Anyone getting by with no tv, cable?

[Anonymous]

Just got rid of tv. Now the kids are pestering me to play on the computer.
What kind of experiences have you had in adjusting to post tv life?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just got rid of tv. Now the kids are pestering me to play on the computer.
What kind of experiences have you had in adjusting to post tv life?

We never really had cable TV. Just regular broadcast TV. But lots of kids DVDs.

[Anonymous]

We got rid of the cable about a year ago after our son was born - we were trying to cut costs. I never really watched tv to begin with, but husband was an addict. He's been renting tv series from Netflix and watching stuff on his computer to satisfy his junkie urges Since our son is so young, I can't really say how it would go over if he was used to watching programs. I'd just rent DVDs if you can. Do you have a Wii, I hear they can be great entertainment.

[Anonymous]

Haven't had cable in about 5 years - just broadcast tv. We don't watch much tv -- the kids watch PBS cartoons after school and DVD's on weekends. We get Netflix and DH and I watch those DVD's in the evenings after the kids are in bed. We're dreading the DTV switch actually - because we don't pick up many stations (including PBS) with the converter and the crappy antenna we have. I've been resisting getting cable again and don't want to dish out a ton of money for a rooftop antenna. Still not sure what we're going to do but have considered basically surviving off of DVD's...

[zumbamama]

I don't have cable, just basic tv, which doesn't have a lot of options. I'm so glad we got rid of cable. The kids play a lot more now. I keep a big stock of art supplies and they are always drawing, crafting, building, designing books (aww they take after me : ) building legos and a bunch of other creative activities. I do have a lot of computers, so they play games and watch an occasional movie on them...but I don't have a big DVD collection...so the creative stuff pretty much dominates their time. But I love it when they pop in the Yogakids DVD and actually do it. Oh and playing with the cats keeps them entertained! Card games, board games, dominoes, puzzles.There's a million ways to live without tv.

[Anonymous]

We don't watch TV. Don't have cable. We do watch a DVD one or two times per week.

[Anonymous]

We have never had cable because we didn't want to pay for it but do get good reception of digital channels with an antenna in the attic. The digital channels are actually pretty good. My kids are older and kid 1 watches very little TV and never really has (doesn't have time or interest). Kid 2 (middle schooler) watches quite a bit of TV but is very interested, without any real direction from us, in PBS shows. He is currently watching the Little Dorritt series which prompted him to go to the bookstore to buy David Copperfield to read for fun. Has also watched a ton of the various history shows on PBS (loves the Jews in America one, the Pompeii one, etc.). Not sure if that helps you but we found that TV has actually been a positive influence. And before people get all riled up about sedentary lifestyles - this is a kid who plays travel soccer, camps with Boy Scouts, etc so not a couch potato by any stretch.

[Anonymous]

We did not have a TV until about 18 months ago. Kids were not used to having one, so a DVD was a huge treat. When I needed to divert them for a little while, I'd pop in a DVD. Now that we have TV they are like little addicts- they would watch every day if I let them!!

[Anonymous]

09:56 - I lucked into a digital converter at work, and it's fantastic. We crash out and watch a little after the baby's gone to bed. With the new box, we get a few more channels - two, maybe three more PBS stations, including one that's almost entirely cooking shows, and WETA Kids - and the reception is beautiful. No more snow.

I also bought a cable to hook the computer to the television, so we watch shows from Hulu. Next best thing to a TiVo.

[Anonymous]

We got rid of our TV a few years ago. The best decision I ever made! I never watched TV, but DH was an addict. He's very happy now that the box is gone. Our kids read all the time and are really creative at finding ways to play together. They love DVDs, which we use as rewards for good behavior and at special times when we need some parent time and want them to be quiet. But they only get DVDs ever other week, on average. DH and I watch a few shows online when we want a TV fix. I never thought we'd manage without a TV, but it's incredibly liberating. I'm never going back. Also, we don't have Wii, nor any electronic games, nor do we let our kids play games on the computer. The beg us to take them to the library several times a week to get more books. It's not for every family, but it works for us. (If DH were a sports nut, I don't think we could have done it.)

[Anonymous]

Now that we have a child (and very little free time), I'd love to get rid of our TV and just use DVDs. If we have it then I watch it and it is such a time suck. We turn it own after son goes to bed and next thing you know it is bedtime and I've wasted my only free time of the day with some useless reality show! Without it, maybe I'd finally get around to organizing those old photos or reading a good book. I once spent six month without a tv a few years ago and I found that I didn't miss it. This would be a tough sell for my husband. I think the challenge would be not to replace TV time with computer time.