No TV for a week...?

[SDFgirl]

DH and I are just starting to realize how much we have the TV on, even when we're not really watching it. I think the thing that's made us realize this is noticing how our DD, just 6 months old, just stares at the TV whenever it's on.

We've decided to turn off the TV for one week, starting on Monday morning. We can only turn it on to listen to music on the digital radio station. I'm interested to see how this little experiment will turn out.

Has anyone else drastically cut down or eliminated TV in their households? Tell me all about it...

 

[beckmrk04]

we have cut way back on tv- and I do what you guys are about to do: in the evenings when I'm home with DD, I turn on the kids music station on the tv, and we play, read books, she plays with her toys and I sit on the floor and read a magazine. I also turn the computer OFF so I'm not even tempted to look something up or check my e-mail or DIS.

I just realized how plugged in I was all the time, and I didn't want dd to be that way too, and then not be able to figure out how to play or pretend or entertain herself.

DH has a harder time with it- he's so used to the background noise that he can't stand quiet.

 

[mannasn]

I've been having some intense pangs of mommy guilt about watching too much TV since my baby came home from kindergarten with a picture he drew of me "lying in bed watching TV."
Incidentally, in the picture he and his brother "were asleep in bed" and Daddy was "putting a box in the attic." ???

I'll readily admit that I'm addicted to TV. I'm trying to cut back, I really am!

 

[beckmrk04]

I've been having some intense pangs of mommy guilt about watching too much TV since my baby came home from kindergarten with a picture he drew of me "lying in bed watching TV."
Incidentally, in the picture he and his brother "were asleep in bed" and Daddy was "putting a box in the attic." ???

I'll readily admit that I'm addicted to TV. I'm trying to cut back, I really am!

ooooh, the mommy guilt is the worst kind!

I'm more addicted to surfing the net- but I just started turning the computer completely off. Problem fixed. I wait til dd is asleep to turn it back on. Then I'm up too late.

 

[crzyred]

I actually had a school assignment once to give up TV for a week.

For me, it wasn't hard because I didn't have cable. There were few shows my parents let me watch, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

To do it now, however, would be much harder for me. Although, I have cut myself back. There are shows I used to watch but didn't pick them back up this year because I really didn't want to sit and watch TV every night.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

I'm not a big TV person, but it might kill me to turn off the computer for a week. DH is a BIG TV person, though (mostly watches movies) and I think his psyche would be permanently deranged by cutting out TV!

 

[babytrees]

We do it once a year during summer for a week.....but we also take it a bit farther...no "extra" computer...it's a reminder to not be dependent on outside sources for our entertainment. With kiddos it can be hard.

 

[mannasn]

ooooh, the mommy guilt is the worst kind!

I know!

I'm trying to rationalize it to myself by saying "he sees me lying in bed because... I work night shift and sleep days" (so the normal times he's awake, I'm asleep).

Which is guilt-inducing too, when I think about it!

 

[dreamin in pa]

I'm not a big TV person, but it might kill me to turn off the computer for a week. DH is a BIG TV person, though (mostly watches movies) and I think his psyche would be permanently deranged by cutting out TV!

This is us too. I could care less about the tv but I love my computer. With DH it's not movies but car shows. I've tried cutting down the tv time for the kids, keeping it off all afternoon. All they do is argue about it anyway.

 

[bavaria]

I prefer books, radio, music, and the occassional film (but I don't watch many American films)

I was recently in a hotel for 5 weeks and my TV didn't work the entire time - I didn't care and didn't miss it.

 

[DISUNC]

NOW that the writers are back to work, you shut the TV off????????

Ya shoulda did this last month!

 

[Doe]

We've had to cut off the tv after school until 7pm. The kids would come home and head straight for the tv's. So, now no tv until 7 and homework must be done. It's worked out fine. They've survived.

 

[beckmrk04]

We've had to cut off the tv after school until 7pm. The kids would come home and head straight for the tv's. So, now no tv until 7 and homework must be done. It's worked out fine. They've survived.

I like this. Of course, my dd is too young for it to matter much, but I am definitely going tohave some rules about tv on school nights. Ugh- and in the summer.

Go outside, kiddos! When I was little my mom would tell us to go potty, grab a drink, and head outside. And we were not to come back in for a specified amount of time, unless it was an emergency (and she even defined acceptable emergencies). Looking back, I'm glad she didn't just let me sit inside and watch tv all day. I have very fond memories of our backyard shenanigans with the neighbor kids.

 

[mannasn]

I've been threatening cutting off our satellite/cable for months to try to cut down on our TV watching. I'm probably the guiltiest party when it come sto TV watching in our house... Truth be told, we'd probably just spend more at Blockbuster in exchange (although that's my hubby's vice, I'm not much of a movie watcher).

 

[mselly13]

We have shut the TV off for the last 2 summers. Starting in early May and going until Sept. 1. We have only basic TV, I think we get like 5 channels. But we try to spend more time outside or going for walks or having family game night. It's been wonderful around here. We do occasionally turn it on long enough to watch news but then it's right back off. News only. Also, try reading books...great time to read to your DD.

 

[azgal81]

My aunt and uncle shut off the TV all summer long! They have four kids ranging in ages 18-3 so yes it can be done. Some households don't even have a TV! I never watched much TV growing up my parents didn't even have cable so there was really nothing ever on.

 

[SydSim]

I have always been a tv watcher. I never had restrictions on my tv time when I was a child. I did my homework while the tv was on (and was an honor roll student and graduated from college, too!)

That being said, we always allowed Dd-11 to watch as much tv as she wanted after her schoolwork was done. We found that her homework was too sloppy and incomplete, so we decided to change the rules last year. She isn't allowed to watch tv at all from Monday thru Thursday. After watching so much tv for around 8 years or so, she really didn't have a problem adjusting at all. We will record some things occasionally that come on in the week, so that she can watch them on the weekends.

I do find that her homework habits are better. She isn't the type of child that can have the tv on and do a good job with her studies.

Me, I start having withdrawal when the power is out and I can't watch my cable

 

[SydSim]

I know!

I'm trying to rationalize it to myself by saying "he sees me lying in bed because... I work night shift and sleep days" (so the normal times he's awake, I'm asleep).

Which is guilt-inducing too, when I think about it!

I totally understand what you mean. I work nights too and a few years ago, DD told DSIL that I had a "sleeping problem".

I feel guilty being in the bed when Dd comes home from school. I stay in bed until she finishes her homework, then I get up and start dinner and spend time with her. I suppose I could get up right before she comes in Oh, I don't know. If I did, I'd probably find something else to feel guilty about

 

[Beth76]

I could turn off the tv for a week. But I have tivo so I would just watch double the tv next week.

 

[Fitswimmer]

I blame my parents for my TV addiction! During the school year, I couldn't watch TV from Sunday night (after Wonderful World of Disney, of course) until Friday night. The TV went off after the evening news and it was time for HW or reading.

I didn't have a TV in my room until I was in college. But once I did-it was on nearly ALL the time!!

I tried giving it up for a couple hours a day during Lent last year and had a really hard time with it. I live alone, so even if I'm not really paying attention to what's on, I like the sound of voices in the house.