Moved and lost all my TV free friends

[cagirlintexas]

We moved to Qatar last week and I left all my TV free freinds behind.  Now I am trying to help my 4 year old make new friends.  At the first playdate we went on Toy Story was playing the whole time.  I am so discourage.  It seems like people watch a ton of TV here.  I don't want to offend anyone but I really don't want to start down that path especially in a place where we spend so much time indoors because of the heat.  How to I help my son make new friends with out having to deal with tons of TV. 

[Amatullah0]

Can you have friends come over to your place? Then you can play without the TV on. Or, meet up somewhere that doesn't have a TV (are there any indoor play places around?)

When we were overseas for a few months, we would visit the neighbors, and they had a larger wall mounted TV. I think they were very proud of it or something. She was asking me what I like to watch on TV, and since I don't watch much(especially not when it's in a language I don't understand too well). We don't have a TV at home.

My point is.... I told her, no I don't really watch anything. She got offended because she assumed I didn't watch tv because I thought it was forbidden in our religion(or that I was acting like I was better than her?). 

But, in pakistan anyways, the culture is so attached to TV. They play the same episode of a program multiple times per day to give people a chance to watch the show because there are so many power outages there. The commercials are ridiculous, but I suppose they're the same as they are here, only I haven't watched the kind of TV with inane commercials for over 3 years. 

Also, I think parents over there think TV is good for kids, since it's targeted to kids. But, I think parents in the US think that too...

[AnnaNAllyson]

I totally sympathize.  People think I'm crazy for not letting my kid watch television.  Most of my friends understand.  When the kids were first born we were all screen free, but now that they are all five, I'm the last one who is screen free.  Some of the other kids don't watch too much and don't talk about it much, but for others its all they talk about.  One thing that has always been my philosophy, is that play groups are for play.  Kids can watch television anytime.  That was my parent's rule for me growing up.  Although, I'm not sure how video games can fall under that rule.  I certainly don't want her playing them, but apparently some people I know do on play dates because it is interactive.  I hate how addicted society is to the screen.  Good luck.

[Bad Mama Jama]

Originally Posted by Amatullah0 

Can you have friends come over to your place? Then you can play without the TV on. Or, meet up somewhere that doesn't have a TV (are there any indoor play places around?)

I agree!  Show folks that there is a whole world out here without turning the TV on all the time.  I would invite folks out to the park, over to your home or some other TV free spot.  The pool or whatever is available.  You would be surprise that people just don't even think about it anymore and sometimes we have to teach them how to make an environment that is friendlier to us.