Going TV Free - Have you done it with your kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: We don't watch TV in our household -- any of us, including the adults -- because we prefer to read. We don't have cable. We do watch a video occasionally. Certainly TVs are "part of the real world," but so are a lot of other things that we don't do in our home. However, I don't forbid TV and won't forbid it when my child goes to a friend's house. In the same vein, we're vegetarian but we won't forbid our child to eat meat. We eat sweets in moderation, but we don't eat junk. Of course my child will eat some junk occasionally. But in my view, it's much more fun to eat some really fabulous chocolate or another great dessert. Why eat junk full of high-fructose corn syrup when you can have a yummy creme brulee? I hope my child will be able to make good choices. I don't think we have to "watch TV in moderation" to ensure that.

Here's another point for you: I think the fact that people get on here and say "you shouldn't let your kids watch TV" or "Here's how we eat...it's way better than how you feed your children" (not real quotes of course) or any of these judgements are unnecessary.

I'm sure as parents we all fail in some respect. Maybe you're good at educating and engaging your child, but you aren't good at making healthy meals. Maybe you feed your child perfectly but you have a crappy marriage. Whatever. Live and let live. NONE of us are perfect. Example: Dr. Spock's grandson Peter committed suicide.

Do the best you can with what you got. Good luck to all (we ALL need it!

I agree with your point about judgments though I'm not sure why you're directing it at me. (I'm the 15:02 poster.) I don't think I said anywhere in my post that you (or anyone) should do anything. I was simply replying to the OP, who asked if other families are TV free. As an aside I was replying to posters who think not allowing TV will breed a TV junkie. It works for my family; I'm not saying you or anyone else should do the same. I think the OP was interested in hearing from TV-free families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:50 said: "My sisters kids go nuts when they see a TV - they scream and cry if it gets turned off and turn into zombies when it is on....."everything in moderation" is a good motto. The fact is, TV's are part of the real world - what will you do when they are older and going to other peoples houses on their own, etc? "

My experience is the opposite. I took my 3-year-old to playgroup, and the tv was on. As the kids entered, most of them flocked to the tv and stared until an adult finally turned it off 10-20 minutes later. My non-tv-watcher took one look at the tv and walked away, heading for the cool toys!

Or you could look at it this way... all the other kids had something in comon and hung out together watching tv. And yours went off on his/her own without socializing with the other kids. It's all relative.