Mothering › Forums › Natural Family Living › Books, Music and Other Media › TV-Free › Mamas of TV Free Children Rollcall
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Mamas of TV Free Children Rollcall - Page 9  

post #161 of 1527
10/19/04 at 6:20am
Ooooo another tribe! :LOL

DH and I have been TV free since February. Our TV broke (I've forgotten what went wrong with it!) and somehow, we just never got around to replacing it. And by the time it occurred to us, we simply didn't care much.

This isn't to say that we won't one day own one again but that we will be much more conscious of it.

Pauline has never seen a Baby Einstein DVD and my God, those have to be the STUPIDEST things I've ever heard of.

I'm much more aware of classical music again.

There are TVs are her grandparents' houses and I'm always slightly horrified by how it mesmerizes her in a matter of minutes. One set of grandparents is understanding, the other doesn't quite get it but tries to humor us.

Jen
post #162 of 1527
10/19/04 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bunnybartlett
Help!!!!
Check out AdrianneWe's thread here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=201953

and then take a look at this thread on the book The Plug-In Drug: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=206470

Follow threads listed on this thread, too, by the way.

Welcome everyone. never too late to join a tribe!
post #163 of 1527
10/19/04 at 11:00am
spsmom, they make remotes for stereo systems. pretty buttons!:LOL

Welcome those who are new.

Bunny, we have kids stories on tape (ours are mostly religious, since that's what we like), kids music CDs and such, but mainly when I need time kid-free I direct them to something they REALLY REALLY like (for the little guy that's the spare-dish drawer or pots and pans, for the bigger kids it's a fresh stack of printer paper and crayons) then leave the room.
post #164 of 1527
10/19/04 at 11:25am
Guess how I take a shower now that we don't watch TV (for all of you who may be wondering ): I set DS up at the sink next to the shower with bathtoys, and let him play with them in the sink while I shower. He loves to stand on his stepstool at the sink, pouring water and making things swim. Don't need a video to shower anymore!
post #165 of 1527
10/19/04 at 5:22pm
Thread Starter 
BunnyBartlett,

Here are some things I do when I'm needing a break where I can be pretty guaranteed to be able to just sit back:

(If you have an outside area) I give them a little bucket or bowl and a sponge, cloth, or scrubber and they absolutely LOVE to wash the walls or all the bikes. I even give them wet cloths in the house and they just think it's the funnest thing ever to wash things like walls, doors, cupboards.

Sometimes too I just let them play in the bathtub or the kitchen sink for fun. They can "wash" dishes or just play with toys in there - or kitchen utensils like ladels and measuring cups.

I also try to keep a few of their very favorite toys up so that I can get them out when I'm really needing a break and it will occupy them. This is a really good thing to do. If all of their toys are always out they're not as exciting to them. I also do this with books but this will only work if your little one is really into books (which she will be after being TV free for a while ).

Good for you for working towards making your dd TV free!
post #166 of 1527
10/19/04 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jennifer3141
There are TVs are her grandparents' houses and I'm always slightly horrified by how it mesmerizes her in a matter of minutes. One set of grandparents is understanding, the other doesn't quite get it but tries to humor us.

Yey! This is nice to see a group all about no tv!! Logan is 27 mos and we never have the tv on at home when she is up and now that my husband got rid of the stupid dish we get no reception at all so we've been totally TV free for 3 weeks and I am THRILLED!

But just like Jennifer said, my parents have the TV on all the time, even when they aren't in the room and its been a point of debate for us, because of the "zombie" look that will come over Logan when she notices it. When my mom watches her at her house she'll turn on PBS and then she tell me how much Logan enjoyed a certain show. It bothers me because she knows how I feel about tv, but I bite my tongue because I'm just greatful I have her to watch her for us, and I guess it could be worse, she could be watching talkshows or something inappropriate like that.
post #167 of 1527
10/21/04 at 1:01am

Just stopping in to say

thanks to everyone for your ideas and encouragement and the book recommendation.We are going to the library tomorrow and I hope they have it!!!

The last couple days have been going well.I sat dd down and explained(she is very verbal and has great comprehesion skills) that mommy was wrong to let her watch so much television.That tv rots your brain and we were going to try hard to cut back to one show a day.My husband came in at that point and he says"ya know that pumpkin on our front steps that has a big mushy side,well thats rot and thats what will happen to your head if you watch too much...a little is ok."OMG!! Harsh but she has not been asking so much and is more receptive when I say we are going to do xyz instead.

I cannot give up that morning show,although I commend you whose children watch zero television.I am just not a morning person and I can at least get my juice and a shower if need be before I turn into the entertainment!!!

Linda

ps ,,,,the only phone calls I have made my hubby was home so I haven't conquered that hurdle yet!!
post #168 of 1527
10/21/04 at 1:38am
Hey! I missed the roll call!

Don't forget me!

I have 2 children completely TV free. I have 2 step daughters that are TV free 50% of the time. I am TV free myself and I love it!

Okay, now I have to go back and read this whole thread.............but I am so excited to find it!
post #169 of 1527
10/21/04 at 2:14am
Thread Starter 
Hi Kristimom!

I must say...

I am extremely relieved to be finding more and more mamas who keep their kids TV free! I was getting worried for a while there. This is so encouraging!
post #170 of 1527
10/21/04 at 9:05am
For those of you who have recently switched off the TV, keep in mind that it does get easier. The first 2 - 4 weeks are the hardest because the children are transitioning from being passively entertained to actively entertaining themselves. My children have been 99% TV free for some time now and I rarely have to entertain them. They read or look at books, play board games, play with their toys and have friends over. Playdates help a lot!

One thing I have noticed is when we do allow the kids to watch a little TV during school breaks, the amount I hear 'I'm bored!' increases ten fold. What I tell the kids now is whenever I hear them say that, it means that they have been watching too much TV and that they can't think for themselves anymore so no more TV. That usually nips it in the bud!
post #171 of 1527
10/21/04 at 1:25pm
I have to agree with Rhonwyn. It does get easier. We went TV free 5 years ago (not even one in the house) and I remember talking with other people about how I could keep my kids busy while I get things done and TV alternatives. Now it is not even even a thought to me. I make dinner, they play, I do laundry, they help me or play. I don't evn try to entertain them.........I am a mom, not entertainment. I rarely hear that someone is bored. However, the couple times I have heard it I have said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Here, fold this basket of laundry for me." They whined at that but I did not give in, they folded the laundry and I can not remember anyone being bored since. (we've got 4 so there is ALWAYS laundry to fold!) Of course they do household chores all the time, they don't have to bebored.

I read on earlier posts some people were concerned that their kids may be the weird ones. We have surrounded ourselves with friends who alos choose not to watch the TV and if a new friend arrives I find it a bit funny that the children consider them the "weird" one. The neighbor girl came over to ask my DD and her friend if they wanted to come over and watch a movie. They said no thank you, and told her they were making chocolate chip cookies with me. They invited her to join them. She said no and left. My dd looked at her friend and said, "how could she want to watch a movie instead of making cookies........how weird!" and her friend said, " Ya, what's better than making cookies?"

My extended family does not care to come over because we have no TV. ..........darn. Once my grandfather came to our house (he lives in another state) and he sat and looked at our wood burning stove for a while and then asked me if we had a DVD player!!! :LOL I told him, Ya, we just hook it right up to the stove!
post #172 of 1527
10/21/04 at 2:02pm
NPR had a segment on the perfect tool for us all when we visit our families who watch a bit too much TV. Its called the TV begone. Its a universal remote control which has only one button, thats right, "OFF"

you can listen to an interview with the creator here:
http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=4117219

I know that if I have to spend any of the holidays with my family this year I will certainly be bringing this with me, tucked away in my product "oh my, isn't that strange, the TV turned off AGAIN by itself, guess its broken!"
post #173 of 1527
10/21/04 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KristiMom
... Once my grandfather came to our house (he lives in another state) and he sat and looked at our wood burning stove for a while and then asked me if we had a DVD player!!! :LOL I told him, Ya, we just hook it right up to the stove!
and

Quote:
Originally Posted by hrheka
..."oh my, isn't that strange, the TV turned off AGAIN by itself, guess its broken!"
have me

and : : : :

post #174 of 1527
10/21/04 at 8:33pm
I'm so laughing at the image of a grandpa sittting by a wood burning stove hoping for a DVD player... lol

That's a great story!

Jen
post #175 of 1527
10/22/04 at 6:55pm
Hi everyone!

We're TV free too. (Thanks, Farmer Mama, for pointing me here.)

Dh and I watch the occasional video when the kids are asleep. I imagine we'll eventually have family movie nights, but the older the kids get (they are 2 and 4), the farther into the future I push that idea.

Our good friends know our TV policy, and they make a point of not having it on when we are there.

My kids, too, are never bored. I am continually amazed by the unending inventiveness of their play. (I was a teacher and was saddened by the impoverished "play" of my students.)

Our friends all started out with little TV - but as their kids got older, a bit of TV turned into more TV and more TV until they are all watching what I consider way too much (although still much less than the North American norm.) One of the moms asked me the other day if I've been noticing what she calls "attitude" in my kids. Her son has been using cheeky, disrespectful language and she's concerned. I could honestly say that no, I have never heard that from my children. I didn't say, but thought, that probably that is modelled by TV characters. I've seen enough children's programming in recent years to know that I don't want my kids picking up those values or those habits of speech. Even the "good" programs are modelling "attitude"! The trains on "Thomas" and the children on "Arthur", to mention a couple I'm familiar with, treat one another with disrespect. How could children not be picking that up and thinking that is the way to behave?

I'm heading off on a rant and I really just meant to check in and say hi. Hi!
post #176 of 1527
10/23/04 at 2:20am

2 days no tv

just checking in. i made a conscious effort to keep the tv off during the day. ( i did watch some last night after he went to bed)

2 days now. here's something funny. my dh had sat down to watch and ds likes to turn the tv off and on, off and on.! so i just laughed when he went over and turned it off on his daddy. i think he is trying to tell us something! but i think dh is jumping on board because he just left it off!

so after 2 days, are you surprised...i didn't even miss it at all. and my house got cleaned! woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!! i guess i have time to clean when i'm not filling my day with vegivision.

thanks again for all your inspiration and advice.
post #177 of 1527
10/23/04 at 7:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by napless
Hi everyone!

One of the moms asked me the other day if I've been noticing what she calls "attitude" in my kids. Her son has been using cheeky, disrespectful language and she's concerned. I could honestly say that no, I have never heard that from my children. I didn't say, but thought, that probably that is modelled by TV characters. I've seen enough children's programming in recent years to know that I don't want my kids picking up those values or those habits of speech. Even the "good" programs are modelling "attitude"! The trains on "Thomas" and the children on "Arthur", to mention a couple I'm familiar with, treat one another with disrespect. How could children not be picking that up and thinking that is the way to behave?

I'm heading off on a rant and I really just meant to check in and say hi. Hi!
The negativity and disrespect is why I hate the new children's programming also. I don't think obnoxious children are cute. In adult programming, it is also sad that all you find are grotesque, depressing negative shows like CSI, ER etc. etc. Stuff about serial killers, rapists, blah, blah.......It just gets absorbed. It's sad.
post #178 of 1527
10/29/04 at 1:32am
sigh, i wish i could claim tv free...the only problem is my partner's HUGE flatscreen that hangs above our fireplace. its not on much. never if he's not here. (sometimes i think the internet is as bad as a tv though, at least for me ) i'd vent more but i think i'm too tired. maybe i should find some info on kids and tv-anyone know any good online places to look? (sorry if it was mentioned-i didn't read each post)
post #179 of 1527
10/29/04 at 1:38am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bratmobile
sometimes i think the internet is as bad as a tv though, at least for me
This was covered in the thread already.

Quote:
maybe i should find some info on kids and tv-anyone know any good online places to look? (sorry if it was mentioned-i didn't read each post)
This all was too. :LOL Also, there's another thread that had an awesome post by Tanibani but I don't have the link right now. It's getting late though, I'll try to find it tomorrow.

to the tribe.
post #180 of 1527
10/29/04 at 2:03am
doh! where is that little smile that smacks its head when i need it? i'll have to come back tomorrow and read the other posts.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: TV-Free
This thread is locked  
Mothering › Forums › Natural Family Living › Books, Music and Other Media › TV-Free › Mamas of TV Free Children Rollcall