Mamas of TV Free Children Rollcall - Page 7

[sohj]

Hey, everyone. AdrianneWe is earning her stripes over here http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=201953 and what say you we have her over?

[Rhonwyn]

My children have been pretty much TV, computer and movie free for 5 years now. My oldest is 9 and my youngest is 6. We started Waldorf school with my oldest when he was 4 and that is when we pulled the plug. It was a great move!

[UrbanPlanter]

Ok, ok! I'm really, truly here! Thanks, S, for the vote of confidence (considering we're only five or six days into it... )

Yeah, about commercialization, I always cringe when my ds recognizes names of characters. He knows so many that he has never seen on tv: Spiderman, Batman, Spongebob, Blues Clues... (yes, he has seen tv, but not these shows). He does have some items - clothes, toys, plates - that were hand-me-downs or gifts, but my dh and I have always resisted using them even before we went tv-free. Just didn't seem right to us. Didn't want our ds to be sold to at such a young age!!!

He's still requesting shows, but hopefully he'll forget that tv was ever an option someday. Someone on my intervention thread said it might take a month to break the addiction.

[CAWSMama]

Waldorf education supports all you Mamas of TV free Children!

If you live on the North Shore of Mass., you should check out the Cape Ann Waldorf school. Its a great community.

[MamiBeth]

Can someone update me on Waldorf education? Is it a homeschool method?

[Pam_and_Abigail]

I haven't read all the posts in this thread, but wanted to add my say.

We're mostly t.v. free, but we occaisonally watch movies on the computer, and we are NOT at all computer-free, since that's what dh does for a living. Our tv hadn't been on for months, maybe a year, and when we moved it did not come with us. So we no longer own a tv!
I do have trouble coming up with engaging activities for 2 y.o. dd, and in the past I had worried about her missing out: one of her friends can count to 16, he picked it up from t.v., she's only now becoming aware of numbers. When I remembered that we're going with unschooling philosophy, I laid off worrying about what she picked up when, but it does seem that some kids' shows do teach some skills like numbers and letters. I went with my instincts though, and kept to no-tv.

[Rhonwyn]

Originally Posted by MamiBeth

Can someone update me on Waldorf education? Is it a homeschool method?

Check out the learning thread, learning at school, alternative. There is a section on Waldorf there. Waldorf can be done at home but most people who participate in Waldorf education send their children to Waldorf schools which are private non-sectarian schools. My two kids go to a Waldorf school and we love it.

[farmer mama]

AdrianneWe- Glad you could join us!

[dandelyon]

TV Control

I love that there's a place where people are comfortable to discuss differences and maintain convictions. I find it so difficult to learn in my normal environment where everyone's too polite to express an opinion. Thanks for being so honest!

I'm a foster parent and we don't have TV, we do allow the occassional video. We only have one kid right now and I do struggle with needing to get things done and him wanting a play mate. I struggle with wanting to put in a video to keep him busy. I try to keep in mind that if it didn't exist I couldn't use it, this usually helps, though sometimes I break down.

I'm wondering if you all know a place I can find simple information on the trouble with TV. I would like to give it to the birth parents of our kids when they go for visits or prepare to transition home. Thanks for helping to stick together in this fight against media on our families!

[*Lisa*]

DD is TV free, too She will remain so in the foreseeable future.

For those of you with older kids, do you find that your child feels different or left out? This is one concern I have for DD... It's hard to be different, and I don't know anybody else IRL who doesn't let their kids watch TV. The older kids that I do know (not many, admittedly) seem to do an awful lot of "pretend" play where they act out stuff they saw on TV or in the movies. I don't think this argument is nearly strong enough to counterbalance the negatives of TV, but I am curious about what your experiences are (and how you've handled any difficulties).

[NatureMama3]

We've not experienced any of the twins feeling "left out" or "different". Rather they often complain when around their cousins that all they want to do is watch boring TV. :LOL

[zinemama]

I grew up without a tv and oh BOY did I feel "different and left out." I was a total freak and I knew it. Believe me, mamas, you are going to have to face this as your kids get older. I didn't know who the Fonz was (I'm dating myself, I know), why the girls were saying that Shaun Cassidy was "so cute" (Shaun who?") and in a host of ways I was a clueless vegetarian at the pop culture barbeque. And this was at a Waldorf school!

But the thing is, I dealt with it. I was a reader, our house was full of books, and I have no regrets about the way I grew up. I had a tv briefly when I was a young, single gal, but haven't had one for years. Ds (5) and ds2 (20mo) have barely seen it, and I feel very strongly about my decision to keep our house tv free.

One lesson I will take from my childhood though, is not to freak out if they should spend hours watching it at some friends house now and then. My mom would get really upset if she found we'd been watching at Grandma's, but since I turned out to be a no-tv advocate despite all those hours watching "Fantasy Island" I'm not going to consider it a big deal.

[NatureMama3]

We didn't have a TV (myself) until I was 7 or 8 and then it was strictly regulated so I had no idea about popular stuff either really.

Maybe it's that I've always been an introvert and not cared about social rules anyway? I never felt odd or alienated because of that. Other things (dresses, no brand-name clothes, et) but not that.

[numomnalaska]

We have a TV, but only 2 channels. The news channel and PBS. I just wanted to comment on the no TV approach. It seems to my dh and I, that everything should be in moderation. My dh grew up in a family of strict religious beliefs that included, no TV, no shorts or short sleeve shirts, no going to the movies, no school dances, and the list goes on. My dh never felt like pushing the rules, although he did at times, but what happend was he became divided amongst (sp?) his peers. He didn't blend in well because of all the radical rules his parents made him go by.
So, in my opinion, we shouldn't make our children feel like the TV is so bad. Rather monitor what they can watch and make sure it's appropriate for age level. I'm not saying let your children watch TV everyday, all day.
I think all of the bad rap from TV stems from parents who let their children sit in front of it whenever they want all day long. In that sense, the TV has become a babysitter for many children. That's where the damage to their mind comes in. It's not good for their brain development, we all should know that.
Our household does not watch much of it. My dh and I just rented our first movie since our dd was born, she's 11 mos old. It took us two days and many pauses to watch the whole thing. Our lives are centered around daily activity and getting together with other children to play. But on occassion we enjoy watching our dd get to watch a developmentally appropriate program that she is enjoying.

Everything in Moderation

[sohj]

Originally Posted by numomnalaska

I just wanted to comment on the no TV approach. It seems to my dh and I, that everything should be in moderation.

Whatever works for you. But, if you want to debate about TV, here is a debate thread: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=195534

[NatureMama3]

I think all of the bad rap from TV stems from parents who let their children sit in front of it whenever they want all day long.

Since recent studies have shown that even 1/2 hour a day can reduce the age of puberty, I respectfully disagree.

Many of us have reasons far beyond the amount of TV watched. For *us* those reasons make it not a situation of "moderation in everything".

[hrheka]

I agree with NatureMamaOR & sohj. I also think as far as my daughter being left out or thought of as "weird" due to her lack of TV watching is not such a big issue. Children exclude and pick on other children for a myriad of reasons. I grew up with TV and I was still taunted relentlessly by my peers. We cannot let our parenting be controlled by wether or not are children will be accepted by all the other kids.

I also plan on homeschooling, the major reason for this is because I think the way children "socialize" in schools in unnatural. Children cannot learn all of there social skills from children of the same age, especially when those children are learning their social skills from the television!!!!

i know my views are thought of as extreme by many other parents but when I look at my happy, confident and articulate (16 month old!) I know I am making the right choices.

And one more thing to this long rant, I rid myself of the TV way before Isadora came around. I felt that tv was taking time away from other pursuits. When other parents ask me how I get so much done with a toddler I tell them its because we have no tv.

Sorry, I get all fired up about this....

[UrbanPlanter]

From what I am reading (see my siggee), it is not what you watch or the moderation of watching, it is the fact that you watch at all that is damaging.

I agree that life shouldn't be full of restrictions, but when it comes down to an issue of health and well-being, well, I'm going to set limits.

I'm now considering TV to be equally as bad as, say, eating at McDonalds. I don't think that my child will be ostracized bc he doesn't do either of these. And I know that bc he won't be watching TV, he'll be energetic and creative enough to find plenty of fun things to do that he won't care about what he's missing on tv JMHO!

[MamaAllNatural]

Originally Posted by numomnalaska

we enjoy watching our dd get to watch a developmentally appropriate program that she is enjoying.

Your dd is only 11 months old? Are you aware the American Academy of Pediatrics (who are *very* mainstream by the way) say that children should not be exposed to TV until at least 2 years of age?

Please respect this is a thread of mamas who are AGAINST TV. This is not a debate thread.

[UrbanPlanter]

excellent point, MamaAllNatural!