How about those who have made it to the forum so far introduce yourself and tell us a little about you and why you're here. :D

Whoo-hooo!!!!!!!!! I am so happy we finally have a home!
Ok, I guess I'll start since I can not sleep...

I have a 3.5 year old DS who has been TV free since birth. Our whole family has been TV free since DS was born. It was a little hard for DH who is a news junkie, but we honestly don't miss it a bit.
For me the commercialism is a big deal. I not only don't allow TV for DS, but we are completely commercial character free. I don't care if it comes from a grandparent or the president, if it has Dora or Elmo on it, it disappears. We don't really have that problem because our friends and family know the deal. I hate that even the "educational" shows (isn't that a whole separate debate?) have huge product lines attached to them. It's such a racket. I didn't want my kid calling all fish Nemo. I want him to think for himself and develop his own ideas about what is fun and interesting without media influence so that when he is exposed to it he has a leg to stand on.

What we DO watch -- DH and I do netflix on the computer every now and again. DS has seen a handful of carefully selected movies this way too. That's about it.

Yes we are those people who go over to other people's homes and ask them politely to turn off the TV when DS is around. I have no qualms about that. It's like asking to take the meat off your kid's plate if you're a vegetarian. No big deal.

What do we do on "inside" days? DS is ALL about imaginative play. He is also a book junkie. He will sit and listen to a 100 page chapter book in one sitting and then beg for more. On normal days we spend A LOT of time outdoors and out and about. DS loves to swim, play in the dirt, and be with friends.

My personal irony -- I am a TV script writer for a living. I used to produce and direct before I had DS. I think much of my jaded attitude towards TV culture comes from being on the inside. It's a fun creative outlet for me, but I see people who are hooked on it as suckers.
Sorry :innocent

We've been television free for several years. If im doing the math right, around 9-10 years (since I moved out of my parents home and started my own family). However, we do have "screen" time with the computer. We play video games and watch movies.

DH and I have been downloading Lost off of i-tunes. This is currently the only television show we watch. It started after renting the first season on netflix :)

Im fine with our choices but do wish we could take the movie watching down a notch. During warmer months, we watch maybe 2 movies a week. Since winter tho, its been a few to several movies a week. Our excuse? We homeschool and don't like to leave the house when its below zero. We have many days of this here in Chicago. Cabin fever kicks in and the movies come on ;) I am hopeful that Spring will be here soon.

Pleased to meet you all!
Boatbaby--you really blew my mind at the end of your post! I guess being a writer/director you know how to pack a punch at the end.
Arwyn--please come back on and introduce yourself as well.

During my engagement with dh we decided to be tv free. I was so thankful that he happily agreed!
I gave up my tv in 2001 based on two aspects: the human and the spiritual.
THE HUMAN
I grew up with tv. I don't remember there being limits other than homework and chores come first. I realized during my first summer off (used to be a teacher) that I was addicted to the tv, and it was sucking the life out of me. I felt stagnant and unproductive. My brain was becoming mush.
THE SPIRITUAL (not to be confused with religious!)
TV watching makes me feel spiritually dead. My beliefs: God (Lord Jesus) is a Person who loves to spend time with me, and I love to spend time with Him. I can exercise my spirit (the organ to contact Him with) to call on His name all day long and to be in constant fellowship with Him. TV watching interupts, even kills, my fellowship with my precious Lord Jesus. So, I didn't give up tv based on a religious concept to be a "good" person. On the contrary, I despise all organized religions including Christianity. The Lord Jesus was and is not about religion. He wants to live inside of man to ultimately be lived out of man.
Don't worry, I'm not going to beat you up with "my beliefs". However, I had to get into it a little to introduce myself properly.
So, I can't wait to read the posts! Already Boatbaby has me considering the commercialism of television.

Hi! Here's our deal: We cut the kids off from tv about 4 years ago, after learning about Waldorf and making the commitment to be a Waldorf family. It was hard for me, having been born & raised a tv-junkie (my parents to this day never - except during the night - turn their tv sets off - they have them in every room). I went cold turkey by cancelling cable but after about 2 weeks decided to get myself an antenna so I could watch tv at night in my room after the kids were asleep. That lasted until about 8 month ago when I moved and ditched the antenna altogether. Now dh & I watch dvds on occassion and I watch LOST online. :D We don't do video games or let the kids have computer time though. I consider us a pretty strict tv-free family overall. Exceptions: when the kids are couch bound due to illness we'll let them watch some movies we own on dvd and we (very occassionally) will take them to see something in the theater. I'm really protective of the content they watch though, especially as I'm trying to help keep them young (appropriately so), so sometimes risking an unknown movie is tough. I guess that's about it. Oh, and I'm totally convinced of the badness of tv-viewing after reading the television chapter in the book, 'To Kindle a Soul'. Everyone should check that out.

Hi!

Ds was TV free for about his first three years, then when I had dd, I started letting him watch TV to get some quiet while she was napping. Now with four kids, I'm often popping in a video so that the baby can nap or I can get a break.

I don't see us going totally TV free, but I really want to get back to having TV or a movie be an occasional, rare thing, so I'm here for ideas.

We have been TV-free for about 6 years. DS is 4, and just this year have I begun to let him watch select movies on the computer occasionally. We don't restrict his access to the movies, it is up to him to watch as little or as much as he wants, and since implementing this method, it is interesting to see how it goes in phases. There will be weeks at a time where he won't want to watch any movies, and then a few days where that is all he will want to do. This is sort of in-line with our unschooling approach to parenting. But, I feel very good about our decision to keep our home TV-free, if for nothing more than keeping out the commercials. :yikes:

DH and I also watch movies occasionally on the computer when DS is in bed.

I grew up without tv in a house full of books. A situation I wanted to re-create with my own kids.

I had a tv in my wild post-college youth and watched L.A. Law and Thirtysomething with the rest of my housemates. (I'm dating myself here...). But by the time I got back from the Peace Corps (where, ironically, I watched an awful lot of tv) I was happy not to have one.

Dh didn't have a tv when we met, so there was never any conflict about lifestyle. The kids are 5 and 8 now and deal with not having a tv about as well as I did back in the day: mostly content, with occasional bouts of grumbling. As I expected.

I am so glad there is finally a TV-Free Forum!!! I was the original poster in "questions and suggestions" requesting a TV-Free forum and I am thrilled that there was so much interest! There is virtually no support for our decision anywhere on the web or in our society, and it can be an uphill battle. Yeah MDC for providing us with this space!!! :thumb

I've had several long periods of being TV-Free over the past twenty years, but it has taken on new meaning now that I have kids. DH and I decided to go TV-Free when our daughter was born, about 3.5 years ago. We do not miss it one bit. In fact, when we catch glimpses of it at other people's houses it seems so absurd. What a waste of time!!! I can't imagine that I will ever go back to TV-watching.

We are, however, on the slippery slope of watching a few select DVD's and You-Tube clips with our daughter. She loves to watch movies, and I really can't blame her. It certainly is entertaining, I'm not going to pretend that it is not. Like Boat Baby (who happens to be a dear friend of mine), we are very against commercializing childhood, and with slight exception we essentially have no syndicated characters on our clothes or in our home. I need help, however, explaining to dd why we don't watch TV and why we limit movies. (Actually, she has no understanding of what TV programming is). To some degree I regret having ever shown her a movie --Pandora's box has been opened. I also wonder how I will keep my 2 week old son video-free until he is at least two, since his sister now gets to watch them at times. These are things I would like to post about once this forum picks up steam!

As it says in my signature... our bird feeder is our TV. I figure, if a kid can name every character on Sesame Street, they can certainly learn the names of the "characters" that visit our feeder! That's our "educational programming."

I am very glad to be a part of this forum and look forward to an exciting discussion.

Hi, I'm Pam and I am a stay at home mom to three little girls; an almost four, 2 1/2 years, and almost 1 year old.

We began with very limited screen time but as we've dealt with bedrest during pregnancies and other things a lot more television time has crept in. At this point I can honestly say the kids are watching too much TV/Movies etc.

We have been contemplating cutting TV and movies out completely for a while. We are moving this weekend to an apartment with lots of outdoor play space, library within walking distance etc. I think the move would be a perfect time to make changes to our TV viewing. I'm excited to see this forum created as there is no one in real life (other than DH) to talk through issues that come along with going tv free.

Hi! We have been television free for several years as well. However, we do watch movies on the computer sometimes. That's how my DH and I like it, my baby is 6 1/2 months old, so I cannot ask for her opinion right now but I would really like to raise her in a TV-free house.

When we have visiting guests, they sometimes find it weird or uncomfortable in the beginning, but get used to it after 2-3 days.

I won't be buying a TV anytime soon!

Hi there,

I'm Jen- I have 2 kiddos ,7 and 2, and we have been TV free for 2 years! We threw out the TV and went cold turkey. It wasn't that bad (if you want to watch something its probably online) and completely necessary. I homeschool and just needed that TV out of the house. We watch a little Jon Stewart and Colbert on the computer for comic relief. My son LOVES David Attenborough he watches about 1 a week. We all really love not having a TV.. My son is no longer a zombie whining for toys and actually does stuff:thumb.

I'm currently pregnant with our first, and DH and I have a love-hate relationship with TV. Advertising drives us crazy, and so much of what's on is such a waste of our lives! But DH likes the background noise (which I dislike) and I have a few shows I like to watch while riding the exercise bike etc. Thankfully, we don't miss it when it's not on--when we manage to get to that point.

Worst of all, DH won a 32 inch flatscreen TV at his office Christmas party a couple months ago. :eyesroll Before that, we had a small TV that was on its way to electronic heaven. We gave the old one away and installed the new one. :eyesroll What were we thinking?

I hope when the wee babe arrives, we'll be able to keep ourselves away from it. I'm looking forward to reading all your ideas and suggestions.

Hi! I'm Victoria, very excited to see this forum. My DH and I have been tv-free or almost-free pretty much our entire adult lives. For me, my parents house the tv is on pretty much 24-7 because someone is awake or falls asleep in front of it much of the time.

When I moved out to go to college, I was poor and didn't have the money to buy one anyways. And seesh, I was busy out and about. I moved into a sorority house that had the rule of no tv except the one in the common room. Well, it didn't really get used that much anyways and I certainly didn't mind. There was lots of other things to do and most of the greek houses had the same rule.

Then, after college, and somewhat used to not having a tv, it was just a non-issue. I married my DH and we moved to Germany. We lived off base and it was really expensive to get a converter to get American channels and then it was through the US government program or we could get a German one and get all channels in German and not be able to use it back in America. So we just didn't get one. I don't remember why, it just wasn't a big deal.

But once, we wanted to watch a video (before DVD's were all that) so we did purchase a tv/vcr combo on a whim. We rented a few movies but didn't really watch it much, then it broke. We were completly annoyed that it broke so soon that we refused to buy another. And DVD's were starting to gain in popularity anyways and we could watch those on the computer if we really wanted to.

Then we moved to Luxembourg and into a furnished flat, it had a tv and cable. But, the channels in English were really limited. Pretty much BBC world and a few shows on the Dutch channel that were subtittled instead of dubed. Our friends and us did go out to movies quite a bit because those were in English (or the other original language) with subtitles. So we really didn't watch tv much at all. But I did turn it on for 'background noise' more then I would like to admit. And this is part of the reason why I don't want to get one now. I know myself.

Then, we moved back to Germany and went back to the no-tv situation.

Then, I moved into my parents house for a year, this was when DD was born till she was 9 months old. The tv started to give me a headache. And, I notced that if I didn't get up and turn the tv off (it was always on) first thing, I would sit down and get sucked into it and before I knew it, it was evening and I had just watched tv all day long. I also realized that I really didn't want to raise DD in that environment.

Then for 3 months we moved back to Germany and lived in some friends house while they were back in the states. They had a tv with cable hook-ups. And DH and I just didn't watch it. Except for a few movies (that we had always been watching on our laptops anyways) if was off and I really didn't miss it at all.

We finally moved out and into our own place in the US. And now, there is pretty much no way you could talk me into buying a tv. DH almost has me convinced that we should get a projector to hook up to the laptop and project it onto the wall with a speaker system as well. But, our budget won't allow that for quite a while anyways. I think I might be OK with that because I think we could control it, and not have it control us. But, like I said, it is years off, if ever.

Wow, I'm so happy to see this forum! All our friends think we're crazy to be TV-free, so it's nice to hear from other families who make the same choice.

We actually were inspired to go TV-free several years ago after I was asked to teach a college course on media! In my research for the course, I just got so disgusted with media corporations, marketing, violence, etc. that I just didn't want it in my life anymore.

The wonderful thing is that by getting away from the mind-numbing TV, I feel like we've opened our minds to all kinds of new ideas, critical thinking and TIME to spend reading, researching, etc. instead of entertaining ourselves into consumer oblivion.

We haven't missed it at all and are thrilled to raise our son in a TV-free, Waldorf-inspired way. DH and I have watched documentaries all of three times in the last year after DS was asleep. Honestly, even movies don't really hold my interest too much anymore. There is so much else to do that is much more satisfying to me!

Hello,

First, I'm so thrilled that we have this forum!:balloons

My DS has been tv-free from birth. He's now 20 months old and has never seen tv in our house or at the babysitters.:thumb My DH and I made that decision long before we had kids. When he's awake, the tv is not off. We do get netflix and DH and I watch about 1-2 hours of tv a week.

Like PPs, we made this choice because of marketing and commercialism. We don't have licensed character toys, books or clothes. It just makes the kid a walking commercial, y/k?


I think of all of our parenting decisions so far, we are proudest of this one and it's the hardest to justify to others. Finally, we have a place for support!

Yay yay yay yay YAY!!!

I have a 4-year-old who is TV-free. She is also the most incredibly creative little soul I have ever met. :D I do think the two are connected! It amazes me how she can play with a pillbug for 40 minutes. (She named it, made it a house, sang songs about it...)

She has basically been TV_free her whole life, but we did a little tiny bit of TV (one show once a day) for a few months when she was two. I noticed the characters infiltrating her play and was annoyed by her asking to watch a lot, and pulled the plug. She does not ever ask for it now. The TV is never on when she's awake, although DH and I do watch it occasionally. We mostly do Netflix movies, as we only have basic cable (about 15 channels).

One thing that has been tough/weird for us is that DD is not really able to enter into the movie-based princess play that is very prevalent at her preschool. I actually started reading her all the "princess" fairy tales so she would at least know what was being talked about. Bizarrely, her teacher brought up her unfamiliarity with Disney as a reason she was having social troubles at school! Oy.

I don't know ANYONE in real life whose kids are TV-free. We had an issue this last winter break; DD was in alternate care during the day since her school was closed. She was with a small group of other kids at a sitter's house, and they were showing videos every day. DD had never seen a movie before, and I was really upset when she came home talking about the scary sharks in Nemo. It was really hard asking the sitter to stop doing movies while DD was awake, and in the end we actually gave up, as it wa sonly for a week and the other kids were upset not to be able to watch (hello, addiction). She learned so much about commercial crap that week--ugh.

I now have a beautiful new baby and am so far resisting the temptation to use TV for DD while I care for him. It's been easy thus far as it just isn't part of our rhythm, but I do worry about what will happen when he has a more regular nap schedule and doesn't just konk out in the sling whenever.

Since it was requested :lol my intro:

I am a lifelong tv addict. I don't remember not watching tv, and by the time I was a latch-key kid in third grade, I remember having huge fights with my parents over it -- that is, over my watching waaaaaaaaaaay too much.

My parents weren't actually TV junkies, and they did a lot of things right when it came to TV. There was only one, in the livingroom (until my brother's 16th birthday when they gave him one, which my mother said was one of her worst parenting mistakes). We watched as a family, and we watched specific shows or movies, or it was off. As a result I can't have a TV on without watching it -- which was really interesting when I went to houses that just had it on in the background. (It's also a sensory thing, and I have mild sensory issues inherited from my father. I just can't ignore it.)

So it was easy to zone out to when I was home alone, and helped me not FEEL alone, and I became completely, totally addicted. From ages 8-12 or so I could tell you what every single channel on basic cable was, and the afternoon schedule for most of them. How sad and frightening is that?

Except for during periods of depression, that was the most TV watching intense period of my life. When I was just a kid, growing into my full size body, learning who and how to be. And I watched TV like it was my full time job.

Fast forward several years...

I had been thinking of turning off TV for a while. My partner (who was raised in a TV saturated house also, where he did have one in his room) and I were moving halfway across the country for me to go to college, and we talked about not setting up cable in the new house. And then my mom bought us a DVR for our birthday, and it cost all of $10 more to get expanded cable on top of our broadband, so there went that idea. Those next few years convinced both of us that for our health and sanity, we couldn't "do TV" any more.

So when we moved back to Portland in Jan 2006, we set up the TV in one of the bedrooms, hooked up to the PS2 so we could play games (which we enjoy playing together) or DVDs. When Naked Baby was born in March 2007, we went back there a couple times, but who had desire or time to game, when we could be staring at the most beautiful creature on the planet? We still watched the occasional DVD on the laptop, but we did that in the livingroom, and only when Naked Baby was asleep. So the TV gathered dust.

When we moved again last Nov, we put the TV in the closet in the study, and we have plans to set it up in there to be used for the occasional video game, because we can't quite give up our fantasy that that part of our life isn't completely over -- but here we are, at the end of March, and it still hasn't been plugged in. We're on the $5 a month plan from Netflix, but most months we don't get our money's worth. I can't imagine ever again planning the livingroom layout based on where the TV will go, although I so clearly remember doing so, not all that long ago.

I feel very much like an alcoholic, surrounded by those who drink within reason, and those who drink through compulsion but are in denial. I remember TV fondly, and I do not doubt that it can be neutral to good for some people (even as it destroys others' lives), but I dare not partake, because I am and always will be an addict, and the farther away from it I get, the more I see it as a mostly pointless, poisonous, addictive substance that I really don't miss.

That said, I've always been in to semi-cult shows, things a little out of the mainstream, the good 2%. Star Trek, Buffy, Firefly, The Daily Show. I made friends based on knowing these shows -- and I don't regret it. They've been a positive influence on my life, in a lot of ways. I do wonder whether my child(ren) will miss that, but then I remember that there's so much more. There are always things we don't give our children because we gave them others instead. And that's OK. My child may not taste TV in his home because of my addiction, but he will grow up hearing books read aloud. He will know quiet, and still time. He will know play, and he will know how to play. He will never forget that his body loves to move. What happens when he gets older is beyond my sight, but TV is simply not a part of my parenting toolbox, and I like it that way.

NAK, so bear with me...we have been TV-free for a couple years, and it is the best parenting decision I have ever made. We don't do videos, either, except sometimes something with animals or space shuttles downloaded from youtube, and grandma reading books over Skype, both of which I'm totally ok with, since they are not an every day thing.

DH and I download Lost, and have rented a couple movies in the past year, but that's really it. We're too busy to watch TV!

The only hard thing about it is "coming out" as TV-free, since people are really defensive about it, or think we're wackos. I'm actually afraid of telling people, in case I scare them off :irked: That's not really like me, so I'm hoping to get over it soon...but junior kindergarten is coming up, and I'm a little afraid of the whole peer pressure thing...

I was also a TV-Addict, especially in my teen years.

When I was 12, I asked for a shortwave radio (because I thought it would be neat to hear things from around the world) and my parents bought me a TV. I remember opening it and feeling crestfallen that my parents didn't understand me and knowing that I had to jump around all excited for the gift because ya-know a TV is the gift that all kids want. So, socially awkward teen gets TV, gets addicted to shows, stays in room away from people, feels depressed, watches more TV etc. etc.

Addiction stuck with me for a long time. Had dreams of what I wanted to do (art, writing etc.) with my free time but always got sucked back into TV.

I knew though that I did not want my children to watch TV. For the commercialism, for what it does to brain wiring, because I didn't want them to be limited like I was.

After three months of bedrest watching tons of TV (and reading and crosswords) I had enough for life!!!

Dd's have not watched any TV in their lives save for a few minutes passing through. Once at the library the TV (yeah at the library!!) had some dancers on the TV, we stopped and watched for a few minutes because they wanted to and moved on when they wanted. I don't think they know what a TV is.

Dh is not on board with getting rid of the TV - i.e. he doesn't want to give it up. Sometimes I watch a movie on DVD with him, but if he is not here I never turn it on (save once to check the news when the tornado siren was going off). The TV is in an armoir in a small room that dd's don't have much interest in going in because it is just a couch and armoir.

For me, being TV-Free is one of the best life and parenting decisions I have ever made. Dd's are super creative, have a long attention span and I never have to put any thought to TV limits, because we just don't. Even with super high-needs kids, and sleepless nights I have been such a different person without TV. I write and draw and do crafty things on an almost daily basis and am becoming the person I always pictured myself being.
I love the serenity in my home without the noise of the TV and that the noises we have are made by US!!

I can't even imagine how my highly-sensitive dd would be if she had TV in her life. I seriously shudder to think.

I'm a SAHM to Henry, 2.5. I grew up with a TV-addicted father and was pretty addicted myself. When my son was a baby I started feeling strongly that I didn't want him zoning out in front of the TV with that zombie stare I'd seen too often with the kids I had nannied for. Luckily my DH was on board and so our son has never watched any TV or any videos (except for a few train videos on YouTube, which we stopped almost as soon as we started). I am so, so glad of that, too. He has an amazing imagination and it just seems really normal to me that TV isn't an option.

That said we do have one small TV we keep in our basement (which is a 70's-style rec-room, not totally finished off) and DH and I watch the occasional movie together after DS goes to bed. DH watches more TV than I do, actually, but I'm just thankful that he's supportive of our raising Henry without it.

I don't know anyone else IRL who is raising their kid TV-free. It now just seems so wrong to me to have your kid watching videos/shows that I'm kind of surprised that I'm the only one I know -- and I'm even part of a local AP group. In fact our next-door neighbor, who I love, keeps trying to give me Thomas the Tank Engine videos, saying, "I know you don't let Henry watch TV, but Jack really loved these when he was Henry's age, and you could watch them first to make sure they're okay." Uh, not the issue!

Anyway, thanks for instituting this forum!

Oops, double post!

Wow, when did this forum arrive??!

I am mother to an almost 5 year old daughter and she has always been TV free. We are a Waldorf family though to be honest, we are still in the minority of our peer group!

My husband and I do watch TV, mostly DVDs but the TV is never on when my daughter is awake. We also do our best to have family keep the TV off when we are around. This isn't such a big issue as we live in another country but prolonged visits can be tricky. Thankfully they are pretty understanding.

I just don't get how anyone fits TV into their kids lives! I can't imagine when we'd find the time to sit and stare at the TV.

:wave we've been Tv free for about a year--actually gave the thing away. we retain a few guilty pleasures; I watch Lost online, and we very rarely rent a dvd. we just canceled netflix because we SO were not getting our $17 worth per month. but i am a bit internet addicted at the moment and spend too much time on several forums (guess which is one of them?) DH plays an online roll playing game, which i chide him mercilessly for because it is really nerdy.

our dd is allowed to do some online games, like PBS kids, and watches little PBS video clips (peep and the big wide world, arthur, etc.) but i'm really liking this less and less. it has seemed like a sanity saver during the winter months, but she is not very good at doing things in moderation and sometimes watching these is the ONLY thing she wants to do. we have talked about waiting until the summer and then basically the computer is only going to be on when the kids are in bed. the reason we got rid of the tv was because she was becoming obsessed, but now the computer is just filling that niche, so its probably time to do away with it, too. that's a problem for the parents as well though! :o

ETA: our reasons for giving up tv were mostly commercialism-based. Which is why i'm sort of OK with her watching limited amounts of commercial-free videos on the computer. The commercialism and consumerism is the most disgusting thing about tv and it infuses all of our culture...
of course there are other reasons, too, such as children who only want to watch tv, lack of creativity, obesity, not enough outside time, etc. etc. i'm a teacher and i really do think there is a connection between ADD and television--just the instant-gratification that our children have these days between tv, cell phones, computers, etc. I also think there is a direct link between tv and people's inability to think for themselves!

My dd is 4.5 and has always been tv free with a few fairly minor exceptions:

1) When I talk to my shrink on the phone, and I have no child care options, she gets to watch a Mr. Rogers video. This is pretty rare, and, 2) we have to make monthly trips for her to see her father, and when we do we spend time at close friends' house who watch a LOT of tv, and simply do not get that I don't want her to watch. They ask her if she wants to watch Dora, and if I am not there they're liable to let her watch tv for a pretty long time. It drives me nuts… but it's one of those things I have had to let go of because I simply cannot control it any more than I already do.

I have to admit also that I have let her watch some a couple of ballet videos (actual real performances), and I work with a kids' band and I have allowed her to watch a couple of videotaped concerts of ours.

Despite those caveats, she is completely unfamiliar with licensed characters other than Dora and Diego (grr!), and has the most creative imagination I've ever seen. She does not have a particularly long attention span, which I'd have thought she would have, but I think that's just not how she's wired –*and as the only child of a single mama, she has had me pretty much available any time she's a little bored so she may not have developed self-entertaining skills for that reason. Sigh.

I don't own a tv, anything we watch is on the computer. I have the one-at-a-time Netflix plan, though I go weeks and weeks without watching anything, and I do like to watch the West Wing on DVD while I knit after P is in bed. I wouldn't have a tv for anything. When I do see it now I am bored, overstimulated, and appalled by the commercialism, sensationalism, and emotional manipulation - even on so-called serious news!

Hey, everybody! Glad to have this sub-forum created, as it may help to keep my on the wagon! :D

We are trying to be TV-free in our home ~ I have a 7yo DS and a 4mo DS. We do have a TV, which was a cast-off w€€e picked up about 7 years ago. We do not have cable, and we often leave the antenna unplugged (We like to plug it in for the Olympics and stuff). We do use the TV for watching DVDs, mainly DH and I, as well as video games and the occasional approved-by-me kid movie. I have thought about totally getting rid of the television, but... I am not ready for that yet! I actually grew up as a bit of a screen freak, and I still can get sucked back in if I turn on some inane reality show (I often fall into this behavior when I am feeling down/depressed).

Baby is fussing ... But I am glad to be here!

~* Laura

I am SO glad to find that this forum made it! We consider ourselves to be TV free at our house, but it evolved kind of by accident. I wanted my living room to look more formal so we moved the TV downstairs to our den. However, we've never really been in the habit of using our den so TV viewing just kind of went by the wayside. The only show we watch is LOST. We record it with the DVR, then DH and I go downstairs once a week to watch after DS is asleep. We don't ask that other people turn off the TV at their homes, but we've noticed that because DS has never gotten into the habit of watching, even when we're at a home where TV is on, he doesn't pay any attention to it! We're happy with our new, though unplanned adjustment. I'll be coming here for ideas on maintaining TV free as DS gets older...I'm sure he won't be oblivious to TV forever!

I grew up in a TV centered house.
I always read a lot but the TV was always on in the background.
Dh, dd and I had a TV free period for about a year when we moved to a rural area. We had no reception and no cable company would come to us. We watched dvd's and video tapes and it was mostly fine. We eventually got a satellite dish. We had that for about 1 1/2 years.
In November we cancelled our dish to save money. I also didn't like how TV was consuming dd's life and she was asking for junk she saw advertised. Dh and I didn't really watch anything.
We get Netflix. Dd (8) can watch dvd's of her choice. She asks for things we'd see on pbs mostly. She can play computer games. She went from wanting TV all day because it was there to actually playing with her toys and just watching a DVD occasionally. I don't have a big problem with dd watching tv at someone else's house. She usually doesn't want to.

It's been good for us and we've decided we don't need to get the dish back even if we have the money. I think people feel sorry for us and it is weird.

Interesting forum :thumb
We haven't had TV in a few years, lost count! Mostly it was because we came home only to sleep due to our careers, literally, so no point in having cable if we never watched TV. Then we saw we did not miss it. Then we saw what we would actually watch is so minimal (we can rent or buy a DVD of films we like)so it makes no sense. Now when i go visit someone if the TV is on, my head spins at the commercials--everything is so FAST! kids programs really I see no point in them-wow the commercials they get!
We are expecting a baby and would not consider getting a TV. It is just not a part of our lives.
Even now people look at us like we are :nut for no TV. My favourite is "How do you get your news!?" Well, internet, NEWSpaper, Speaking to other people, etc. Next best questions "Don't you get bored?!". Um, no. I would get bored with TV just flipping the channels over and over and over.
So hopefully when baby #1 arrives and we get questions about how we be a part of this century with no TV, hopefully we can get support in this great forum.:tiphat:
As for a questions like "what is your favourite show?" or in the future "what does your child watch?" maybe we give the name of something from the Theatre and see if they figure it out...both of us work in the performing arts and I feel that passively watching tv makes me itch all over. If it is live I can sit and watch but am "involved". Put the same thing on TV and I "itch" all over. I can't even watch my own works on tape. Can't explain. The hard part is feeling like I have to explain to everyone else so I don't--people expect weird or different from artists so for once, I'll pretend :bouncy and then it might go over better regarding the no TV.

Wow! I am so excited this subforum is here!! I just found it. :o

I'm Emily, a SAHM to two kids - Adam (2.5) and Sarah (16 months).

My kids are TV-free -- dh and I are not, but since the kids have been around we watch considerably less than we did. I think we're around a few hours a week after the kids are asleep. Mostly "The Daily Show" and "The Office". :D

Since my kids are so little, we don't even do movies. I really like it that way - like someone said above, TV just isn't part of my parenting toolbox. Even during sickness, etc., it just isn't an option. And now, I don't even think about it.

I don't police it at other people's houses - i.e., the grandparents - if they happen to have it on while we're visiting then that is fine. My kids won't die if they watch The Golf Channel or The Food Network for a few minutes on Saturday morning....but I am just really satisfied that it isn't a daily part of our lives in our home.

When I first had a son, I read a book called "The Minds of Boys" -- it was really just about the structural differences in boys' brains vs. girls' and how boys learn/speak/react/communicate, etc., differently than girls. It really made me conscious of how I wanted my son to grow and learn during these early years. I am secretly proud of the fact that he has a fantastic attention span and ability to concentrate and focus - and I honestly think that is due in part to a TV-free home.

I am so glad to be here with all of you!

:)

Hi Emily! So nice to see you here. :)

Hello! I have one DD who is 16 months. We have been TV free for 8 months now. I was surprised by how quickly I got used to being w/out it. I think our biggest reason for pulling the plug was the marketing to kids aspect. It seems impossible to completely avoid that, but the TV seems to be the biggest source of it, IMO. I also feel like TV is really overrated for it's "educational value" and that really bothers me. I don't ever want to find myself feeling like I need TV in order to educate. The idea just seems so backwards to me!

I just discovered that we had gotten the TV free forum!! I'm so psyched!

I'm Jenny. My mom tried to keep me low on TV in my early years, but she was a single WOHM, and I was with babysitters alot. I became a TV junkie, and ultimately took my mom down with me! TV has really been like a drug for me, at certain times of my life. I cannot do it in moderation.

When dd was born 6 years ago, we had a TV, but without cable, we couldn't see much. I should add that dh was raised with very limited TV. He and his sister could each pick an hour a week (he usually chose Dukes of Hazard:eyesroll). I watched lots of fuzzy TV during my maternity leave. At around 3 months old, I realized dd was really watching the screen. That freaked me out, and the TV was put in a closet.

Other than a stint at a mediocre daycare, Ellie remains TV free. Now, at 6, we rent the occasional movie and have a special movie night when she can stay up past her brothers. Someone gave her a copy of "Happy Feet" for her birthday (that's a whole 'nother thread...people giving videos as gifts without checking with parents:irked:) and she really got into it. At this age, I'm ok with that.

My 2.5 year old twins see parts of videos at a parent's day out they go to once a week. I tried to let them sit with Ellie when she was watching Happy Feet, but they just jumped around and got distracted.

Movies to not really hold the attention of my kids for long. That will likely change as they get older, but even now Ellie gets frustrated if she is at a friend's house and they want to spend lots of time watching videos. She'd rather be doing something.:love

I have no regrets about being TV free. I am pretty liberal when it comes to watching videos outside of the house. I don't want my kids or their friends to pick up on any judgmental vibes from me, and I do think that denying something makes it seem more attractive. We just make sure they don't spend much time in places where they will be exposed. I'm also pretty relaxed about characters. You can get books featuring almost every licensed character, so when they've shown an interest (from hearing about a character from friends), we just pick up a book. Dd knows how I feel about marketing/characters and has started requesting lunchbox/bookbags etc. without characters.:thumb But if she wanted a Barbie backpack, I would buy it (though I might have to wear a disguise!).

Dh and I indulge in movies occasionally, and we watch John Stewart online a couple of times a week. Our TV/dvd is in the basement. The TV has no antenna. We do have a TV with an antenna in a closet that we will get out for election night coverage in November. We listen to NPR and read the New York Times religiously.

That's about it! So glad to be here!!

We have been TV-free for about 12 years - since before we got married.

I love TV and movies, but frankly just get sucked in too easily, and don't like the limited cable options - last time I checked there was only one company? That's ridiculous.

I loathe the marketing to children on television, and that is the main reason I would not go for television now that we have children. I would feel better about them watching television when they are older and can discern what is advertising and what is not. I think. My oldest is 6 now.

Honestly, though, who has time to watch a bunch of TV? The last thing I want is for my leisure hours to race away from me while I watch a program. When we do watch a movie from time to time, I love it, but also feel like I lose my whole evening.

I don't think TV is all bad, though. We have enjoyed watching some movies with our 4 and 6 year olds. I'll be interested to read the discussions on this board as we navigate this together.

Hey everyone!
Dh & I have been tv-free since, oh, 1999, or so. We fell into a tv-free lifestyle accidentally as we were living in a mountainous area with no regular reception, and when our duplex tenant quit paying for cable (which we illegally shared :D) that was the end of our tv watching. We found ourselves plenty busy enough without it and have no desire to go back! Dh spent a good portion of his childhood tv-free, and while I always had it growing up, it was only in the family room and I preferred reading most of the time anyway.

When tv left my life as an adult, I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much happier I was. Without the constant bombardment of commercialism, marketing, and unrealistic images of the ideal body, lifestyle, home, etc, I stopped feeling discontent about my less-than-perfect looks, less-than-designer-quality home, etc and found I was spending a lot less money on stuff that I didn't really need. Dh & I do watch the occasional movie or good tv series on the computer after the kids are in bed.

So my dc have never had tv and they're not really interested in it. I don't mind if they are exposed to it other places because right now home is where they spend most of their time and therefore the most important influence. My mom often tries to get ds1 interested in Sesame Street or other PBS programs and he'll glance at it for a few minutes than move on to something else. We're not totally media-free. Ds1 will get the occasional DVD from the library on something he's interested in, i.e. tractors, or the Laurie Berkner Band to watch on the computer, and we watched some of the classic Christmas specials (Rudolph, Frosty) with him this year for a special treat. He has minimal computer time during ds2's nap and does Starfall or Tumblebooks. He's had no exposure to Disney or the other popular children's shows. (He knows Dora the Explorer & Diego from his pullups, though!)

We are the only family I know in real life that is tv-free and don't usually mention it because people think we are weirdos! :lol Glad to see everyone here and looking forward to more discussions!

Since I've already replied to a few threads, I guess I should do an introduction!

I was raised with the TV on from the moment we got up - I still remember watching some morning new show, Donahue, several soap operas, Oprah, the evening news (while we watched dinner) and then sitcoms before bed. As I got older I discovered how much I hated the quiet if somehow the TV wasn't turned on first thing. I still feel that way sometimes and have to fill the gap with the radio.

When DH and I moved in together we couldn't afford cable, so we didn't get any reception, so we were TV free by default. Then we were gifted a TV & VCR, so we started to watch occasional movies. When DD was born, someone gave us a Baby Einstein video and I remember watching it once with her and thinking NEVER AGAIN. How awful!

Soon after that I started noticing the crazy marketing to kids (and even babies!) and read The Plug-in Drug. Since then we've been totally "TV (cable, broadcast)" free, and watch the occasional DVDs. During pregnancy I did break down and she probably watched one Signing Time video a day. Now it's usually a special treat to see something once a week or so, but I'd love to get it down to once a month. We don't limit in other people's homes, mostly because I agree with that making something forbidden makes it more attractive. When TV is on at other people's house she rarely even pays attention.

There are some awesome stories here. I'm so thrilled to have this forum as a resource!! :D :D

I am the mother of a 2.5 year old daughter. I'm taking a telecourse :lol but am otherwise completely TV free. My daughter is TV free at home. I did get a DVD player for the car nearly a year ago, which I never in a million years thought I would do, but we make frequent long(I'm talking 10+ hour) car trips and I was desperate. My daughter absolutely hates the car and I've been resorting to using the DVD player occasionally(around town), but trying to get away from that.
I'm so glad this forum is here!

Okay, I really need to get in here to make my introduction! I think it's really cool that there is a sub-forum for TV free now. I'll have to admit, though, that I'm not super-good about checking back in... :o:o But I really want to keep up with it!

We've not had a TV in our house for nearly 6 years. DD is 4 yo. We don't do movies, TV, videos, whatever with her. DH and I sometimes watch a dvd from the library when she is asleep, I'd say we spend anywhere from 0-6 hours a month doing so.

I'd love to say more, but the house is in chaos, so I'd better stop for now -- you can always ask questions.

I have a dd age 9, and sons age 4 and 1, and am a home childcare provider.

I watched as much tv as anyone else as a child -- and regret those lost hours!

When dd was born dh and I agreed that she would not be exposed to adult tv, commercials or violence in media. She did watch the odd video, especially of kids shows that dh and I liked or approved of.

As she grew older it became harder to separate the kids shows from the commercialism and our tolerance for tv decreased...dd9 could care less about tv. We have only one computer and are dragging our heels on getting another one, so not too much time with gaming, either, though auntie bought dd a nintendo ds for Christmas :irked: She has a clear limit on ds time and she knows that if DS becomes a problem, it will be gone.

She is a huge reader and plays endlessly with her younger brothers, so I am very pleased with how limiting the media has turned out for her. Hope it works as well with her brothers!

I have kept my home tv-free for the daycare children and my own during the day for a couple of years now, and have gone back and forth on tv in the evenings, esp. when my health has been poor and I felt I needed a break.

Right now, we are tv-free, except for at Grandma's house once a month or so, and a family movie night no more than once a week. I hope to give that a rest when the weather gets nicer...

I read "The minds of Boys," too, and have been very influenced by it.

I am excited about all the book suggestions I am finding on this forum!

This forum couldn't come at a better time. I just listed our TV on craiglist yesterday. We have been trying not to watch since our son was born (17 mos) but some nights it just sucks us in and.... finally I got my husband on board and we are jumping into our new tv-free life. I'm excited to get it out of the house so the temptation won't be there... also to put a nice bookshelf in its place :)

I never thought I would want to NOT own a tv. I don't know anyone who chooses not to watch tv. It was a big part of my life as a child, and our extended family are all very mainstream and surely will roll their eyes if they hear we have no tv. But it's worth it because I know we're making the best decision for US. I am unable to watch "just a little", so for me it had to go!

Amanda, I just checked out your blog and added you to Bloglines. :) You have a beautiful family and I just might have to make that bird mobile!

Hi
We are not a complete tv free family. I probably only watch maybe two hours of TV a week...and one hour is of LOST. The other hour or so is spent watching the History Channel...I like to think that isn't completely bad. Except now that it is summer we will be watching the Cleveland Indians baseball games....I hope I am still welcome here:shy.
Anyway...we decided to cut way back on the TV after DS was born. I would go all day without watching TV and then as soon as DH would get home he would turn it on. I had been getting frustrated with his TV addiction for some time. He is an amazing father and I think I finally got through to him by saying DS would think that in order to have daddy at home the big black box would have to be on. Soon he suggested moving the TV out of the living room. Now we only have one in the basement. Since then he has actually read a book!! (only the second book I have seen him read). I could go on about how it has benefited us but you all know that story...

I am so happy to have found this TV free forum. I am interested in seeing how others deal with the TV issue in other homes like grandparents...eek. Man that is a whole other issue!!

Anyone interested in reducing or eliminating TV from their or their children's life, or who is currently living with reduced or no TV, is welcome here. :D



ETA To clarify, everyone is welcome here, it's just that this place was created to support all the above described persons. :)

:thumb Whoo hoo! I'm so glad this is here!

I've been tv-free for about 2 years, but my DH is sooo not on board. It's hard, especially when he lets the kids watch (1-2 hours/day), although I've gotten him to promise to limit to certain shows/vids. He is home with them during the day, and also has his own business, so there are definitely times when he uses it as a babysitter. :(

Ironically, early in our relationship *I* was the tv-addict, and he would always make me feel terribly guilty about it, as he wandered through the living room with a big fat book. :lol But when I went off tv, he suddenly developed a love for stupid "documentaries" on the History channel, and now *I'm* the one rolling my eyes at him!

Anyway, that's my situation - I'm looking forward to learning how other families work through conflicts that arise as a result of turning off the box! :D

Hi, my name's Naomi and I'm a recovering TV-addict. :)

I have a terrible time dealing the the attention-sucking device known as TV. O.o As a result, although we do have a television set, we do not have cable or an antenna or anything like that.

I first lived TV free when I joined the navy a little over 6 years ago. I learned that I had SO MUCH time... I never looked back.

Now, DH (who also went tv-free when he joined the navy 7 years ago) and I do watch certain shows on DVD and netflix/computer; we pick and choose and have to be very careful not to get sucked in and finish a whole disc of X series when we turn it on, but we're generally pretty good about it.

I try very hard not to watch anything while DD id awake... sometimes we do watch while she is up but I distract her from the tv by nursing or playing with something; but I'm not sure that will work much longer... so I need to figure something out for when DH wants to watch while she's up.

I just found this subforum and I am so pleased I did! We went TV free when our son was born in 2006. Well, let me amend that. We still have the tv but just to watch DVDs after DS goes to bed. We never watch them when he is awake and when we do watch, it is for such a short period of time that it often takes us 3-4 days to watch a feature length film.:p

Anyway, we are definitely outside the norm for our region but we are so glad that we turned off the tube. DS's vocabulary is through the roof (much more so than his peers in dc) and I attribute that to the amount of time that we spend interacting with him rather than him and/or us just sitting around the tv.

His dc has "move day" about once a month were they will show a Veggie Tales or Dora episode and DS could care less. I'm so glad that they show it in the play room and let DS play while the other kids watch. If they forced him to watch, we'd have to move him. I know that some people will say that we would have moved him after the first movie day but, overall, the dc has been very supportive of our decisions and, like I said, DS is free to do other things while the movie is on.

I look forward to learning from other tv free families, esp. those with older children. Thanks so much for creating this forum!

there really must be something about lost that gets even the TV-free people to watch, huh? i admit we download from itunes on fridays to watch on the computer after the kids go to sleep.

we are a tv-free family, have been for several years. i grew up without a tv and as a teenager, felt like a weirdo for not "getting" so many cultural references, but that probably had more to do with my general feelings of being an outsider and having peculiar interests than not knowing what was happening on "general hospital" or whatever. my partner grew up watching tv about 24 hours a day. he used to have a hard time falling asleep without it, but we've really seen how great being tv-free is for our family and our relationship. my kids are great friends, they have fantastic imaginations and make and do things all day long. they have seen a few movies on the laptop, "my neighbor totoro" and "kiki's delivery service", a leo lionni video and maybe something else, but those have been when i have been too sick to keep them safely entertained. my partner and i do get netflix, and watch a lot of documentaries and even some tv-on-dvd like "weeds" and "six feet under". my partner gets a lot of teasing about not watching tv, especially at work, but no one ever says anything about/to our kids about it--i think they are a testament to how cool and fun a kid can be even without knowing a single thing about high school musical.

i'm glad this forum is here. it's nice to have a place to come for support and camaraderie.

I just found this subforum and I am so pleased I did! We went TV free when our son was born in 2006. Well, let me amend that. We still have the tv but just to watch DVDs after DS goes to bed. We never watch them when he is awake and when we do watch, it is for such a short period of time that it often takes us 3-4 days to watch a feature length film.:p



Just wanted to say that we can totally identify with it taking several sitting to watch a dvd. :)

Hi everybody! I am so glad to see this forum. We are a small, very close family of three, and I can't imagine giving up family time to the television.

We've been TV-extremely-limited for years, even before our DS was born. We (DH and I) do watch the occasional series that we really like, usually on DVD. We also watch Frontline sometimes.

DS rarely sees TV. We occasionally record space shuttle launches, and he has a video of trains he watches every few months. Otherwise the TV is off when he is awake. Sometimes if I find a good YouTube video of a train or a space shuttle I will show him, but those are about 4 minutes max, so it's not a lot of time.

We are concerned about the commercialism, and what TV does to kids' brains and attention spans. DS can play for long periods of time by himself, and I credit some of that to the lack of TV.

I hate going place where TVs are on. It seems so intrusive and it literally makes my ears hurt. :angry

Hi, we are tv-free, but have been watching youtubes lately!

Sarah

Hi! I grew up without a TV. At some points in my childhood, I was surrounded by kids from TV-free homes, and at others I was definitely the odd one out. I used books as my escape instead of TV. :P In college I watched a bit here and there, and then I married a TV addict. Fortunately he was willing to limit most of his [hours upon hours of] TV-watching to after the kids were in bed, so they have both grown up TV-free so far--except that our oldest (3.5) would watch the occasional episode of Veggie Tales, recorded on the DVR so that we could fast-forward through the commercials. Oh, and he did get to watch a bit of the Planet Earth series, which I actually think is really great, and wouldn't mind if he watched it on DVD.

A few months ago my husband and I split up. He took the TV with him, and we haven't missed it. :) Okay, most of the time--though sometimes after a hard day when I'm feeling lonely (adjusting to being single), I wish I could curl up on the loveseat with a glass of wine and watch something from PBS, like an episode of Mystery. And I do miss the yoga show I used to get on FitTV.

My current addiction is the internet, which I think is a bit more wholesome than the TV because I can dodge the commercialism, and have a bit more control over what I see--but it's still escapism, so I'm trying to cut back/limit my time.

ETA: Another thing I miss--watching the political debates! I heard that there's a debate coming up between Clinton and Obama and I wish I could see it. But I don't want to see it badly enough to go through the hassle of asking someone to record it for me, and watching it at their house. Oh well.

Hi all,

We have recently gone from a moderate (heavy compared to a tv-free family of course) amount of TV for the kids to almost none. I used the TV as a babysitter for the years I was in school and we were away from family. I only let them watch Noggin, and only when I was desperate for a nap or a shower or to get my homework done. I tried really hard to limit it to an hour a day. But now that I'm out of school and we're around family more, I've decided that they need to recover from television viewing. We are living w/ my mother-in-law temporarily and I was horrified to discover she had placed a tv in the bedroom the girls were to use! But it isn't plugged in and won't get that way. :) I've been amazed at how well they've adjusted to playing and not asking for tv. Out of sight out of mind it seems. Now that they're a little older I can even shower while they play and I don't worry about it. They have watched tv once in the last month and for 2 days afterwards they did ask for it pretty often.

Dh and I watch Lost, The Office, and Desperate Housewives ( :bag: ), all without commercials (TiVo). We only watch once the kids are in bed, and since this equals less than 3 hours a week (more like 2!) at this time I am comfortable with our viewing. We also rent the occasional movie, and dh does watch a hockey or football game sometimes. (I always read while he watches sports, and he works on his laptop while he watches, so that's a more... um... productive use of the tv, I guess.)

I don't think we'll ever be totally tv-free. But I would like tv to be a resource for my kids rather than a crutch, and I don't want them to miss it if it isn't around. I know I learned a lot watching nature programs and documentaries as a kid, and I don't have a problem with occasional entertainment for its own sake. The main thing is I never want my kids to tell me they are "bored" because they are accustomed to being entertained, and I don't want them to waste their childhood with mindless entertainment. I think back to all the afternoons I wasted watching Teddy Ruxpin and Transformers and the Cosby Show, and I wonder what I would have been doing for all those hundreds of hours if I hadn't been in front of the tv. What other interests would I have developed? How much smarter would I be?

OK, I'm going to sign off now, because my 5-year-old is begging to watch animals giving birth on youtube! (Usually she wants to watch the human birth videos, so this must be a special occasion.)

I am so happy to have found this forum. I have been lurking for a while and am finally ready to introduce myself.
We are a T.V. free family when the kids are awake. My DH and I turn it on when they go to bed. I so truly enjoy our media free family time each and every day. I am the odd one out in my community. I have actually gotten to the point that I don't even mention it anymore. I don't think that people belive me. I constantly used to get "what do you do all day?", "not even PBS?", "but there are no comercials". "What about movies from the library". NOPE!!! My kids have only watched T.V. at others houses (when I can't flip it off) and not very often at that. I am so happy that there are other kids out there that have the benfit of a T.V free life. My 3 yr old and 15 month old are just the joys of my life (catching me on a good day), and I intend to keep them T.V. free as long as possible. Of course this lends itself to my intention to homeschool.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. It's made me feel like I have a place to belong.
Looking forward to posting.

Hello!

Well we are pretty much TV-free! We own a TV and we occasionally (perhaps once every few months or so) will watch a rented movie on it, but we don't have any channels, so we never actually watch the TV.

I grew up not watching TV except the occasional Reading Rainbow. DH grew up watching too much TV. I never missed TV as a child, in fact, I felt bored when at a friend's house and they had it on (and still do). I grew up with a very active imagination and a HUGE love of reading and playing outdoors. I want to give the same opportunities for my kids!

We love not having the TV on, in fact, I don't really even liking to look at it sitting in our Living Room. I enjoy movies, but I hate commercials and all the sexuality, bad language, disrespect, and awful values that are represented on commercials/television shows.

We read in the evenings or get on the internet or just talk.

When we are over at a friends/family house and they have the TV on in the background, I turn it off/ask them to turn it off. I feel like you cannot have a real conversation with that thing blabbing on in the background; even if it's muted it is distracting.

I have an-almost-one-year old son, and we were given a Baby Einstein DVD for him. I showed it to him a few times, but he has no interest. On the other hand, he loves his books and toys and getting into my kitchen cabinets. :)

Hello. I am Amanda and we are TV-free.

I got rid of cable in '03. Then, my dh and I got rid of the rabbit ears in '05. We never watched it for tv purposes so we moved the entertainment center to the guest room. We sold our tv in '06.

We would occasionally watch movies on our computer, but one day it crashed just as we were getting ready to watch as a John Lennon documentary. So, we went and bought a 13 inch dvd/tv combo. It mostly stays in the closet, but I did use it a lot during those early weeks after my baby was born. I had a friend who lent me lots of movies.

We recently got a new computer, so I don't know if we will keep the tv or not.

My parent and in-laws both watch a lot of tv. My mother in law turns it on and turns down the volume like all the way, and then goes about her daily activities. My siblings purchased a tivo for my parents a few years ago, but I refused to pitch in on the gift.

When I am at my in-laws I have nothing to do. They live in the country, on a dangerous road. My husband goes and hangs out with his dad in his taxidermy shop or goes fishing or hunting, etc, etc. I just sit in the house with my son, staring at the tv. It makes me so glad we are tv free because it is such an energy sucker. Sometimes I walk back and forth on their driveway just to have something to do instead of being trapped in the house with the giant tv. I am hoping that now that the weather is getting warmer, ds and I can go along on some of the adventures.

Hi! I have been reading this forum for a week or so now and finally made it to this topic. LOL

I don't think I have ever classified myself in terms of the TV, such as TV-free or TV-lite or the like. Interesting concept.

I choose not to watch TV very often. Currently, I watch LOST on TV whenever there is a new episode. (I don't watch reruns or the version that has the subtitles.) However, with it coming on an hour later now, I am seriously considering waiting until Friday to watch it online instead. I like the show a lot and it makes me think a bit too much for that time of night! LOL This season, I have also watched Survivor with DH since it is on the same night as LOST. In seasons past, I often only joined DH for LOST. He used to watch Battlestar Gallactica (sp?), also, which I caught 3 episodes of over the years. He recently stopped watching this show. We watch movies occasionally, too.

Our DD, who just turned 7, has been raised without much influence from the TV. At home, it simply isn't on during the day. I've worked part-time off and on since I was pregnant (full-time before that, although I had taken a 5 month sabbatical right before getting pregnant). When DD was really young, I worked outside the home with her in a holistic health office. There was a TV that looped various health topics and yoga videos. Neither of us paid any attention to it. (I had seen them all before she came into this world.) When DD was about a year old, I formed a babysitting co-op with my playgroup. DD went to two different homes during the week and children came to our home other days. TV wasn't discussed, but I never saw it on. (It wasn't on at my house for sure.) The children involved were all only children at the time and they were so busy playing with their friends, I doubt it even occurred to the other moms to turn on the TV. Eventually, I chose to use a home daycare for two days a week while I worked (both outside the home and later at home). The TV was on there sometimes. DD didn't care for it and went into a different room to play or outside during movie times or cartoons. (It wasn't daily.) She has always been sensitive to noise and I think that is what bothered her most. In her preschool, there were no TVs. In Kindergarten, she strongly disliked movie days and told me and her teacher about them and refused to participate...always choosing to sit as far away as possible. They weren't very often and the teacher didn't encourage her to watch (supported her decision, in fact), so I left it alone. In first grade, we had a rather rainy winter and they show movies at lunch on rainy days. DD found a spot to sit that is quiet enough for her and it happens to be behind the TV, so she is happy enough on those days. (She'd rather be outside playing during recess, even in the rain.)

We do watch family movies sometimes. One summer, I took her to several free film showings at a local theater. I quickly discovered she doesn't care for most animated films. She has strong opinions on what makes a movie worth watching. ;) At home, we've had a few movie times usually in the late afternoons or early evening and we make it a special event. I think these started after DD was 5, but I haven't really thought that much about it before.

I grew up with limited TV watching, although my dad recalls it differently than I do. LOL I figure the truth lies somewhere in between his version and mine, so I'll just state it wasn't a consistent influence on me and I was often unaware of the jokes and movie references as a teenager. My closest friends often (lovingly) tease that I grew up in a cave. I did go through two periods of heavy TV watching as a young adult, but they faded in and out without much effort on my part. I'd have to say I am just not that interested in what is on TV most of the time.

DH grew up with no restrictions on TV watching, to my knowledge. He has a love of movies and entertainment, but he has discriminating tastes. He watches far more than I do, but it isn't excessive. At least I don't consider it excessive because it hasn't interfered with our relationship or his relationship with his daughter or our family time. His TV watching has declined over the years of knowing me, but it could simply be the decline in good programming over the same time frame. ;)

For our daughter, I initiated not having the TV be part of her life, but it wasn't something I had to fight for or convince DH about. I simply don't watch it and I am the primary caregiver in our house. My main objection is commercialism/marketing and DH is just as opposed to all this as I am. I also dislike the "zombie" effect and DH doesn't quite see it the way I do, but his view is close enough to mine that it isn't an issue. The violence and noise and fast movements and so on (brain development and emotional effects) are also part of my reasoning. Not to mention it takes up SO MUCH TIME that I'd rather be doing other things and I want DD to know all those other things. :) As she gets older, she'll have more choices to make and I wanted to start her off with what I (we) felt were the healthiest choices.

I am here to discover how others navigate the older childhood years (tweens and teens) and assisting children in making healthy viewing choices. I am also interested in adding to my list of alternate activities.

Enjoy your day! :)

Hi, I'm Wendy. I'm an only child and TV was my sibling growing up, especially as I got older. Gee, no wonder I struggle with my weight now. I have such fond memories of tv families that weren't even real. I feel so silly about that. A growing pains or facts of life reunion makes me giddy.

As I've gotten older and now have three kids, the tv annoys me so much. I hate the constant chatter in the background. At least my dvr lets me pause tv. That's been good, but not good enough.

I've been weaning the family. There are evenings where I let them watch spongebob so I can get a moment to myself. My oldest also loves having movie nights. I don't want my kids to have fond memories of families that aren't real. I want them to have fond memories of real experiences that we have as a family. We are starting with having tv free days and limits on the number of shows they can watch. I think it'll be easier now that it has warmed up.

Hi, I'm Sandi. DH and i have been very "tv-lite" since we moved out of our parents' homes (2 years ago). We both grew up watching a LOT of tv and in one of those houses where the tv was just always on.

when we moved in together, it was a conscious decision on our part to not get cable. (50% to save money, 50% to cut down the amount of time we waste in front of it). we installed the bunny ears and have what is affectionately referred to around here as "farmer vision"... 4 grainy channels that lose reception if a bus drives down the street. I've recently heard that the local tv companies are changing the way things are done and essentially if you don't buy cable, you don't have any tv. fine with us :) We've both found that we don't really miss it (although if i do find myself at my ILs and TLC is on, its so easy to sit down and waste a whole day there!)

We still have a tv, mostly for the odd DVD and for DH's XBox. We have a few shows that we watch online, but on the whole we are happy that we don't watch much tv any more.

DS is only 3 months old right now, but while I was pregnant, we both decided that we didn't want our son growing up watching tv like we did. Its still early, but we are going to do our best to raise him in a tv-free household.

One thing that bothers me is the condescending way people respond if the topic comes up. Really similarly to the way people responded when I said I was planning a drug-free home birth... "oh you can say that now, but when you're in the situation, well, you'll see".... argh! It also bothers me how some people get almost defensive if i say we don't watch tv... like by me saying i dont' watch it, i'm saying they shouldn't... i dont' judge. this is just what we want to do (or not do)

I'm really excited to see this forum here, and being able to talk to people with similar POVs ;D

Hi all!! Just found this forum, glad to find a tribe for support! Our family has been TV free from the start. We do watch dvds on the laptop rarely. The biggest reason is so that DS develops his own images for his imagination and creativity. The other main reason is for myself so that I choose activities that make me feel good, where as TV has almost always made me feel bad. I like dvds especially when I am sick, because it helps to take my mind off of feeling bad.
It's funny to me how people react when DS doesn't know who Elmo, Bob the Builder, etc. are...

:wave

I want to read through everyone's posts but wanted to say HI quickly because I already started posting in other threads :shy

We are not TV free in that we have a television & VCR. I do correspondence university and some courses come with video components. But we are and always have been cable-free, and currently live somewhere that we pick up no channels on rabbit ears. (A couple years ago I got to a point that I was watching nearly 4 hours per week of TV because we had such good reception ~ I am grateful we do not now!) We are also not TV free in that we illegally watch a couple key TV shows on the Internet (we watched Dexter in January, and just finished Weeds) or rent DVDs on weekends :thumb but OTHER than that :duck: we are totally anti-TV. :lol For me it's mostly the commercials that I want to avoid, especially avoid exposing DD to them. Recent threads in LWAB have me a bit freaked out about DD being exposed to shows now, ones about fast images etc., argh I don't know.

Like I mentioned in the computer thread, I make up for not watching TV by the amount of time I spend on the Internet whether actively (i.e. using a messageboard) or somewhat passively like browsing through Facebook, or totally passively watching TV shows and videos. I guess the next family goal will be limiting that somehow.

Hi!

we're also not officially tv free. We have a TV and HD antenna, so we get a few channels but almost never watch it. We do watch DVDs on the laptop sometimes and watch LOST online after it airs. However, DS doesn't watch anything and we try to limit our own watching as much as possible.

I have a problem, a sensory thing, with too much noise/flickering light, so I can't deal with TV in the background. I can watch a show, but I need to *watch* it - I can't just have the TV on. When it's on and I'm not focusing on it, I just feel strange, kind of panicky, fight-or-flight, irritable. When I realized this, it made it much easier to cut back!

Well, we're not completely screen time free... but our TV lives in the basement which is a no go zone for our daughers (okay, one's 6 wks old but still lol!) So our DD doesn't ever watch tv however we do watch dvds on the laptop. We seem to go through jags where we watch a bunch and then we stop for several weeks.

I watch hockey and together my wife and I watch a couple of tv shows but always through torrents so no commercials and we control when we watch and can turn it off half way through if need be. We also enjoy movies now and again.

I have no problem with visual stuff per se, it's just the overwhelming commercials and the garbage I see that's masquarading as 'educational'. Plus it's hard to pull away from the intense stimulation of sound and visual pictures that the TV provides. Children's programming is full of commercialization as well and that really bugs me. And yet I still feel like Mr Dressup was my friend. sigh.

Anyway, no tv for my children for awhile yet and when they're little all movies are watched with a parent around to help moderate what they're seeing.

Now we just have to work on removing the characters from our kids lives. It seemed so innocent at the beginning and now we have a bunch of cheap stuff with characters splattered all over them. grr!

Where have I been? I just noticed this forum now :innocent

Anyway, we are TV free and have been for several years now. It's me, DH, DD1 (3) and DD2 (8 weeks).

We had a large entertainment center cabinet and a clunky TV taking up lots of space in our family room and no one used them! So, out they went and were replaced by a MUCH smaller, stereo type cabinet for our DVD player (for CD listening) and our receiver/speakers, etc. We watched about 2 hours of TV a week, and decided it wasn't worth having the TV and paying for satellite for 2 hours a week!

I was never a big fan of TV. DH grew up with a TV in almost every room of the house. Seriously, they had one on their porch too :eyesroll It took some convincing, but when I pointed out how little we actually watched, he agreed to get rid of it.

We're happy with our choice and really don't think much about it. Occasionally, it will come up in conversation: "Hey, did you see that funny commercial...?" When we answer that we don't have a TV, we sometimes get funny looks, but then, I get those same looks for extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, etc anyway, right?? :wink

Hi!

Y'all inspire me for real. I've gone through periods in my life without tv and have absolutely LOVED it. Right now though, I'm completely addicted to my shows (Lost, Top Chef, etc.) and our DVR. I'm glad I don't watch commercials, but I know tv in general sucks the life out of me, especially late at night when I should sleep.

But...we're moving next month, and DH and I decided NOT to have a tv placed in our new bedroom. I know it's not being tv-free, but it's a step in the right direction. We're gonna focus on funnier bedroom activities. ;) And I'm certain it'll cut down on my overall tv time. I really believe that we're all creatures of habit, and once we get used to living without, it's all good.

Anyway, thanks for this new forum and the inspiration! :)

Hi mamas! We've been TV-free (don't own one) for about a year and a half now. I am the type of person that is not good with moderation and when we owned a TV, it was on all the time. I realized how easy it was for me to zone out and ignore the kids or to put on the TV so I could have some peace and quiet. I didn't want to be that way. Plus, I don't think TV is healthy for kids and I figured the easiest way to limit TV was to get rid of the TV entirely. I am not fanatical about it and the kids watch a few minutes of cartoons on the TVs at Costco or at my parents house when we visit once a year. We have a laptop and occasionally (twice a month or so) will let them watch a short movie. Their favorite thing is actually to watch those nature shows, which I like since they are educational and slow-moving. No jerky, quick changing of images.

This forum is so inspiring!
DH and I are former TV addicts. Growing up we both didn't watch alot of tv until we were in jr high. DH actually grew up without cable (only watching cartoons on Saturday mornings). His parents got satellite when he was in high school and they are both somewhat addicted to the tv. It's almost always on when we go over there.
DD has been watching tv since she was about 6 months old (no flames please!). She is addicted to it and I don't like that. DS also started watching tv very young. The reason why they used to watch so much was because of our home enviroment. We used to travel with my DH for his job (pipefitter/welder). We averaged 4-9 in one area. A few times we stayed in a hotel for weeks at a time.:( It's very hard to keep a child occupied without tv if you are staying in a hotel. I'm so glad that I don't have to do that anymore.:love
Right now I'm working on cutting back on the amount the kids watch. I'm cancelling our satellite today. I plan on letting them watch DVDs. I want to limit their exposure to the junky cartoon that have been such a big part of their lives. Now that it is nice out I think it will be alot easier.:) I'm so glad that DH is on board with this. :thumb He remembers all the fun he had playing outside and riding his bike. I also remember playing outside alot. TV really didn't fit into our live when we were kids. I'm hoping that someday our kids will feel the same.:love

Just realized this subforum was here! :)

Dh and I went TV-free on a trial basis in 2000 when we moved from one place to another. We've been TV-free ever since! We do still enjoy movies and our computers. :)

I went to see a kids movie with DS recently and one of the previews was a little frightening (for Ice Age 3, I think). I was so happy when DS yelled out, "Stop the radio!" :lol
I love it that he doesn't know all of these characters and that he's just more into playing and doing things.

I grew up a TV addict. By the time I was in college, I was so obsessed with certain shows that I would get really mad if my friends called in the middle of them, and I'd bitch them out. How sad is that?

With today's TV, I am so happy we have a tv-free house. I think it is so detrimental to a child's development. I don't care that DS won't learn Spanish from Dora. :)

I'm Phoebe, mom to the tribe in my signature. We don't watch commercial TV at all, but we do watch DVDs and some PBS.

My older son is autistic and likes to watch the same videos again and again and again (we watched Disney's Twice Upon A Christmas every day, all day, for about 4 months, for instance) so our television is pretty much always on. In fact, I can't remember the last time it was off.

And yet the irony is that we're TV-free in the spirit of the phrase.

So hi. :wave

I'm the mom of two TV free kids- a 4 year old DD and a one year old DD. We do occasionally watch DVDs, but no TV.
Interestingly, we are so rural that there are only 35 cable channels available, and 0 locals for free. It helps make the choice easy to maintain. :joy:

So glad this forum was made :).

I'm Kristina, we are attempting to be TV free (day by day, ya know...). My 4 yo DD is so negatively affected by screen time, that I just unplugged it all in hopes that her behavior will show improvement. So far, so good! We do have a Wii, so the TV is still in the livingroom, but the cable is disconnected and none of the kids know how to screw it back into the wall :). DH and I have also pledged to being TV free.

I get to join this forum! :joy:

After periods of TV-freedom and many, many relapses, I moved the teeny TV in our master bedroom into the spare room closet and canceled cable. This combined with a downgrade in our phone service should save us about $60/month!!! We still have a TV in the basement for watching movies (which we rarely do), but the kids and I don't go down there at all during the days.

My DH and I both agree that we haven't missed it at all. He says we will have to re-negotiate when hockey and curling season starts. :( But, for the time being, there is no TV-viewing going on in our house.

We're not truly tv-free. We have cable, but will cancel it soon. We kept it for the yoga show I used to watch, but it changed time slots, and I don't watch it anymore. The only thing I ever actually watch on tv is the weather forecast.

We do watch movies. They used to be something we all did a couple of nights a week. During my pregnancy with Aaron, and even more so in the weeks following his stillbirth, that changed. We watch a movie most mornings, occasionally one in the afternoon, and frequently one in the evening. If the kids aren't watching, I turn it off, but it's still too much. I need to find ways to occupy our time when we're sick, in particular. We've had colds this week, and we're spending too much time watching movies. :(

DH and I are going to work together on the night time movies. We've got a family games night going on Thursdays, and dh has already told me to nudge him out the door after supper to take the kids to playground. I'm still feeling really run down, and not up to chasing two little ones, but I'll join dh.

So...yeah - we're not really tv-free, but we are sort of. We definitely don't watch television shows, but we're too dependent on the VHS and DVDs. I don't want to completely get rid of them, but I do want to cut back.


ETA: My history is that we watched tv as kids, but not a huge amount. We definitely parked in front of the tv on Saturday mornings, but we often coloured or something while waiting for our favourites (Saturday morning was a kind of children's variety show back then). When I was with my ex, the tv was always on, and it drove me nuts. I can remember coming home from work to an empty room with the tv on - I'd turn it off, leave the room, and come back to find it turned back on, and nobody there! I just couldn't stand it. When I met dh, he'd gone tv-free, so we adoped that as a couple.

We have one tv, in the living room. The only time I've ever had a tv in the bedroom was when we lived at my mom's, because we wanted somewhere to watch an occasional movie as a family, without my mom and stepdad. I don't think anybody in my family of origin has ever had a tv in the bedroom.

WOW - what a great Forum! I am so glad there is a place where I can hear from other tv-free moms! Even where I live where I think people fancy themselves as "progressive", I don't know of any other tv-free families.

I am a single mom and my DS is 2.5. I've been TV free since he was 3 months old. I watched some tv while on maternity leave, but as soon as he started to look at the screen, I got rid of it. I don't have cable or an antenna, so it's cold turkey, which is good as it just eliminates tv as an option. I do still have the actual television set and a dvd/vhs player so that I can watch the home videos I make of DS and the occasional dvd I check out from the library (but only do that once every couple months - just too tired at night, LOL!! DS is extremely verbal and engages in a ton of dramatic play at home. He has a really creative imagination, which I'm sure benefits from no zoning out in front of the boob tube. We also read a lot in the evening before bed. My parents are good about keeping the tv mostly off when he's over there. He really has only seen tv images a couple of times. One time we were over at a friend's house and she had on the tv for her niece and I was worried that DS would get sucked in, but he just looked at the screen for a minute in a confused sort of way and then completely lost interest and proceeded to go play with some pots and pans in the kitchen.

I also don't do any licensed characters, although I've noticed that he already knows who Elmo and Thomas are, etc... I think because he's in daycare and some of the other kids have diapers with characters on them or lunchboxes, etc. It doesn't bother me too much because he jsut thinks the characters are cute, but doesn't know they're assosicated with tv shows.

I'll jump in here too! We are trying to go TV free and so far it is really going great!
I'm Phoenix, I have two DDs, August who will be 2 in a matter of days and Liberty who is 2.5 weeks old. I sadly let August become a major TV addict during this pregnancy and it wasn't until Libby was born that I finally saw how awful it was and pulled the plug. Her way of acting out over the changes in her life w/ a new sibling was to beg to watch TV. Literally she would want to watch it all day, or if she wanted me to hold her and I was busy with the baby she would run to the TV and cry "elmo! elmo!" :( After about a week of TV tantrums I finally said we just need to end TV time all together and literally unplugged our TV so she couldn't even turn it on. And just over a week and a half later I am a total convert to the TV free life :joy:
She is SO much more well behaved, we don't have huge bedtime or naptime issues anymore, and she does so much more during the day instead of passively watching TV. She used to love reading and I hadn't even really noticed that she had decreased the amount of reading time in the past few months (when mommy was having 3rd trimester stress and the TV was on all day long) until this past week; with the TV off she has gone back to bringing mommy book after book after book for reading time, I probably read 20 books today! :love
So I am convinced that DD needs to be raised totally TV free. DH has shown her a few 2-3 minute youtube videos of elephants or fish when they were talking about the zoo and I feel ok with that I think, but I know she can't handle videos or anything like that right now, its just too slippery of a slope.
We're letting our cable run out (I'd call and cancel but its getting shut off in a few days anyways because we were late to pay the bill :o), but we'll keep our rabbit ears because DH is a sports addict. Hes really sad to be losing ESPN but its silly to pay money just for him to watch one channel only after 9pm (when DD goes to bed, its totally unplugged when shes awake). So he'll probably watch baseball games even when she is awake but I figure thats an ok compromise, and she doesn't pay attention more than a few seconds when baseball is on anyways. That will be the only time its on when shes awake, thats the new "rule".
As for myself, I've gone totally TV free before for over a year in college and it was really nice, but I think this time I'll have to keep my two fall shows after 9pm (grey's anatomy and desperate housewives), I know I'm addicted that I can't give up following the lives of people who are not real, but it really draws you in! However, I won't be like I was last year where I'd watch the shows before and after "just for something to do" and end up watching 3-4 hours of TV! blah! Just my two shows a week, a little treat I suppose.
We also have Netflix, a gift membership from my dad, but its the 1 movie at a time plan so we usually end up watching 1 movie every 2 weeks or so before we remember to send it back :lol, and they're grown up movies so thats after DD goes to bed as well.

The issue I'm having now is weaning her off of the character thing. We last minute switched her bday party from a character theme (it was between nemo and elmo) to a generic farm animals theme (she LOVES animals), and I'm going to try to limit the amount of new character stuff coming in, but I think a lot of the damage is already done, she has TONS of character (mostly elmo) books, clothes, etc. I don't mind some of it, we plan to go to disneyland in the future and even I have a mickey mouse tshirt, but when it gets to where it is now where she wants something JUST because elmo or mickey is on it....thats not good :(
So, we have a lot of work ahead of us, if anyone has any tv-detox tips that would be greatly appriciated! And I'm going to hang around here a lot for motivation to keep the TV off even in my weakest "I need a break" moments! I can barely believe the improvement I've seen in just one week so I know that this is worth it. :thumb

Hi all....I'm Robyn, mama to two kids (ds 4 and dd 2). My dream world is tv free...but there are other people in my house that need convincing..(ie my husband). We're moving in 4 weeks, and I'm thinking about not re-connecting the cable once we arrive....at least not the channel (Noggin) that my ds would be concerned with. That way it's not a temptation for me to give in to his whining, er...requests. I believe fully in the ability of his mind to entertain him...he DOES NOT need tv!! He DOES NOT need tv!! He DOES NOT need tv! My new mantra :wink

(We homeschool, so there will be certain tv related elements we will still utilize...DVDs, useful cable shows...nat geo, etc, etc)

I'm thrilled this forum is here for motivation and inspiration :love

:joy:R

Hi
We're not TV free, but I am hoping that I'll be able to convince DH! When our contract with our satelite company expires next spring, I'm hoping that we can just go cold turkey!
I SAH with DD (14 months), and we don't watch any TV (well, every now and then, I'll watch a show, but that's rare). DH always has the TV on though, so it might e hard to break him!! He grew up in a house with the TV on 24/7 (and unfortunately, they live just down the road, and we visit a lot, and the TV is always on :().
I grew up TV-free, and I have no complaints about it. I want my children to do the same, but DH tells me that's mean to deprive her of that!! I'm hoping that this forum will help me get info and ideas to share with him so that we can eventually be TV free!!

Melanie

Hi! So glad to have the support of this forum. We have been TV free for three years and are very happy. MY MIL tried to buy us a digital box so she could watch TV when she's dog-sitting - we turned her down. Now she thinks we'll HAVE to get TV for DD (6.5 months). That's the last reason I'd get TV! I'm afraid DH may start to crack. Thank you, thank you, for all the support.
(I'm about to post a question about in-laws)

I am currently a TV addict (and MDC addict!). This forum is really inspiring, and I really enjoy reading all of your stories. I would really like to cut down the amount the kids are watching tv/video games/computer time. I really hate being outside when it's hot, so these last couple of weeks we've spent a little too much time relaxing inside with media. I just bought a year membership to the local children's museum, so I think we'll be taking advantage of their air conditioning!! I think it will help if I plan something every day to keep us busy before I go to work (at 3pm) every day. Otherwise it's really easy to let the afternoon go by just sitting around. I will be keeping my eyes open for all of your awesome ideas. :thumb

Hi

My parents got rid of the TV in 1992 and I've been TV free ever since. I have to say I love it and I have done so many more things and read so many more books than if I had had a TV. DH grew up with TV and we see TV at other peoples houses etc. but I find that while TV trys to stuck you in the contents are, for the majority of shows, junk! During a stay at the in laws we briefly watched some TV and I found my self getting into a depressive mindset. It made me think- no wonder so many people feel depressed, they've been sucked into TV. But thats my opinion. :shrug
sadly, despite my protests, this past year DH brought home a DVD player. sure it was free but i feel its just the start of a down hill trend. we could watch movies all day instead of TV. He also got a game set (i don't remember what they're called) but after getting a week behind on important work he got rid of it! :twothumbs
i do think there value in educational shows/videos but it seems hard to to watch only those when the tools to watching not so educational shows/videos are right there.
the one thing my dh would really like to watch are Celtic games. following basketball is his main hobby so i do feel bad about that especially since they won the championship this year. what do any of you who are sports fanatics do? (and no watching high school games wouldn't be the same)

Hi and welcome! No advice on sports from me, but start a new thread with that topic. Good luck and go Celtics :wink

:joy: So glad to have found other tv free families! I had started to think there weren't any out there! We do own a tv set, and a small collection of DVDs. Right now I have an antenna hooked up for PBS, but I only turn it on about once a month to watch the news, or the BBC sitcoms. It's really important to raise my child in an environment free of commercial television.

So happy that the forum is here!

I'm a WOH mama and full time college student (this semester doing online classes to be with the itty bitty). My DH WOH opposite my shift so we don't have to pay for childcare, he also attends school full time as a grad student. We have an amazing six-year-old son and a beautiful 11 wk old son.

Our DS has been tv-free for the past 3 years, we keep the tv off while he is awake. Before that he only watched PBS. DH and I are addicted but we limit our consumption to nighttime after the kiddos are in bed. (DS2 is thankfully a wonderful sleeper and goes down by 9pm every night...I realize how lucky I am. :joy:)

We are complete freaks of nature to our families, but they are getting used to us (along with the cding, natural foods, gentle discipline - we are just fruit bats.)

I'm Karen, I have two sons, ages almost 4 and 2 and I'm expecting our third boy. We watch television but I want to minimize our TV use and spend more time playing, adventuring and reading. TV (and computer time) has become more of a habit in our house than I would like.

Hi! When I got pregnant DP and I talked about the importance of no TV when kiddo was young. DP's mom thought we were being really weird and bought every Disney movie known to mankind and tried to convince us we were being unreasonable. We outlined our reasons for her and basically told her that it was okay if she didn't agree with us, but it was our decision to make. After that conversation she didn't argue about it anymore.
Fast forward until now - DS will be 3 in November - and DS has only seen TV a handful of times - once at grandma's house :eyesroll for about 20 minutes, once at home for about 10 minutes and at a friend's house for about 10 minutes. He gets totally drawn in while the TV is on - slack jaw and everything. When it goes off he is a wild child (even more so than normal) for awhile. Not something I want to foster, to say the least (and that isn't even taking into consideration all of the other reasons we don't want him to watch)!
As for me and DP, we don't have a TV at all but we have Netflix and watch an average of three movies a month. At times I'd like to do away with that all together but when I just want to veg out I really enjoy it :bag:

Hi all! I am Sunshine (just joined today!) and we have been TV Free for the last 9 years. We decided to get rid of it when our oldest was a baby. One of the best decisions we ever made! Neither my partner nor I miss it, and it gives us more time to do natural things like playing in the woods and hunting for frogs!

We've been TV-free for about 3 years, but we do watch movies from netflix. It's very natural for us, as we both like having that part of our lives contained to an hour or so once or twice a week. I think we'll just keep things the same once kids come along.

Hi! I'm Charlotte, and my first child, DD Maggie, was just born two months ago.

I was raised in a TV-limited household (when I was a kid, I was only allowed to watch 1h of TV a week, which I had to schedule and plan for ahead of time) and hope to do the same with DD, but I feel today's world is contains a lot more intrusive media than the one I grew up in. It's not just a matter of the TV, but also video games, computers, pdas, cell phones, and who knows what. I don't have a problem with any of these things individually, but I don't want to raise DD in an overstimulated environment where distracting devices are used without a second thought.

We have a television in the house, but we don't get any channels. We use it exclusively for movies and video games. But DH is really addicted to video games, and DD is already (at two months!) enthralled by the screen when daddy is playing. So for us a big challenge will be reducing our own computer/screen use and setting a good example for the kids.

Nice to meet you all!!!

I am mama to 3 wonderful kiddos, wife to the most wonderful man on earth, and adopted mama to a furry dog and purry cat!!

We love being tv free and have been so for almost 5 years!! I don't know how I ever had time to watch tv.. I think of my life as full and inviting. We are always on a quest and doing something.

Hi,
I'm a mama to my sweet little girl and wife to my wonderful man. We have another LO joining us in Nov. We've been TV free for about two years, not as long as some of you but, boy, what a difference. I'm really proud of DH for going along with this since he was addicted to TV (he was brought up in front of it, basically). We do have a TV set for movies only.
TV-free is soooo liberating!!:joy:

Mama to two and a half kids. We watch tv, and it's mainly a babysitter, I admit. I need my morning sleep or peace-time, so that's when it's on. I also suffer from insomnia, and I watch tv in the middle of the night.

Our relatives and friends think we are odd, though, because we don't approve of most of the mainstream kids' stuff on tv/movies. I do NOT like Disney, Hanna Montana, Barbie, and most of the popular stuff. We don't take them to the movies, and they don't get to watch just whatever they want on tv. (they have gone to a few movies with grandparents, so far ok) When they are at nana's house, the tv is ALWAYS on, and it's almost always on stuff we don't like, unfortunately. Sometimes, we just have to accept things that aren't ideal.

We use Tivo, and they only watch what WE say is ok. They are not allowed to watch commercials. My oldest now knows how to use the remote, and she can forward through them on her own. Before that, the rule was when the show was over, they had to turn the tv off. I think that they have done pretty good with it - if tv becomes an issue, then it's banned for a few weeks, and everything goes back to normal. They also don't sit still for tv, but they PLAY while the tv is on - they aren't glued to the tv like some kids we know. If they did that, I'd be more concerned.

I find the other media to be more disturbing than controlled tv. We do not allow the video games, handheld computers, portable dvd players, etc.

--janis

Hi! I'm Jackie. I made a sort of intro thread of my own before noticing this one. Oops. Anyway, I grew up tv-free and am on the way back to becoming tv-free again with my own children. Dh and I rent movies occasionally but that's it.

I just found this forum and am so excited! We gave our only TV away 2 years ago, and it's really changed our lives. I'm a SAHM, and was starting to get sucked into watching the TV all day long. When my daughter was just over a year, she really started paying attention to it, so we got rid of it. The kids are exposed to TV occasionally at friends and relatives houses, but not on a daily basis. Sometimes I think we'll want a TV when the kids are older, but worry that we'll get hooked. Right now, I'm loving life without the TV.

How neat to find this thread! I grew up cable free and my parents were not at all keen on allowing my sister & I to watch television. We watched an hour or two together as a family on the weekends, some special moves together during the holidays, and this was it. We all were/are quite the bookworms instead of tv buffs. :joy:

My husband and I went tv-free back when we first got married. At first we just gave up cable, but then realized one day that we never watched the television at all, so we got rid of the set "uglyfying" our living room and replaced the television with yet another beautiful bookshelf that was soon full of books and board games. Our daughter is being raised sans television, electronic toys, or computer time at home. She has played with a few such toys at other homes and seen bits of television, but has never been all that enthused about such entertainment.

Our goal at the start was to keep our son away from TV for the first 2 years. He just turned 2, and we have no plans to introduce TV anytime soon, though we do get on the internet with him occasionally. Like today he asked me if he could see the "choo-choo cars" and I searched google for steam engine videos, most of which were about 1 minute long, and we watched a few of those.

Overall, my main issue with TV, as others have so well stated, is that it's commercial advertising. I don't want soulless corporations having direct access to my son. So, like others, we avoid character toys and try to focus instead on imaginative, creative play. We've read studies that show that even educational programming on PBS is shown to make children more receptive to commercial advertising (commercial jingles, etc.) and that watching television can be harmful to brain development in certain ways. What I know, is that the few times I've let Kai watch TV, it feels wrong to me. He seems to lose his spark and get too sucked in, and my instincts kick in and tell me he's too young to process that stimulus in a way that's healthy and balanced. I think it's important to tune into him and trust what feels right, and mistrust what feels wrong.

Kai likes to read a lot and will spend lots of time with books. We go to the library a lot and when he wants to just sit back and relax, he'll bring a book and snuggle up and not try to get involved with the reading. He has different reading moods, and we follow his lead.

Admittedly, not having the TV to babysit him, really makes it tougher for me to cook in the kitchen or take important phone calls. Some days I feel frazzled and frustrated like I'm swimming through tar, but most days we find a rhythm and it's very doable.

I'd love to find other parents in Portland that are thoughtful about monitoring the effects of media on their kids, and limiting TV.