Mamas of TV Free Children Rollcall

[MamaAllNatural]

Sohj suggested I start a tribe many moons ago and I've finally decided to. I hope there are more than just two or three of us! :LOL

Please come check in!

[MamaAllNatural]

~*Bump*~

[farmer mama]

We are in! It feels great to know that my kids spend their day actively playing instead of passively viewing TV. Great tribe idea.

[MamaAllNatural]

Farmer Mama, I was pretty sure you were another one!

Well, once Sohj gets here the rollcall will be complete. All three of us! :LOL

I feel the same way you do. I love watching my kids explore and expand their minds and their imagination. Everything comes from within them. It's never an idea that some producer put there for them, kwim? I also love that they *never* get bored. I've never once heard them say that word. They're used to being inventive. I love having TV free kids.

I'm glad you're here Farmer Mama.

[farmer mama]

How did you guess?
My kids have never said they were bored either. It is amazing the things they come up with.

[KellyandKatie]

wow , I needed to vent this!

My Katie is just turning one, but she has never, and will never watch TV if I had it my way. However my DH was raised differantly, his TV was never off growing up. His dad took all his meals in front of teh TV (how sad) and then he was a batchlor in the Navy with tons of money and no family, so when we got married, he had all teh latest gadgets and a HUGE TV and entertainment system. I was raised that to wacth TV while the sun was shining was a waste. (My dad lost his bother in childhood and had a serious deal about us kids using teh gift of life and not wasting time ) ANYWAY! So my gadget loving hubby, watches lots of TV, I can honestly say I hate it- it gives me a headache(I never learned to tune it out), and since I was never desensatised to murder and violence like he was it is honestly upsetting to me to watch TV.
So we came to an agreement, no TV on till after dinner is doen and dishes are cleared away and we have had our evening walk. This is usually around seven, our Katies bedtime, so he gets to watch TV while I put her to sleep. So far it is better, but it is a big argument as it is right in the middle of our 'family room' and not what I think a family should revolve around at all...
Can you guys tell I needed to vent this?
I dont complain to anyoen else about this one becuase I dont know anyone who feels like I do about TV except my folks- we had movie nights growing up once a month- musicals or documentaries only. I enjoy those. So I am sorry to rant about this here, I just really really get upset about DH watching so much TV in all his free time! I dont understand it at all! And have you heard what the new show CSI is all about?? Don't even get me started on that?!
The other postive on DH is he agrees with all the evidense I have shown him on teh effects of Tv on kids, and he strongly agrees that Katie has no reason to watch TV, so that is good.
Okay! That was a rant- I wonder if that is what a rollcall was ment for, I doubt it... sorry wrong place to post this!
Thanks for listening!
Kelly S

[Attila the Honey]

Any room for semi-tv families in here? maybe families in "tv transition"?

We have a tv, but we also have rules - no tv during daylight hours, 'mindful' tv watching only (meaning, watch when you want to see a particular show, do not just turn it on and watch whatever is on). Also, I don't want dd to realize children's programming exists for a looong time, if ever.

At the moment, we watch about 3 shows a week and dvds. So, yes, the tv is on everyday. I would love to get rid of it altogether, but I love movies. I am a movie addict, as is dh. We belong to netflix, and they ahve such great docu.s, independent films etc. I think the movies we get are usually quality films that engage the brain, so I don't really feel guilty about watching them. (TV shows, otoh, are junk imo.)

Anyone in my position? Eager to give up the TV but not wanting to stop watching dvds? (fwiw, we do watch the dvds after dd is in bed or while she naps.)

[wednesday]

We are TV-free in our home, for all the usual reasons. We want DS to be active, we worry about the links between TV-viewing and obesity and ADHD, and the commercialism/marketing is something we want to keep out of our home.

I wouldn't say that DS will "never" see TV because unfortunately there is one at his daycare where they sometimes watch videos, and also when we visit his grandparents they always have the TV on--always on the golf channel, though, it's so boring DS doesn't even look at it! :LOL

I wouldn't rule out that one day we might have movie nights like Kelly describes, but daily television viewing does not fit our family's values. We got so tired of seeing our big TV take up space in our living room that we gave it to DH's sister.

[sohj]

Super busy and you all know what I think anyhow, so just a

: : : : : : : : : : : :

[earthyerin]

KellyandKatie-
sorry to hear about the TV conflict w/you and your SO. that stinks! I know it all too well around here!! I grew up w/a TV practically growing out of my right ear and find it very difficult to tune it out when in it's presence ('they' infiltrated my brain early on!) Therefore from my 16 year old independence on I have insisted on no TV in my home. however my husband is a BIG FAN! I wasn't aware that he requested a TV as well as DVD player for holiday gifts last year... I need to vent too I suppose! This is my home as well so the only way I agree (I literally told him it would negatively affect our relationship to have this ugly beast out in our living room!) to have the TV here would be 1: no cable hookup. you want the news, listen to NPR or Pacifica Radio. those images have no place in our life! 2: keep it in the closet, bring it out for movie time.
you know your hubby better than anybody! maybe you can sweetly ask him to understand your point of view. if it's downtime he deisires maybe cards with you or a puzzle (toocheesy? -hope not. we're not into 'em but thoght it may be a good suggestion...?) may work.
good luck!!!!!!!!!!!

[Harper]

My dd is almost 20 months old and is TV free. I know this will probably get harder as she gets older but I am pretty committed to making sure TV is not a part of her life. Plus my dh hates TV so he won't be a problem. I love the questions "not even the educational stuff?" Well why--can't I teach her her letters and colors. I don't need big bird to do it for me!

I like to watch some TV but not often and never until after dd goes to sleep and the tv is in a spare room, not in our daily living space.

[Misti]

I have been television free for most of my adult life, which meant that my older kids were TV free (at my house, at least -- I know they watched at my exes house) until they were almost adults.

I still don't have a TV, so Jack has been television free for 16 months, except for the occasional interlude in a waiting room or at a friend's house -- but at 16 months and younger, i don't think he's *watched* it -- just been exposed to it.

We have no plans to change anything -- though I am radically against Jack spending time where he'll be expected to watch TV, and my husband is far more moderate, figuring that occasional exposure at friends' houses won't hurt him. (I don't want that consumerism and those violent images in his mind at all!)

[bensjen]

Hello!
We're TV-free for going on four months and loving it!
DS is only 6 months and doesn't know any different.
It's good for me-- I stare at a TV like a zombie!
DH doesn't care, as long as he has a computer!

[Curious]

3 years old and no television!!!!

I am a soap opera addict from way back. Not much other television but all through school and work I hate to admit, I taped them. It's amazing I've lived any life at all! I nursed Dd through low supply issues, while I watched hours of soaps. One day she turned her bright little eyes toward the television and they glazed over. I told Dh get rid of it!

Dh even asks IL's to turn off theirs if we are visiting. Personally I think this is above and beyond, as long as they keep it on something nonviolent. Not that I mind, because Dd will soak up advertising slogans, and even more because when MIL is in front of the television, she ignores Dd. They play much more when the awful box is off.

[Drewsmom]

Glad you started the thread, I wish it had been around 3 years ago. I was trying to keep my ds tv free and then had some relatives who somehow convinced me that educational tv watching was good for small children....SO dumb!

After ds#2 was born ds#1 has been a major tv addict. Maybe I'll start the "want to be tv free thread." I go occasional periods of time without the tv, never had one in college..never missed it. In fact i had no idea what Seinfeld was until 1998. I lived in a foreign country for 18 months inbetween college years and saw no tv there so I missed out on the whole "Friends", "Seinfeld" sitcoms until recently. Unplugged the tv when pregnant but put it back on when 8 months pregnant and with a newborn/infant...trying to cut back on it again.

I worry most about what tv leads to as mentioned here before...ie the inactivity, zombie like thinking, commercialism and desensitization to violence, immorality, etc. It's been a battle trying to help ds#1 rediscover the joys of blocks, puzzles, etc.

Our biggest pitfall is when I put ds#1 to sleep, it's like Pavlov's dog, ds#1 turns on the tv. He hates to be alone and I think that the noise of the tv comforts him. Any ideas?

[Annoia]

TV free for about 4 months! We love it!

[ShannonCC]

TV-free for 4 months now. May 17th I unplugged the thing and covered it with a curtain. The kids whined for 2 weeks and then got over it. We were total tv junkies before that. I think that tv in moderation is ok, but we couldn't do moderation! It was like handing an alcoholic a 6 pack and asking them to just drink one. I'm happier now

I'm not saying we'll never have tv again. I just REALLY don't think it's good when they are so little. I felt ashamed when I turned it off and realized how obsessed my 2 year old had become with Blue's Clues :

The kids have watched some at other people's houses since then but as long as it's not available at home I don't freak.

[geogirl]

We have been tv free since the beginning of April. IT is great. My oldest was starting to watch way too much so we nixed that. He likes to listen to stories on tape and music but I feel that it is not as bad a staring blankly at a screen... Dh and I still rent a dvd now and then and bring the TV out for that, but that is it.

Rebecca

[boatbaby]

My ds is only 3 months old, but we plan on keeping him TV-free for as long as possible. The irony is --

I AM A TV PRODUCER and WRITER!!

Crazy eh? I think that's why I can't stand watching TV. My dh likes the boob tube, but after reading the book "Endangered Minds" he agrees to go TV free for the baby.
I was raised TV free (until my parents couldn't control it anymore) Funny thing is, one brother became super student and is now a doctor. My other brother and I are both TV Producers! From a career point, it was a creative outlet for me and a chance to travel the world (before ds was born) on somebody else's dime.
But as someone who spent many years working in "children's educational television" let me be the first to tell you THERE IS NO SUCH THING!!! It's all c**p! If you want to educate your kids, spend time with them and read and book or go somewhere - right?
I am preaching to the choir, I know.
Great thread! Glad to see the tribe growing!

[love2all]

Another no tv family here.
Never had one never will,
my kids have seen tv at hotels when travelling and it is a nice treat for them- a way for me to get them to behave in the car!! A little bribe I guess......

Just yesterday I got a telemarketer calling about tvs- he asked how many i had in my house and when I said ZERO he said well, what do you do in your spare time?
OMG spare time? I have three kids that I am trying to raise in this less than ideal world- trying to help them become all they can be despite the way things are. well, we play together, read books, listen to npr and its shows, cook, laugh, walk, hike, craft, manymany things to do. I could not believe this guy was for real...
maria
peace all