No TV for children?

Jewel_2

Amara wrote: »

My brother has two boys aged 11 and 8 and no TV in the house. Boys spend lots of time on computer though and when they visit grandparents you just can't take them of the TV. When my mum ask them what they want for birthdays/Chrismas answer is always the same :"TV, granma!"

It sounds as though your brother has a problem (I don't mean that nastily). I've experienced parents who have used certain parental techniques to go up a class in society . No pink, no sweets, child listens to classic fm, only branded clothes, etc. It makes me laugh!

Jewel_2

fernliebee wrote: »

I don't doubt that you can be a brilliant mum and let your children watch lot's of TV, the thing I struggle to understand is, if your child is watching loads of TV how can you fit in all the other interesting, exciting play opportunities. I literally find my days are crammed and I need a few more hours to fit in all my DD and I want to do. If I let her watch 2-3 hours of TV I know for a fact that she would be missing other activities which IMO are more fun for her and she can learn more from.

That said, amounts of screentime imo are transitional, so at times she watches more (as I said before since DD2 has been born her screentime has upped, but I am working on phasing this out a bit at the minute.) I must admit it does strike me as odd to be proud of the amount of TV your child watches. To me that is like bragging that your child eats chips and pizza for dinner every night!

Wait til she gets to school and all the children are talking about the latest fun thing on the TV, and reading the mags, and playing games in the playground associated with those programmes. I remember my daughter being six and there were two girls who didn't watch a certain programme (can't remember what it was now, a long time ago!). They were left out

It continues all through childhood, rightly or wrongly. Now my DD wants to watch I'm a celeb because her friends do. And then there's the X-factor. It is peer pressure, but that's how it happens.

I remember loads of time to do other exciting stuff as well - depends how you plan your day imo. And if they've had loads of exercise, it's quite nice for them to sit in front of the TV with a nice drink - just like we might do as adults.

Jewel_2

MadMonkey wrote: »

We have more Tv's than Comet in this house

My kids have never been rationed on Tv time - the only thing "controlled" is what they watch - kids tv as oposed to Emmerdale or Corrie!

I have 3 of the small things and they have learnt a lot from TV - as have i with CBBC !!

Everything in moderation is the best way to raise tiddleypeeps - anything that is 'banned' becomes more desirable imo - my kids have friends who are banned from sweets, pop etc and when they come round here it is actually embarrassing watching them eat chocolate and they ask constantly for more !

Also once kids get to school age they tend to play games based on TV programmes (boys more so) and will really feel it if they dont know who Ben 10 is!

I "cram" our time with activities but they are also encouraged to entertain themseves at times - be this with toys, books or TV.

Over structuring kids lives can dent their imagination.

Excellent post and looking back, you are absolutely ahead of the game - I didn't really realise this until mine was older.

Over structuring is really bad for them - my ex sis in law still has her girls (15 and 17) doing far too much and the older one is a perfectionist and looks on the verge of a nervous breakdown, yet mum still harps on about how much they achieve in a day, how fab their lives are, and how brilliant their girls do. Very sad

minerva_windsong

My sister keeps a stash of things like Shaun the Sheep and ZingZillas on the Sky+ box, so when she needs to do something my nephew (who is three) can watch a couple of episodes whilst she gets on with whatever needs doing. However that's maybe an hour a day at most, in two half hour slots, and the rest of the time it's things like going for walks, drawing pictures, making cakes, playing imaginative games with his toys, reading stories etc.

He watches DVDs as well - things like Spot and Mr Men - but they're only about five minutes an episode and he'll watch three in one go before getting bored, and has DVDs for the car (Wiggles, Peppa Pig etc) but again won't watch them for very long.

I remember being allowed to watch episodes of Postman Pat and Fireman Sam and Spot when I was about four, again because my mum needed to do something like getting lunch ready, but it was in small doses and it was always age appropriate (I remember being about eight or nine and not being allowed to watch Eastenders, not because I particularly wanted to but because mum didn't think it was suitable). There was also a 'no TV in bedrooms' and 'no TV until you've done your homework' policy.

jamespir

watching tv qont hurt kids but i do think they should limit the game consoles

Newly_retired

As one who grew up without TV or cinema till I was 15 I did feel out of it at school, but soon learnt the names I needed to know to join in playground games when I was little. As I grew up I had plenty to do, read a lot, played a musical instrument, sang in choir, cycle rides etc. I watch more now than I ever have done in my life. LOL.
My daughter restricts the amout her children aged 3 and 6 watch on TV. it is an occasional treat. She is lucky enough to have a separate grown up room where the only TV is.
Sometimes they have a DVD night. The children are never bored, they read books, play with cars and trains, ride bikes, go for walks, do baking, swimming....Their language development is streets ahead of some of their peers.
My granddaughter tells me she is allowed to watch TV a lot more when she is at my house or her other grandma's, but then we don't have so many toys for her as at home, so it is useful whilst I am cooking or when we get back from an activity and she is tired. Otherwise she entertains herself with her craft work, writing and colouring.
TV is not something to be banned, and has its uses. I think as they are growing up it is very useful to watch a prog with them and talk about the issues it raises.

Jewel_2

I wonder whether those who are against TV take their kids, say, supermarket shopping? I remember someone saying to me that they rarely let their kids watch TV, yet they dragged them around the supermarket because " they just had to do it". There are many duties that parents have to perform, and quite frankly a child watching television is probably one of the best alternatives when you're not giving them your undivided attention.

In reality, do SAHPs really spend up to 14 waking hours cooking and baking and going for walks to find things, and painting? I doubt it very much, I would think much of the day is spent doing chores with kids in tow.

Plans_all_plans

The point of me being at home with my daughter is to look after and educate her until she gets to school age. Sitting her in front of the TV for as long as she wants does not qualify educating her in my eyes and that's why I don't do it.

Our day used to go like this: playgroup in morning, home for lunch, 2 hour nap, playing together in afternoon (whether that be with toys, paints, play-doh, baking etc). I'd make tea with her sat on the counter next to me.

Other household chores I would do over the wkend when her dad was off work to keep an eye on her. Since she's been about 2/2.5 yrs old I've done some housework during the week but she has a cloth and 'dusts'. She likes to help with the washing too so I try to involve her in it.

I'm not saying that I'll never let my child watch TV, but I just feel it's detrimental to the under 5's to watch it. I dont want to start allowing her to watch TV cos then I will use it as a babysitter, so it is easier to have a no TV rule from the off until I feel she's ready.

On peer pressure: it's my firmly held belief that it's character building to not do what everyone else does! I remember everyone is my class watched Hollyoaks, Footballer's Wives, Bad Girls etc but I was point blank not allowed to watch them! I soon got over it!

fawd1

Plans_all_plans wrote: »

The point of me being at home with my daughter is to look after and educate her until she gets to school age. Sitting her in front of the TV for as long as she wants does not qualify educating her in my eyes and that's why I don't do it.

Our day used to go like this: playgroup in morning, home for lunch, 2 hour nap, playing together in afternoon (whether that be with toys, paints, play-doh, baking etc). I'd make tea with her sat on the counter next to me.

Other household chores I would do over the wkend when her dad was off work to keep an eye on her. Since she's been about 2/2.5 yrs old I've done some housework during the week but she has a cloth and 'dusts'. She likes to help with the washing too so I try to involve her in it.

I'm not saying that I'll never let my child watch TV, but I just feel it's detrimental to the under 5's to watch it. I dont want to start allowing her to watch TV cos then I will use it as a babysitter, so it is easier to have a no TV rule from the off until I feel she's ready.

On peer pressure: it's my firmly held belief that it's character building to not do what everyone else does! I remember everyone is my class watched Hollyoaks, Footballer's Wives, Bad Girls etc but I was point blank not allowed to watch them! I soon got over it!

I disagree. I don't think it's detrimental in the slightest to allow a child to watch some TV. My days follow a simliar pattern to yours i.e playgroup in the morning, then home for lunch then either playing at home or at the park. BUT, when I am getting ready in the morning, the TV goes on for the time I'm getting dressed, same when I'm making lunch, and same when I'm making dinner. My eldest has exactly the same vocabulary range as his peers (he's a year and a half old I should add, so not speaking fluently), except he speaks in two languages, so I suppose technically double, and he plays and interacts and can amuse himself as well as any child I've seen. Surely it's all about putting some limits in place? I don't want him to be watching TV all day, but I certainly don't object to some. Apart from anything else, I think if I had to talk to him every hour of the day I might feel the need to crack open a bottle of wine, say at around 9am? I also think that if as a parent you are constantly playing with them or they are always with you then that can be detrimental as how will they ever learn to be independant?

Also, just as an aside, how did you manage to not need to do any housework during the week for two years? with a child? I need to spring clean my living room every half an hour with my two.

Plans_all_plans

I would do the day's dishes after tea in the eve once my husband got home form work. The only cleaning I did in the living room was throwing a few toys into her toybox befroe we went out and wiping the table with a wipe if it was dirty: time taken about 3 mins. Housework to me is ironing, cleaning toilet/bathroom, hoovering, washing clothes etc. All these things could wait to the weekend as far as I'm concerned.

I dont talk to my daughter every hour of the day either: she has always been able to take her own toys out and amuse herself. I'm not constantly by her side as I think that's unhealthy, but while I'm getting ready she plays by herself. She can play by herself if I desperately need to do housework in the week (say if I had a visitor coming). When I post on here during the day she will be playing by herself too (or sleeping)