Do your kids have tvs.....

[barbmouse]

My dd is 13 and does not have a TV in her room. She does have a portable DVD to watch movies on. DS 10 has TV not hooked up for channels and uses it to play video games or movies. My dks are also avide readers. My dd prefers to read over watching TV.

 

[emdav]

No tvs in my kids room. I doubt they ever will have them either. We don't have cable and my kids rarely watch tv but they do watch DVDs. I let each watch one a day, usually around 45 minutes.

 

[sskem96]

My girls have the Disney Princess TV and DVD player in their room. They mostly just watch Disney Channel. Sometimes if they have a friend over, they rent a movie and watch it in there. Their bedroom is right off of the living room, so if me or DH wants to watch something other than Disney, they go to their room to watch. Otherwise, the LR TV is pretty much always on Disney or Nick anyway.

We have a little TV in the kitchen so DH can watch sports while he does the dishes, and we have one in our room, but we only watch in when we're in bed, we just never go in our room during the day. We are the kind of people who pretty much always have the TV on if we're home. (Just the one in the LR). We just both grew up that way, and the house is too quiet without it.

 

[2girlsmom]

Yes, and can you imagine that you actually had to sit in front of it at the right time to watch a show? No Tivo and VCRs, when they did come out, were very difficult to figure out.

Dawn

How about when you had to go up (or send someone up) to turn the channel? I remember that we didn't have a remote control until I was maybe 10, and then it was line of sight and really picky, so you usually ended up standing right next to the screen to change the channel anyway! LOL

Of course, then all the parents said "get back from the screen, you're going to hurt your eyes" which probably really meant, "I can't get the remote to work, you are blocking the signal".....

 

[agentpleakley]

Our kids both have tvs and DVD players in their rooms. That said, they rarely, if ever, get turned on. Our family is not big on tv shows -- we will pop a movie in and watch it together -- last night was Lilo & Stitch - but we rarely watch tv series.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

Mine do, but didn't until age 14. Our 2 boys (21, 17) and 2 girls (19, 15) both shared large rooms together until the two older ones moved out. The girls rarely used theirs and the boys mostly used it for PS and Wii games, oh, and ESPN (da da da...DADADA)

I don't think it caused any more permanent brain damage than the school system.

 

[LSUmom4kids]

When our 19DS was 8 he had saved his birthday & xmas money and we talked DH into letting him buy a small tv for his room - he never had cable though. Bad move. He stayed in his room a lot and then had video games and it was very hard to get him "unaddicted". Punishments included taking the tv away. (DS also got a cell phone at age 14; again we talked DH into "letting him". ALSO bad move; he abused the shared telephone family minutes and we made him pay the overage charges many times. We won't be doing that again with the rest of the kids!)

Now there are 3 younger kids (he's 8 yrs. older than the next sibling), and our policy is NO tvs in their bedroom. All the rooms are wired for cable, but the boys only have a small 5" tv to play gamecube (no antenna to watch tv).

The digital cable box in the living room has parental controls and they can only watch certain channels. The digital cable box for my bedroom tv has all channels locked so that my tv is off limits for the kids.

We all share the living room tv; taking turns watching shows. It's too easy for the kids to become "couch potatoes" these days and we'd rather involve the kids with sports activities.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[sajilunni]

repeat

 

[sajilunni]

The problem with TV is similar to the one most Americans have with food, namely they just don't realize how much they're consuming. I've noticed that many, many parents who admit to giving their children TV's cushion it with "but they hardly ever watch it." Then why give it to them? It may seem like just a show here and a movie there, but it ends up being hours and hours of being passively entertained by a screen.

My main concern with TV is that it seems to be influencing our children into a "consumer culture". Children who watch TV know exactly what gifts they want because they have been bombarded with the images of happiness and joy they'll have for themselves if they purchase that particular product. They start to believe the hype. Even PBS brands out all of it's characters. Not only do my kids not have TVs in their rooms, they don't watch TV regularly at all (I would estimate 2 hours every 2-3 weeks in movies). They don't know any of the toys that are available unless we actually go to a toy store. I prefer their ignorance to the sense of entitlement that I see in many children today.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO TV WHATSOEVER for children under the age of 2. But products like "Baby Einstein" still sell millions of copies. Why? I believe it is because parents want to get their kids used to the idea of being passively entertained, because it is a far easier task to press a button than interact with a child. Recently there has a firm link found between television watching and ADD. The scariest idea is that the fast editing of TV actually REWIRES their young brains. If you think about it, during our evolution we have never had to process images with the rapidity that TV requires.

TV can definitely turn into a psychological addiction. I worry about any addictions at all because the less adaptable you are, the worse you will react to any new situation. My brother in law just can't go to sleep without the TV on. When he stays at our house, he would rather sleep in the family room couch instead of in the TV-less guest bedroom. Both my son and daughter learned how to read books when they were 3 years old. A big motivation for them to figure it out was probably boredom. But their determination to meet the challenge as well as their love of books has lead to them doing well in all academic areas, and even skipping grades in school. And I truly believe that the lack of TV watching really had something to do with it.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

The problem with TV is similar to the one most Americans have with food, namely they just don't realize how much they're consuming. I've noticed that many, many parents who admit to giving their children TV's cushion it with "but they hardly ever watch it." Then why give it to them? It may seem like just a show here and a movie there, but it ends up being hours and hours of being passively entertained by a screen.

I kind of view the tv like a credit card...not necessary, but nice to have when or if you want to use it.

I'm glad that your views on television have worked in a positive manner for your kids. I think its wonderful that your kids have turned to reading instead. I don't condemn anyone for their beliefs or try and push mine on them-even if I happen not to agree. Live and let live. Life is too short to argue.

 

[pamom65]

We have four kids (DD's 15 and 12; DS's 8 and 7). Although they used to ask, we never allowed them to have TV's in their rooms. With 3 TV's already in the house, I figured we had enough. I would rather see them in the family room watching movies or shows together. I have recently decided that my DD is going to get a small TV for her 16th birthday. Why the change of heart? I feel she is mature enough now that I don't have to monitor what she is watching and that she should be able to have some time alone to watch a show if she choses, without her sister and brothers bugging her to change the channel. Also, as someone else posted, she will most likely want a small TV to take when she goes to college in a few years, so it will be one less thing to buy then.

I seriously think the internet and the stuff kids can access (even inadverdently) is a far bigger problem than most of the shows on TV.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

The problem with TV is similar to the one most Americans have with food, namely they just don't realize how much they're consuming. I've noticed that many, many parents who admit to giving their children TV's cushion it with "but they hardly ever watch it." Then why give it to them? It may seem like just a show here and a movie there, but it ends up being hours and hours of being passively entertained by a screen.

I can honestly say while all my kids have TV's in there rooms they haven't been turned on in at least the last 3 months. All of my kids would rather read than watch TV but we give them the option of watching it if they choose. All of my kids have scored well above average on all testing and are well above grade level in all of their schooling. You have to give them a choice but also teach them what the right choice is.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

My main concern with TV is that it seems to be influencing our children into a "consumer culture".

As opposed to their parents, who are what?

They start to believe the hype.

Again, so do their parents. Including the psychological hype.

Even PBS brands out all of it's characters. Not only do my kids not have TVs in their rooms, they don't watch TV regularly at all (I would estimate 2 hours every 2-3 weeks in movies). They don't know any of the toys that are available unless we actually go to a toy store. I prefer their ignorance to the sense of entitlement that I see in many children today.

I would submit that awareness does not necessarily breed entitlement if children understand that everything has a cost in terms of the time one exchanges to possess certain goods or services - not that i'd express it that way to a child. From a very early age we made our children aware that everything has a price, and that they(or Mom and Dad) must trade their most precious resource, their time, to have it. They learned as early as possible about reality/fantasy, material wealth/things (both good and bad), etc. As a result, when Grandma(raised without TV) last came to visit and suggested "going to the mall", our girls asked, "Why, what do we need to buy?" All this while watching their fair share of TV.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO TV WHATSOEVER for children under the age of 2.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended all sorts of things over the years. Not all have been good. Generally, I am very suspect of absolutes - they tend to be poorly thought out.

Recently there has a firm link found between television watching and ADD.

Actually, it's more a statistical relationship. And their is also a similar negative relationship for lack of cognitive stimulation, emotional support, etc. And guess what? Children with a stay at home parent have less problems as well. Children with two parents have less problems than single parent families. TV is just one of many factors - and it's an easy target.

The scariest idea is that the fast editing of TV actually REWIRES their young brains. If you think about it, during our evolution we have never had to process images with the rapidity that TV requires.

Well, that isn't by any means medically proven or even well studied enough to cite as scientific fact. And, we are still "evolving" - somewhat. Perhaps learning to process images rapidly may be a beneficial adaptation in a world with increasing technology. The truth is that we really just don't know, which scares people into grasping at all sorts of explanations.

TV can definitely turn into a psychological addiction. I worry about any addictions at all because the less adaptable you are, the worse you will react to any new situation. My brother in law just can't go to sleep without the TV on. When he stays at our house, he would rather sleep in the family room couch instead of in the TV-less guest bedroom. Both my son and daughter learned how to read books when they were 3 years old. A big motivation for them to figure it out was probably boredom. But their determination to meet the challenge as well as their love of books has lead to them doing well in all academic areas, and even skipping grades in school. And I truly believe that the lack of TV watching really had something to do with it.

I have this feeling that your children would have done well with or without TV, as you seem to be a caring parent, and you were blessed with good kids. I think that a lot of the "perils of the day", such as TV and video game use by children, are highly over-rated sare tactics. I have known kids with great parents who did all the "right things" and the kids turned into horrible adults. Conversely I know kids who had all the worst and succeeded wonderfully.

Regardless of our lineage, we are all born with unique traits, we add a little nurture to the nature, some have good luck, some have bad, and we get a wide range of results. Such is life. There are endless possibilities, and our ability to control developmental outcomes simply isn't as good as we think it should be. I'm not suggesting we don't try, but I don't think TV and video games are the prime culprit - just a piece of a much larger puzzle.

 

[cara loves the poly]

As opposed to their parents, who are what?


Again, so do their parents. Including the psychological hype.


I would submit that awareness does not necessarily breed entitlement if children understand that everything has a cost in terms of the time one exchanges to possess certain goods or services - not that i'd express it that way to a child. From a very early age we made our children aware that everything has a price, and that they(or Mom and Dad) must trade their most precious resource, their time, to have it. They learned as early as possible about reality/fantasy, material wealth/things (both good and bad), etc. As a result, when Grandma(raised without TV) last came to visit and suggested "going to the mall", our girls asked, "Why, what do we need to buy?" All this while watching their fair share of TV.


The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended all sorts of things over the years. Not all have been good. Generally, I am very suspect of absolutes - they tend to be poorly thought out.


Actually, it's more a statistical relationship. And their is also a similar negative relationship for lack of cognitive stimulation, emotional support, etc. And guess what? Children with a stay at home parent have less problems as well. Children with two parents have less problems than single parent families. TV is just one of many factors - and it's an easy target.


Well, that isn't by any means medically proven or even well studied enough to cite as scientific fact. And, we are still "evolving" - somewhat. Perhaps learning to process images rapidly may be a beneficial adaptation in a world with increasing technology. The truth is that we really just don't know, which scares people into grasping at all sorts of explanations.



I have this feeling that your children would have done well with or without TV, as you seem to be a caring parent, and you were blessed with good kids. I think that a lot of the "perils of the day", such as TV and video game use by children, are highly over-rated sare tactics. I have known kids with great parents who did all the "right things" and the kids turned into horrible adults. Conversely I know kids who had all the worst and succeeded wonderfully.

Regardless of our lineage, we are all born with unique traits, we add a little nurture to the nature, some have good luck, some have bad, and we get a wide range of results. Such is life. There are endless possibilities, and our ability to control developmental outcomes simply isn't as good as we think it should be. I'm not suggesting we don't try, but I don't think TV and video games are the prime culprit - just a piece of a much larger puzzle.

WOW!! You took all of my thoughts and worded them masterfully!!! Good post!

 

[FoundMyPrince]

Our children (1, 5 and 7) do not have tvs in their rooms, and they won't as long as they with us. We had one in our bedroom until we moved and decided we didn't need one either. So, just the one tele in the family room!

 

[Mamatoaprincess]

My dd6 has asked for a tv in her room, but the answer has always been no. If we watch tv, it is in the family room as a family. This is what works for us. I agree with a PP that each family has to decide what is best for them and not judge others based their values.

 

[badblackpug]

No and it will remain "no." The American Association of Pediatrics has recommended that children not have televiosions or computers in their bedrooms. I have friends who let their kids "watch TV until they fall asleep" and they are not able to fall asleep any other way, and will not sleep in a room with the light out. We have 2 televisions a large one in the family room, that the video game controller hooked to it (and parental controls) and one in our bedroom. Same goes for computers.

 

[TheDizMom]

When my son was 6 my ILs got him a tv for Christmas because they had inadvertantly given him something too soon and they needed another gift. My DH gave them permission, and I was not happy about it. I didn't think he needed a tv. I was really surprised that after about a month he never ever watched it unless he was sick in bed. It got moved into my DD's room whenever she was sick in bed and that's all it got used for, except the occasional time my DS wanted to watch a DVD(there was a player as part of the tv) alone in his room without his sister to bug him. We have since moved and there isn't a cable outlet in his room so my problem was solved! It never became an issue for us because he hates spending time in his room, and would much rather be wherever my DH or I are. I still am against it until they are at least teenagers if not high school. Neither child has cable capabilities in their rooms this time as we are in an older house and I have no intention of changing that any time soon.

 

[cinjam]

I think the fact that it's readily available just makes it not that big a deal to them.

I totally agreee with this. DS6 has a tv in his room w/a dvd & basic cable. We do not have a tv in the master bath (although I would love one); we do have them in the family room, rec room, kitchen (love that one) and our bedroom.

DS6 watches the one in his room occasionally and generally isn't a tv watcher at all. If we settle down to watch something he'll join us. But he'd rather be outside playing than lounging around being a couch potato (that position is already claimed by DH!).

DS6 got the tv because he had several of the plug & play games & some can't (or shouldn't) be used on LCD tvs. We got him a regular flat screen (not flat panel).

DS3 barely watches tv! There was a time I would have loved to set him up with a Baby Einstien or Elmo video so I could just get a breather, but he just didn't care...still doesn't!

Everyone needs to do whatever works best for their family

 

[trvlnut]

My kids don't have a tv. My 8 year-old has asked for one a couple of times because her friend across the street has one in her room. I told her no and that was the end of it.

My dad gave me a t.v. when I was 12 and I rarely watched it. I don't think it's a big deal, but I don't think I'll put one in my children's room until they are older. Even then, they may not want one.