'Living Simply' with children

retromother

Well I have a 6 and 3 year old. We generally stick with Netflix, no Sky subscription and not much freeview due to having a rubbish aerial. I'm happy with this situation and they are. The can keep up with their peers by watching Ben 10 or whatever, but also they get a broader choice of programming. They love a show called Math Monster or something like that, dinosaur shows and even watch the odd TED talk with me.

6 seems young for Xbox anyway. My hubby has an Xbox, but all I'd let DS play is Skylanders. Same with iPad. They can use ours but the games are along the lines of Endless Alphabet and the CBeebies app. We're password protected and the iPad has a security code so can only be used on our say so.

I think Zen Habits is probably the best place to start, although I think Leo definitely has a place for technology.

I think it's definitely a decision you need to think seriously about. Remember kids today can't just play on the street like we could as kiddies. Life is much more indoorsy and technology reflects this. Perhaps start with self imposed limitation, gradually increasing this and then make the decision after a few months.

There are many other ways to simplify life above and beyond technology. Food is a big one, clothing, cars. And these have been my priorities, one car used only to pick up my stepson (no public transport to his village and too far to cycle), hubby and I share one wardrobe and chest of drawers and we are in the process of trying to eat clean (this I'm finding the hardest).

Maybe the Old Style board is worth a gander?

LittleAoife

We got rid of our tv in July and actually I've never looked back, the kids are not alienated because they bring to school conversation about all the other amazing things they did instead of watching tv. Ie. building a fort, making costumes to put on a play in out living room, making puppets and doing a puppet show, riding their bikes, scooter ing, learning how to play monopoly/ checkers/ chess. Reading books and imagining the characters instead of having them imagined for you. They love it!

LittleAoife

retromother wrote: »

Well I have a 6 and 3 year old. We generally stick with Netflix, no Sky subscription and not much freeview due to having a rubbish aerial. I'm happy with this situation and they are. The can keep up with their peers by watching Ben 10 or whatever, but also they get a broader choice of programming. They love a show called Math Monster or something like that, dinosaur shows and even watch the odd TED talk with me.

6 seems young for Xbox anyway. My hubby has an Xbox, but all I'd let DS play is Skylanders. Same with iPad. They can use ours but the games are along the lines of Endless Alphabet and the CBeebies app. We're password protected and the iPad has a security code so can only be used on our say so.

I think Zen Habits is probably the best place to start, although I think Leo definitely has a place for technology.

I think it's definitely a decision you need to think seriously about. Remember kids today can't just play on the street like we could as kiddies. Life is much more indoorsy and technology reflects this. Perhaps start with self imposed limitation, gradually increasing this and then make the decision after a few months.

There are many other ways to simplify life above and beyond technology. Food is a big one, clothing, cars. And these have been my priorities, one car used only to pick up my stepson (no public transport to his village and too far to cycle), hubby and I share one wardrobe and chest of drawers and we are in the process of trying to eat clean (this I'm finding the hardest).

Maybe the Old Style board is worth a gander?

are there any post about eating clean, I have kids with lots of allergies so wish to change complete to fresh, unprocessed foods for all of us.

Tenyearstogo

LittleAoife wrote: »

We got rid of our tv in July and actually I've never looked back, the kids are not alienated because they bring to school conversation about all the other amazing things they did instead of watching tv. Ie. building a fort, making costumes to put on a play in out living room, making puppets and doing a puppet show, riding their bikes, scooter ing, learning how to play monopoly/ checkers/ chess. Reading books and imagining the characters instead of having them imagined for you. They love it!

Children with TV's also do those things. It's not an either or situation.

74jax

I look at back at being a parent with my DD and my absolute fondest time having her was between the ages of around 5-8. Every weekend we played together, went swimming, did crafty things - went to pottery making etc. I look back and despite other times in bringing her up I can hand on heart say 'yep I did well then'.

I didn't stop the TV though, that sounds a bit 'stop the TV and it'll allow us to spend time together'. You should be able to spend time together regardless of whether a TV is in the corner or not.

It's learning to entice the child to learn and play with you, making real-life more exciting than TV/Xbox etc.

If they get up excited to play the next level of some game and you say 'right we're off to the park' and it's look yuck outside I think you're up against it.

Why not both write 10 things/places you want to do/go and each Saturday you pick one out of a hat. Regardless of what it is you do it?

I think restricting what your child watches or plays is far better then just removing the TV/games altogether.

Arlandria606

OP - I have to admit that I'm really curious as to what language your 6-year-old is using that isn't swearing but isn't "age-appropriate". I'm imagining a 6-year-old giving an in-depth analysis of the relationship between Bert and Ernie, and wondering if that's the sort of thing you mean!

My 2 cents:

There's nothing inherently wrong with technology. TV isn't bad, Internet access isn't bad, computers aren't bad. That would be like saying that, because there are books with poor language and inappropriate themes, all books are bad. Daft.

We live in a technology-based world. The vast majority of careers involve using, if not creating or selling, some kind of technology, and even "normal life" these days expects a certain level of access and proficiency (see other comments about school homework, for example). The increasing capabilities of technology mean that by the time children have grown up, the situation is unlikely to have moved in the other direction.

These two points together lead to the conclusion that a life without technology may leave children ill-equipped for the lives they wish to lead as adults. As such, I could never advocate depriving a child of limited and controlled access to "standard" technology (TV, computer, Internet) in their own home.

By "limited and controlled", I mean that parents should be making active, informed choices about exactly what children are watching on TV, which games they're allowed to play, what devices they have access to (and, when older, ownership of), as well as when, where, and for how long the technology may be used. Like other rules, these need to extend to when visiting others - for example, by saying to other parents that you'd appreciate it if they didn't allow your child to play or watch games rated above their current age.

In doing this, you both allow the child to gain experience in using technology, explore the benefits offered by it, and also encourage recreation and skill development in more traditional roles. You can even make a discussion of it by bringing the two together, say by talking about making a cake, Googling a recipe together (or watching someone make it on TV), then shopping for the ingredients (on or offline), making it, and e-mailing a picture of the results to family/friends. Surely that's the best of both worlds?

LittleAoife

Tenyearstogo wrote: »

Children with TV's also do those things. It's not an either or situation.

I'm not saying that children with tv's don't do these thigs I'm saying that my experience is that my children are not socially disadvantaged because we don't have tv as they have other topics of common interest with other children.

LittleAoife

I'm not anti technology, my daughter used reading apps/ maths games on my iPad and is a whizz at temple run, we just choose nit to have a tv. If we want to watch something we will watch a film on the computer together. It's not either or, it's just what works for us.

Mojisola

LittleAoife wrote: »

We got rid of our tv in July and actually I've never looked back, the kids are not alienated because they bring to school conversation about all the other amazing things they did instead of watching tv. Ie. building a fort, making costumes to put on a play in out living room, making puppets and doing a puppet show, riding their bikes, scooter ing, learning how to play monopoly/ checkers/ chess. Reading books and imagining the characters instead of having them imagined for you. They love it!

LittleAoife wrote: »

I'm not saying that children with tv's don't do these thigs I'm saying that my experience is that my children are not socially disadvantaged because we don't have tv as they have other topics of common interest with other children.

So do you mean that other kids who have TVs are also building forts, etc? If they are, it shows that having a TV and "doing stuff" is possible; if they aren't, then they don't have interests in common with your kids.

Kayalana99

Mojisola wrote: »

So do you mean that other kids who have TVs are also building forts, etc? If they are, it shows that having a TV and "doing stuff" is possible; if they aren't, then then don't have interests in common with your kids.

My 16month old will stand at the tele and complety ignore you.

Turn the tele off and he will run around and talk jibber jabber, thats not to say he constantly stands at the tele when its on but you can see the massive differnce he is just more responsive.

Personally I would love to get rid of the tele but OH would never allow it for his own use, I am just as bad with my laptop though.