Well,

I grew up with TV - not lots - but at least 1 show per day - with mom and dad and bro watching all together - more in the winter than in summer though - Because Winter is too cold here - sometimes (like 4 out of 7 days - you would freeze in 10 minutes or less) it is not fun to play outside - and we do a lot together inside - but TV does provide a nice distraction once in a while. And the educational shows are quite informative.

So, in my home, we do watch tv in the Winter (from Nov to March) - if we ever get the chance to move to a warmer climate, I would love to be outdoors more. Our summers are spent outside most often.

I have also found that the more my dh is away (away most often in Winter - he works and goes to school) we watch more TV, and rent more videos on weekends too. He needs to relax - and that is often his choice.

I have found though that TV can take away some of your own creativity - so we do a lot of imiginative play, crafts, art, and reading.

 

Like I said on the other thread, we use it for old movies and the news. Dd, 22 mos, has never watched.

 

I catch the weather report in the morning (our weather is notorious for changing drastically from day to day and even quicker). Other than that, I'm a "background" user: I'll sometimes put on some crafty-type show or music while I'm eating lunch or folding laundry. DS watches any documentary about insects, amphibians or the sea that we can find. DH watches the most of any of us, and most of that is channel surfing after the kids are in bed at the same time as he's catching up on his reading and doing light research and outlining (he's a writer); we're also usually chitchatting the whole time, too. DH and I are big suckers for anything about ancient civilizations and religions (although our company doesn't offer the History Channel

).

 

I think the TV is mostly for my dh and i. I put it on for the kids once or twice a week for a half hour and that's only been recently b/c it's winter and they can't go out and play and are more likely to get bored. After the kids go to bed my dh and i watch, but not every night - more like three nights a week. Usually we just sit on the couch and read a good book after the kids go to bed.

The only time we break the rules is if my 4 yr old ds is sick - I will turn on PBS and let him watch several shows throughout the day. Not that I "plug him in" and ignore him when he's sick. I mostly spend the day in bed with him reading and rubbing his back, etc. . . but if I want to clean up the house, make dinner, etc - then I let the TV distract him so he's not sitting there miserable.

 

I don't know if you have seen my posts on the other threads about tv, but I am the first one to admit that I am a tv addict. I'm probably the biggest tv fan on these boards. I love it, and will never give it up. I enjoy tv immensely. There are so many different things to watch, from educational documentaries to trash tv. Dh is a tv addict too, with an emphasis on sports, movies and nature shows. The tv, or tv's if dh is home are pretty much on all the time. When no one is really watching, the tv is usually tuned onto a news station.

I am also an avid reader, and read all the time. I don't find that tv interferes with my reading. I enjoy both. I put on childrens shows for ds in the morning for him to watch and I read while he is watching. The funny thing is that ds sees me do that, and he would rather flip through a book himself, than watch tv. (He is too young to read).
The tv is always available for him to watch, and he really shows no interest in watching. He would rather flip through his books (I make sure he has lots of books and magazines) or run around and play. I think that because tv is so available to him he isn't really interested.

I can understand if someone doesn't like tv, and I respect that. For me, I find it very entertaining and I thoroughly enjoy it.

I agree though, that a tv doesn't belong in a library! I've never seen one in my library, and believe it or not, me the tv addict is in the library all the time!!!

 

I went for three years without a TV and didn't miss it. Then I got married and DH felt it was time to invest in a TV! Anyway, in our previous home, DH had refinished the attic and made it into the TV room. I didn't spend much time up there during the day because all my "work" was on the floor below. Consequently, DD did not watch much TV during the first 18 months of her life. After we moved, it took another 3 mos. before we got the cable.

Now I allow DD to watch the PBS shows she likes. It helps me to get things done. She tunes in and out - much of the time she is absorbed in play, so I turn off the set. She would much prefer the TV off and Mama playing with her - I try to spend a few hours each day on the floor with her!

We spend a great deal of time reading, so I don't think having a TV is necessarily a bad thing. She gets lots of time outdoors and playing with other children. TV is a very small part of her life, and I hope to keep it that way.

Personally, I enjoy PBS in the evenings as well. I love the nature programs as well as programs focusing on the arts and humanities. I think I have learned from TV, rather than becoming a vegetable watching it. It all depends on the programs one chooses to watch!

 

I am also a tv addict. It was a constant part of my childhood. I was pretty good about keeping it off when ds was a baby. We even packed it away for quite a while. We used to have two, then we put the bigger one (21") in storage and just kept out the little one (12"). We finally gave the bigger one away when my IL's tv stopped working. Anyway, last winter ds was sick a lot, so we sat & watched a lot of pbs together. We also watched a lot of disney's Dinosaur movie. I hate disney, but ds totally loves dinos and this movie is an all time favorite even though he knows that dinos only live in our imagination. We managed to put the tv away whenever he was feeling good and didn't have it out during spring or summer. But this winter even though ds has not been sick we have been watching even more pbs than last year. At first it was b/c I was pg. and really tired. Now I turn it on when I want to clean or cook. I have created a monster! That monster is me! Even when ds doesn't ask I will offer. WHY?? Dh is hard at work on our basement and we will move the tv downstairs soon. That should really help. I feel like I have no willpower. In my defense, ds is really going through the 2's and is so much "more" than he used to be. We need to get out more even if it means freezing! On the plus side ds has really learned some things from sesame. But, that was never in my parenting plan, so it makes me feel worse, not better.

Ashlea, who is determined to regain control of her viewing habits, tomorrow

 

I chose the last although I wish I could change it. We do so much stuff outdoors but when we are all home on the weekends we generally watch movies or news shows. Now during the week, we turn it off to do school. I want to be tv free even though I am addicted but dh has to have it.
We discussed it before marrying. I have this fantasy of living in a cob hut with no electricity. He had to agree to do this if I still want to someday or I wouldn't marry him. He agreed on the condition that he gets a "pouting shed" out back filled with tv, stereo, etc. He is a total technophile. I can't do my fantasy now because I would miss my computer.

 

You crack me up Lara! Make it a log cabin in the mountains with a professional home cinema out back for the boys, and we can live out our fantasies together!

 

PM! I'd be honored to share a cabin with you. Maybe we could alternate caring for the compost toilet and hauling water from the well. Ha!

My whole family thinks I am nuts. In fact the biggest fight I had with my brother was over me wanting a compost toilet-- he said I was certifiably insane. It will probably never come to pass cause I have now discovered how much a dishwasher means to me. I am scared of germies!

 

Well my whole family thinks I'm insane because I'm more than willing to follow Nicolas to Kyrgizstan (known as the Switzerland of Central Asia). I'm more enthusiastic than he is, and it would be for his job! The idea of living in a country that can barely supply its people with hot water just really gets my imagination going!

 

That is too funny, PM, because dh got a job offer in Haiti for 6 mos and I begged him to take it. I thought it would be a great educational experience for all of us. He now claims that was the first time he knew I was crazy.

 

We got tv as a gift after dh's coworkers found out we didn't have a tv (I guess dh left out the fact that we didn't want one.) Luckily we can't get any reception on it, and we won't pay for cable. We do use it to watch videos. I pop in a video after dd has an afternoon snack, then off it goes. My mom seems to think we're depriving dd of a tv fun filled childhood, and sends us kid's videos all the time. I'll ask her to tape things for dh and me to watch occasionally. Most Thursdays I sneak downstairs and watch Friends and later ER with my neighbor.

In our house, it's the computer that's the indisious brain sucker upper.

 

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In our house, it's the computer that's the indisious brain sucker upper.

No kidding! Now, besides no TV, we have new computer usage rules (dd is only 22 mos so it's not for her, it's for us adults!): no turning on the computer before breakfast and no computer on weekends unless I have work (far too often).

 

Hey PM! I have a no computer on weekends too! And most evenings. Dh likes our family time to be "family" and not me and my "imaginary friends." I need the break anyway.

 

I personally could do without tv. It's dh that I worry about. As soon as he comes home, it goes on and it doesn't come off until he goes to bed. We inherited a large screen tv from my inlaws and I hate it...dh loves it.

I limit dd to 1 hour of selected shows during the day (honestly because it gives me a break), but it's hard to adhere to that when dh has it on all the time. Luckily he watches nature shows, but I still wish it were off. I call it "the great invader" and I will be happy when it breaks!

 

Wow, I better not let DH hear that y'all have no computer usage nights and weekends. He feels that I ignore him and spend more time w/ my computer friends. I argue that all he does is watch TV and that doesn't interest me... It hasn't become a real problem yet, but I see that we'll need to work out a compromise pretty soon!

 

Mother sunshine I'm in a situation similar to yours: ds and I can, and frequently do, go all day without the tv except when I put in a Thomas video when I need to shower. DH on the other hand turns it on as soon as he gets home and often falls asleep in front of it. I'm not as lucky as you to have it on nature shows, though. He likes Sci-Fi and "macho, manly" movies! Poor ds, even he has the good sense to go into the other room when Daddy's watching tv. I have 3 shows a week that I like to try to catch if they're not reruns and sometimes ds watches with me, more times he goes and plays.

I was SOOOO happy yesterday though! DH came home and plopped into his viewing chair as usual and after about an hour the picture went out!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!:LOL

It's going to be Monday before anyone can come out to look at it. Pooooooooor dh! Unfortunately we have a small one in the bedroom and he thinks he can keep it running until he falls asleep. I try to make sure ds isn't exposed to tv for at least an hour before bedtime, so this is a problem. I guess I'd better get the guest bed ready!
What bothers me the most is that this is supposed to be an intelligent man I married and he can't see the worthlessness of vegging in front of the tube all night, not to mention being completely blind to the fact that ds does not like to compete with the thing when he is trying to play with daddy or read books with him. I also think it's weak to use "noise" like a tv to run away from your own internal silence (or lack of).
Oh, well, that's my 2 cents worth.
Gin

 

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Originally posted by paula_bear Wow, I better not let DH hear that y'all have no computer usage nights and weekends. He feels that I ignore him and spend more time w/ my computer friends. I argue that all he does is watch TV and that doesn't interest me... It hasn't become a real problem yet, but I see that we'll need to work out a compromise pretty soon!

That is us too. If I get on the computer for anything, he thinks I am ignoring him-- and he is watching tv too! I just told him that if he will watch something I like I will turn it off. The problem is that I don't like much of what is on; the only show I have left that I like is Friends. But as long as it is something with a plot I'll turn it off, except 24. I know that is a great show but it totally stresses me out. I don't like my blood pressure getting that high over a tv show.

 

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Originally posted by coonmom I was SOOOO happy yesterday though! DH came home and plopped into his viewing chair as usual and after about an hour the picture went out!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!:LOL

I'm sharing your joy! Too bad your other machine didn't suffer the same fate. Maybe you could "fix" the little one as well.

Cheers!

 

Quote:

Originally posted by coonmom What bothers me the most is that this is supposed to be an intelligent man I married and he can't see the worthlessness of vegging in front of the tube all night, not to mention being completely blind to the fact that ds does not like to compete with the thing when he is trying to play with daddy or read books with him. I also think it's weak to use "noise" like a tv to run away from your own internal silence (or lack of). Gin

I hear you Gin, dh is a teacher, has genius IQ (HE says anyway!:LOL ), went to a good school, post-graduate, blah blah blah!, you would think he would see tv for what it is. I also know what you mean about internal silence (or lack of) which is impossible when he's home...and dd competing for Daddy's attention...sigh

What's strange is that he grew up without tv in his home (except at his grandparents'). He also grew up without candy in his home. Now he is a tv addict and, even more so, a candy addict! He says it's because of his childhood but I know it is because he's a grandma's-boy and grandma spoiled him rotten (literally) when he was at her house. So he associates all that stuff to love. I always have to talk to him about doing the same thing to our dd. But that's a different topic now isn't it...

CONGRATULATIONS about the broken picture tube!! I hope that's me one day!!

Michelle

 

That won't ever be me. Dh eyes the new plasma screens anytime we go to circuit city or some similar place. It is only a matter of time before we have a huge movie viewing room. I will only consent if I get a popcorn machine and a huge leather recliner.

Not to give dh a bad name because given a choice he will always go out and do something rather than watch tv, he is just a huge technophile.

 

Hee hee! My dh recently admitted that he checks out the TVs EVERY time he goes to Fnac (A French bookstore/camera shop/computer store/TV and VCR store). I had no idea! He is a broadcast journalist so he does watch some TV (maybe 2 hours/week) plus some old movies. But from there to needing a home cinema!?

 

We are serious movie fans and watch several movies a week. We belong to a dvd club where we rent as many as possible for one monthly fee. So it wouldn't be wasted. Then we could get that movie theatre experience without having to sit next to yakkers and sit upright (my biggest pet peeve in theatres is that I come out with a back ache). But STILL!!!!!
I don't think we need a home theatre! He is a total technophile.

 

Had one in past, don't have one now, wouldn't want one even if it were given to us.