old tube. I can't say I miss it. It's an adjustment at first, of course. It takes a little while for the kids to learn to entertain themselves. But they do. Actually, I find it's easier to keep three busy than it was with one. Now, they play together. Then, I was the only playmate. So while they paint, or do play dough, or colour, or dress up, or whatever, I can fold laundry, clean house, check BellyBelly....
Yeah we could. I couldn't find the remote this morning, so I just chucked the radio on (I think I'd struggle with a silent house), and we're doing fine! The kids aren't into the telly that much anyway, it's more for me to help me feel like I have company.
To be honest, I think the telly and especially the internet get overused in many houses, and that relationships would definitely benefit from learning to switch off - says she who was going to bathe her kids an hour ago... Okay, I'm going now.
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....
I grew up without TV so I know we could live without it just fine (especially since I can just download my favourite shows lol) but I prefer to have it.
I love my TV but then I do get a break as at our holiday place we have no tv we have spent up to 3 weeks at a time there and we haven't missed though we do listen to the radio but I find down there we spend more time together all 3 of us and just jase and me when we come home I sometimes begrudge the tv internet comp...as we lose our time together
I prefer to have it DS does watch TV but also happily ignores it to play on his own or with DH / me. The neighbours daughter had absolutely no TV until recently (she is 3) and every time she is at a house with TV she is completely absorbed in that and not interested in playing.
I guess it is the same (IMO) as junk food. Too much is bad for you but having none at all can make you prone to binging when you do get the chance to have it / watch it. If it is included in a normal existence then it isn't that exciting when you see it somewhere else and you are more likely to ignore it.
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....
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.
All of my married life (nearly 5 years!) we have not had a telly. We have a cheapo projector which we watch DVD's on occasionally.
Flynn is used to it, if we go somewhere that there is a telly he will watch it for about 1 minute (if that) and then be off doing something else. He is getting the hang of entertaining himself. He loves playing outside but I can't really leave him out there by himself yet. Sometimes I wish he would be entertained by a DVD but he is just not used to it! Don't feel bad that the telly helps you get stuff done!
I personally don't miss the telly. It is rare that I have the time when i could be watching telly and if I have that time I often spend it on BB or other places online. It takes up an awful lot of time and IMO a lot of the stuff on tv is rubbish anyway.
When we were kids mum banished the tv to her wardrobe for a whole term! We played way more games together and talked to each other a whole lot more.It has it's pros and cons, but it is not that hard to live with out it!
Last edited by catherinemoses; April 24th, 2009 at 01:51 PM.
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Could you live without TV?
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But, I do allow my kids some time on educational websites, which might count as "TV time" in a way. 
Okay, I'm going now.
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....
but then I do get a break as at our holiday place we have no tv we have spent up to 3 weeks at a time there and we haven't missed though we do listen to the radio but I find down there we spend more time together all 3 of us and just jase and me 
DS does watch TV but also happily ignores it to play on his own or with DH / me. The neighbours daughter had absolutely no TV until recently (she is 3) and every time she is at a house with TV she is completely absorbed in that and not interested in playing. 
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