Proposing a new Sub-Forum: TV-Free Families - Page 2

[loraxc]

Yes, PLEASE! It's amazing how hard it is to talk about being TV-free on MDC. To me, it just vividly demonstrates what a blind spot this is.

[beka1977]

I didn't even know that there was a TV free tribe! I consider being TV free to be one of our biggest family accomplishments. It is a totally different lifestyle. IRL my friends say things like "well, my son only watches for an hour" but having that crutch to use to shower, cook dinner, make phone calls is WAY different than not having that time.

It is difficult, even on MDC, to find a space to discuss TV free without having to either listen to the moderation argument or feeling badly for making others feel badly about their choices.

[goldfinch]

I would love, love, LOVE a TV-free forum. I am the only no-TV-for-the-kids mom I know IRL and would love to have a place to discuss this choice, help others make the transition, get occasional support, spout off the occasional rant (for example, after the 1000th person says "aren't you worried your three-year-olds will be social outcasts if they don't watch TV?") and the like.

As other posters have mentioned, there are plenty of topics to be discussed under this general heading. I think it's absolutely got a place on MDC; frankly, I'm surprised there isn't a TV-free forum here already!

[<~*MamaRose*~>]

This interests me quite a bit. Would the forum be for families that are 100% TV free or are all degrees of reduced tv watching welcome?

ETA: Wow that question was as clear as mud...
What I'm trying to say is we own a TV but I'm in the process of weaning myself and my youngest but have no intention of forcing this on my oldest.

[Hesperia]

I just wanted to add, that I too would love to see a TV-free sub forum on MDC.

Coming from someone who doesn't yet have children, but is looking forward to raising them without 'the box'.

I believe this sub forum would be a very useful tool for both families with TV's looking to 'pull the plug for good' and families without.

Please please reconsider.

[Mab]

What everyone so eloquently already said. We need a tv free forum here in MDC.
Raising tv free children is so far away for the mainstream and so close to the concept of "natural family living" that the need of a subforum would have to be out of doubt. Please reconsider!!!!!!!

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by momofmine

I also completely agree with Shell, and would ask you to please consider this. We are actually not a TV free family, but I WANT to be, and have lately been thinking about all the things/concerns Shell mentions in the original post. I actually just happened to see this, and clicked on it because going TV-free has been on my mind. I read The Plug-In Drug when I was pregnant with my first child, and never wanted to have TV, but over time, gave in to the "everything in moderation" argument. Now, my kids are watching WAY too much TV, and many of our struggles during the day are because of me being the mean mom and saying please turn it off now. I think it would be great to have a forum for this, not just to support those who are TV free, but also to help those who want to be TV free, or to maybe help others see/think of things they might not have thought about.
Yes, it's a good idea!

:

[Trinitty]

I totally agree!

Could we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have a TV-Free sub forum in the media section, please?

Mothering is all about natural parenting, quiet places and calm, thoughtful nuturing of minds.... that is what TV-Free families are all about, in my experience!

But, quitting the TV habit is hard to do, and it is a real challenge to try to live TV-Free in our culture. A forum would help many people, as we often get "help me" questions on the FYT thread.

I'm really quite shocked that MDC would have an entire sub-forum for watching TV and no functional place for TV-free families.

The thread in the FYT forum is really impossible to use on a regular basis. A sub-forum would be fabulous and useful.

Trin.

[ZanZansMommy]

Originally Posted by Shell

Needless to say, I am disappointed by your answer to my request. Especially the part about starting a tribe:



I do not need to start a tribe. There is already an existing one with 1,419 posts on 71 pages! The posts are all over the board, from questions on how to convince one's husband to go TV-free to discussing how kids can fit in with "princess play" at school when they've never watched Disney. The discussions never make it that far, because it is a tribe, and not a sub-forum. People's individual and important questions get lost once someone changes the direction of the thread.

I hope you will reconsider. Thanks to the previous poster for highlighting my comment about there being a subforum for TV but NOT for TV-Free. If not here, then where? And why is there even a sub-forum for Television anyway? I just checked out the most recent post from that sub-forum. Here it is:



Am I missing something? What compelling aspect of natural family living is being addressed by the above thread? I don't get it.

: I avoid that thread b/c it is impossible to find anything in it without sitting at the computer for 48 hrs.:

[boatbaby]

I am about to run out of town ----- but wanted to chime in and say I agree 100% with SHELL and the others.

We NEED a TV-Free forum!!!

[Woodland]

I have often wondered why there is a t.v. forum on MDC. We do not have tv, havent for many years and I would LOVE to chat with other mamas about raising kids tv free. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASe make a subforum for tv free families.

There are quite a few of us in agreement. Where is the administrator?
Jacque Savageau....is she off watching days of our lives? :

[Shell]

So, here I am, feeling all excited by all the activity (30+ posts) on this thread in support of a TV-Free Sub-Forum. Then I notice that there is a thread on proposing a Sub-Forum for Unschooling that has something like 350 posts! So what does it take, exactly, to get a forum approved? Who has the final say, and what are the criteria?

Jacque, can you offer us some guidance?

[Shell]

Just one more thing, to reemphasize a point from my original post...

There is NO PLACE on the entire internet where TV-Free Families can chat. That is not true for unschoolers or parents of only-children, two forums that are also being proposed by others. Both of those topics have other websites totally devoted to those issues. Now, I am NOT trying to suggest that those topics do not deserve forums at MDC (I haven't given much thought as to whether they do or they don't). What I am trying to highlight is that TV-Free Families have no other options at all, and MDC could and should be at the forefront of supporting and encouraging the reduction and/or elimination of TV in our lives.

[FelixMom]

Count my vote for a TV-Free forum. DH and I have been living without TV for as long as we've been together.

I'm shocked to learn that for the moment TV-Free is relegated to a wimpy thread, when even Diaper-Free folks (of which I am when DD cooperates) have their own forum.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE set up one! It would be nice to connect with other kindred souls (and encourage others who want to jump on this bandwagon) and discuss this particular aspect of giving our wee ones a commercial-free childhood.

[momofmine]

So, how does this get decided? Who is in charge? Does someone in charge just regularly read this forum? The TV Free forum is a great idea, and seems to have a lot of support, so how do we find out if that can be accepted?

Is there a reason why they have to limit the number of forums? Just wondering why they wouldn't say yes.

[glendora]

The last time I remember a new forum being added was the Gifted one... does anyone know how that got accomplished? Is it in the archives?

[wednesday]

People asked for a car seat forum for like YEARS before the Safety forum was finally created...

[lilysmama1124]

Just wanted to add my support. We are trying to raise a tv-free baby but keepare having a hard time breaking our addiction and no-one to talk to!!

[amy9798]

Just adding one more voice- I'd love to see a TV-free forum. We're not TV free yet But we're moving in that direction and I'd love to have a place of support for when we do make that decision (soon I hope!) I missed the TV-free tribe thread altogether- didn't even know it existed! Off to check that out...

[prettymom]

Count me in! I could really use the support of other TV-free families in my efforts. It is a hard thing to do when TV is so built into our culture. I think a TV free forum could open up a lot of interesting questions/answers.