I banned TV last night! I need support!

[missypie]

Mean Mommies of the world, unite!

 

[nkjzmom]

Originally posted by missypie
Mean Mommies of the world, unite!

That is so funny.....right after Samantha was born my kids would tell my DH that they wished the nice mommy would come back instead of the mean mommy! I guess I was a little tired

 

[GlennandAnn]

I have thought so many times about banning TV. My 5 year old turns into a zombie in front of it, and I can't stand it. I have already decided that tomorrow is a "no TV day", which also means a no computer day. He complains when I make him turn it off, he whines that there is nothing for him to do (nevermind the toy room full of toys, the basement full of toys, the coloring books, the regular books, the board games!! ) but can busy himself with something constructive pretty quickly when forced.


Ann

 

[JayCT]

Reading this thread made me angry. Once again a parent is trying to "save" their children from the "evils" of television. What you actually are doing is over-reacting to an activity that you perceive is not good for your child or don't like to do yourself. I am not saying that kids should be allowed to sit in front of the set all day, but shutting off TV completely isn't the answer either. You should balance TV watching with other activities. The same goes for watching TV during the school year. There is nothing wrong with it if their homework is done and they have had an active day.

The goal in raising a child should be to have a child that is well balanced and can fit-in with their peers in order to become a productive member of our society. Most people today watch television, that is a fact. Denying your child an activity most other children are doing will only make them feel out of place. The parents of a boy I went to school with did not allow him to watch TV. He was an outcast and I always felt sorry for him.

I also find it hypocritical that someone who spends time on a computer posting these things should limit TV watching. Sitting at a computer and posting on these Boards is basically the same thing as watching TV. You are saying "do as I say, not as I do". I know this sounds strong and I apologize, but it is what I think.

Too many parents today are trying to make their children to be perfect. It sets a standard that is too high for anyone to reach and can cause undue anxiety and failure in the long run. Encourage your childrens strengths, help them with their weaknesses and diversify their activities. And most of all stop declaring "war" on things. That will get you a child that is happy and a good member of our society. Jay

 

[missypie]

We've already talked about how they can choose several TV shows to watch...maybe 4 hours a week instead of 4 hours a day!

What we are trying to get away from is having TV be the default activity-utter vegetation. A child does not need to watch 6 consecutive Full House reruns to fit in and be a prductive member of society. If a new Disney Channel movie comes out, I will let them watch it once all the way through; now, since Disney plays the movie back to back all weekend, they WATCH it back to back all weekend.

Also, I disagree that posting on these boards is the same thing as watching TV. Watching TV is totally passive. Posting requires at least a bit of thought, typing skill, the ability to put a sentence together, etc. (I DO, however, admit that I spend too much time here! )

 

[nkjzmom]

JayCT....point well taken. But when I took the tv "away" it was mostly because I objected to 99% of what is being shown. There are just a few choice channels that have worthwhile shows...I was tired of all the filthy things that I was allowing to come into my home.

We have plenty of movies that we can veg to after a busy day.

 

[JayCT]

I know what you mean about the things that are available on TV and we try hard to push our DSs (8 and 7) toward better programs. Fortunately, DS8 is a huge baseball fan and we do not need to monitor what he watches, it is always a sports channel (though the commercials on these channels can be a little questionable). DS 7 is still watching Nickelodeon for the most part. We are however always watching what is on when they are watching. There are some cartoons that DS7 is watching that we do not necessarily approve of, but again it is what kids watch these days. Anyway I hope I was not too strong in my post and apologize for the rant. Jay

 

[Pin Wizard]

Good luck! We've been without cable since our move in March. So far, so good, but I'm really tired of hearing the Gilligan's Island and Cosby Show DVDs. And I have to admit that I miss The Nanny terribly! I want that show back!! And I keep checking...it's not on DVD. If it were, I'd be fine!!