partly TV-free?

[umami_mommy]

as a couple, DH and i have never desired to be TV free. DH loves TV! i have lived TV free, but also love features like "on demand" and netflix streaming. 

ANYWAY. DD is almost 4 and i am suspecting TV might be having an undesired effect on her. but it's never been a problem for DS. 

any input on having part of the day and evening TV free, mostly for DD? 

[cjam]

That's what I do.  I limit TV with my DD6 and DD4.  DD4 has a harder time than DD6.  DD6 could take or leave TV.  DD4 would like to watch all day every day.  It's taken some trial and error to figure out what works for us.  It was too much of a fight to allow DD4 to watch a little bit of TV everyday.  So instead, I unplugged the TV and told them it was broke.  After a few days the whining stopped.  After a few weeks, the TV was "fixed" and I started to let them watch a little.  I started out with just Sunday mornings.  Now I occassionally allow them to watch a show or two in the late afternoon while I'm cooking dinner.    It's working well for us.  I don't mind a bit of TV, in fact, I feel it sparks their imagination - one episode of Dinosaur Train and they will play dinosaurs for days afterwards.

I do suggest going cold turkey for a least a week so that your child can learn other ways to entertain herself.  I think kids that watch alot of TV sometimes forget how to play. 

[starbuckmom]

I allow my 5yr old one hour in the morning and then it stays off till 4 in the afternoon when he can watch another hour of tv.  After supper we don't really turn it on.  If it goes on, it's b/c my dh and ds are playing my Super Nintendo in the basement.

There have been days when it stays on longer in the mornings but thats rare. 

My ds will continue to bug me about it and I stay strong and keep telling him no.  I do say if he is going to bug me about it then he will lose playing Mario Bros with daddy.  He does not want that taken away. 

[umami_mommy]

so far it's going well. dad was the one who had trouble yesterday! LOL. 

[peaceful_mama]

I'm *working* on it.  I think my DS6 has forgotten how to play DD4 and DS2 play well together and do things without it more easily.

I have noticed some huge effects on DS6yrs though. 

What we have done is limited our cable package so we no longer get Nickelodeon or other kids' channels, all we have is PBS, which only shows kids' programming in the morning.  DS6 was *addicted* to Spongebob, to the point that he was doing NOTHING else but waiting for it to come back on and nagging for it.  It was truly sad.

They get 3-4 DVD's from the library every week.  Usually 3 but this week our turn for "Shrek Forever" FINALLY came up.

They actually will play in their room with whatever on in the background. 

I do NOT typically buy movies.  I have nowhere to store them right now and see no need for it.

We also kept our DVR--mostly because it makes ME a better parent by allowing me to record stuff that is on at times when I really need to focus on the kids.  ;)  I do also have a few children's shows on there that record and save just a couple episodes for them to use like On Demand.  ;)