Kids being raised with TV vs. none.... (cartoons, babies, games)

[skoe]

I grew up with no TV. My parents didn't want to be tied to it and wanted to teach my brother and I what they wanted to teach. (They are both professors so liked to teach a LOT!! ) Because of this I believe I am much more creative and know what to do during really boring times.

In our household we have....5 TVs . I feel bad that I am not raising my kids the way I was raised. I just love TV so much now!! I can really see the differences between myself and my kids. If I could do it over again (knowing what I know now) I would probably have no TV. It really promotes laziness.

So...could you survive in a TVless house?

[irishmom]

Well lets see....since I grew up thinking real families were like the Brady Bunch or Waltons I guess it's safe to say I grew up on TV. I didn't have parents so the TV really was my only "family". I am very creative and have no trouble finding things to do with myself or my children without the TV. We have 4 televisions in the house, but usually only 1 is playing at a time, because the kids always want to be where we are anyway...LOL It's usually on in the background and no one much pays attention to it.

As for my kids I think they are deprogrammed from the television. They are so used to it just being on that they completely ignore it! My sisters kids (who don't watch regularly) will totally sit hypnotized by it, quiet as mice when a movie or show is put on but my kids watch for about 10 minutes and are off doing something else. Unless they are too sick to really get going they rarely sit through a whole movie or show. I sometimes wish I could hypnotize them for 30 minutes with a show, but it just doesn't happen here. *sigh*

[Lorann]

I definately think kids these days watch too much tv. I grew up in the country and we only got 4 channels (mind you to get reception we'd have to go out and move the antennae to change the channel). It was great, both my bro and I were very creative, played outside a lot, played sports, etc.

I have a 7 yr. old and we have 1 tv in the house. I just don't want the tv to be part of our lives. We watch movies as a family, and our daughter gets to watch a cartoon on Sat. mornings, that's about it. I like to catch the news. We don't watch American Idol, reality shoes, none of the typical crap.

I like not having the tv on, it promotes creativity. My daughter is an avid reader, loves playing outside, playing her keyboard and guitar, drawing, listening to music.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

[christina0001]

I would not want no TVs in the house, but my husband and I have agreed, when we have kids, they will never have TVs in their bedrooms. We'll have a family TV in the living area, and a TV for us in our bedroom.

[Inthesierras]

We grew up with one tv when I was in grade school. Cable tv didn't come to our city until I was in jr high. We had about 6-7 channels. We watched Saturday morning cartoons until my parents woke up, then we went outside. In the afternoons during cold weather, we could watch a hosted tv hour. Captian Mitch hosted it. One of my freinds won a cabbage patch doll from a mail in postcard contest. Good times!

By the time I was in jr high, I had a little black and white tv in my room. No cable and the atenea was horrible, so I barely got 4 channels. There wasn't alot I was interested in. I was usually too tired from playing sports to watch anything. My kids watch their share of tv. They also play outside the majority of the day, which is nice, lol.

[NYC2RDU]

Television is part of our evolution. Sixty years ago parents lamented that their children listened to too much radio. Most parents today fret that their children spend too much time on the Internet.

My children have free access to the television and typically are watching something sports related, particularly during baseball season. Truth be told, they'd much rather be outside playing sports in the yard and often are. As for their computer time they're often on a monitored site (Club Penguin) cutting their teeth on digital communication skills (a key tool for their future) and exploring social dynamics (it's sort of the modern day school yard).

They key isn't prevention or even moderation but rather observation. Too much of any activity is often not best.

[okaydorothy]

We control how much tv the boys watch. We have one son who really isnt into tv ; only baseball games. He tends to go on the puter more ; clubpenguin fan here also, and webkins.
My younger son adores the tv. So he always asks if he can watch and we tell him what channels he can watch ; pbs, animal planet, disney.
We do not have a tv in their rooms and will never get one. However, we do have a camper and they have a portable one that we can only watch videos on, in their room. He thinks he is so trendy with his little portable.
dorothy

[33458]

I really enjoy the educational channels...am most likely to have Discovery or History on late at night.
But I will admit to being a L&O junkie.

Mo loves her Sprout Channel and we have that on for most of the day (listening for the sporadic Pingu), but she isn't watching it all day long...she plays away from the tube with her 'Little People', Leap Frog gear, her 'babies' and we practice drawing and writing on the easel and on paper as well as doing crafts.
When a show comes on that she wants to watch, we both tune in, if you know what I mean. I'm near her if not right next to her, so we can discuss whatever the storyline is, if someone is inappropriate or virtuous...bad or good and why. (Has anybody noticed that Angelina Ballerina is in need of some parental guidance?) It's important to pay attention to the messages our kids pick up from other sources.

Note - if the box isn't on, she doesn't miss it. A beautiful thing.

She will not have a TV or a computer in her room. Not now. Not later. Those things will always be in a common area so I can monitor her.

I look forward to moving s.o.o.n. as we anticipate a larger area of land to spend more quality time out-of-doors. Both a bigger yard and woodlands to explore. What TV?

[MsB23]

Well, I admire those who don't have TV in their homes. Really, so much of what's on it is total crap. I mean really.

But, I do have a TV, & it is pretty much on constantly. I like the background noise, personally. I try valiantly to be sure that it is on either a digital music channel or something that has some educational value (one of the discovery channels, animal planet, nat'l geographic, etc) both for my son's sake (he's only 16 months...) and so my brain doesn't rot & slide out my nose. I mean really, has anyone seen the garbage that's on MTV or the E! channel lately? Yikes...it's no wonder our society is so misguided if that's what people think is normal...sheesh...

At any rate, my son is really uninterested in 90% of what's on, unless it has music. He also likes credits or graphics with music, but otherwise, he's all about his toys & making noise...unless I put on a Baby Einstein...then he is riveted. I hope they're not piping in some kind of subliminal mind-control message to him or something, because it's just unreal how fascinated he is by those things!

[skoe]

I agree that my kids will never have a TV in their room. Mine as well just put in a fridge, toilet and game system and never see them again! Also there are so many raunchy shows on cable at night.