For those with media free homes - what about home movies?

[sheridanskids]

We are trying to be media free Mon - Friday. This is a big step as we have not been media free for many, many years.

My 4 year old is fine with being media free. But my older boys have not liked it at all!

However he loves to watch family movies.

What do you think about home movies? I guess technically they are media, but they are family and memories.

I have been letting him watch them sometimes, but find that if the older boys are home, they are so excited to have the TV on, they can't do homework or music or anything except watch. So I am thinking I have to save those for the weekend too.

[whoami]

I think that's absolutely fine! Videos of family is so much more different and I would never think to ban them, even if we were 100% media fee.

[la mamita]

when my family was TV free as a kid, sometimes i would get so desperate to watch something on the screen that i would put on instructional videos for my parents' software programs. i found TV totally mesmerizing...

what i am trying to say is that i think media-free is best when it's really all or none. i would perhaps make a special family movie night on the weekends, but this

they are so excited to have the TV on, they can't do homework or music or anything except watch

makes it sound like it's disruptive and that you are giving them a loophole.

[Melaniee]

We do it a couple of times a year, tops.

[sheridanskids]

Originally Posted by la mamita

but this makes it sound like it's disruptive and that you are giving them a loophole.

Thanks, you put it well. I think that for my older boys it is. So back to media free weeks, no family movies included!

[zoebird]

we don't have a tv, and DH and i will do movies/tv shows after DS is in bed, but otherwise, he only gets skype and a number of non-comercial videos of family/friends throughout the week. i put it into our rhythm, and he's excited about it, but he'll also wander off and play while we are skyping, or just watch the video a few times, have me write a comment (they are usually on FB), and go play.