How much TV...

[Anonymous]

I agree, however there are more parents that use it as a way to subdue their children's behavior than use it as a learning tool. There are people that chronically have it on and are more of the rule than the exception that you are pointing out. Most people here will probably not

I'm not saying that there is not a time and place to use the TV to distract your child from raising cain, but I do feel that people use it more often than they should for that. Do we really want to teach our kids to use the television as a way to calm down and regroup?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree, however there are more parents that use it as a way to subdue their children's behavior than use it as a learning tool. There are people that chronically have it on and are more of the rule than the exception that you are pointing out. Most people here will probably not

I'm not saying that there is not a time and place to use the TV to distract your child from raising cain, but I do feel that people use it more often than they should for that. Do we really want to teach our kids to use the television as a way to calm down and regroup?

every parent has some kind of 'trick' or 'tool' to subdue their children's behavior. what's yours? do you tell your kid to go to their room and read a book? does that make reading books BAD?

[Anonymous]

If my child learns to use reading as a way to calm down, great! TV, not great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If my child learns to use reading as a way to calm down, great! TV, not great.

But probably not the end of the world, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree, however there are more parents that use it as a way to subdue their children's behavior than use it as a learning tool. There are people that chronically have it on and are more of the rule than the exception that you are pointing out. Most people here will probably not

I'm not saying that there is not a time and place to use the TV to distract your child from raising cain, but I do feel that people use it more often than they should for that. Do we really want to teach our kids to use the television as a way to calm down and regroup?

every parent has some kind of 'trick' or 'tool' to subdue their children's behavior. what's yours? do you tell your kid to go to their room and read a book? does that make reading books BAD?

I set boundaries and there are consequences for overstepping the boundaries. However I do not turn on the TV if I just don't want to deal with my son and once again, I DO see parents doing this very often. They are not ashamed and readily admit their children watch hours of television per week. I think that's lazy parenting and I don’t think it benefits kids at all-sorry. We only have one TV in the house and its way in the basement and we spend most of our time on the main level. We've simply learned other ways to cope with normal toddler behavior. Your comment is correct partly, when he does start to get on my nerves and run wild, we do get in the rocking chair a read a few stories, its actually one of his favorite things to do. I will be thrilled if when he grows up he finds relaxation in books, I certainly will take that over the TV. I don't set out to intentionally shun the TV, however it is simply not a major way our family interacts and spends time together. Most of my friends are shocked that we can live in our house with no TV attached to the kitchen/family room space, but you might be surprised how easy it actually is to find other ways to keep oneself entertained.

You cannot compare book reading to TV watching. Completely different. No one here needs it spelled out why either.

[Anonymous]

I don't evaluate the tv usage much, unless I see it is on "too much", which really depends on how much I'm noticing it.

My only child (important to mention) in my single family household (again important to mention) watches tv over breakfast, while I'm getting ready for work. And we watch at night together (about an hour). Sometimes during the day too, and sometimes a lot, but then I'll turn it off and be monitoring it more for the next few days.

[Anonymous]

sorry, meant single parent.

[Anonymous]

SAHM with a 24-month-old. She watches TV very rarely -- when one of us is sick or I am extra exhausted. Maybe 30 minutes every couple of weeks?

I can see this changing when #2 arrives. Can't promise I'll always be so "virtuous" - ha.

[Anonymous]

I look at the anti-tv evangelism pretty much the same way I look at all evangelism, whether it be religious, political, personal, or sales related. It's a personal choice for the believer that has nothing whatsoever to do with me.

Just like when I couldn't breastfeed and the La Leche League representative intimated that I was simultaneously starving, sickening, and retarding my child. The tone was similarly self-important and smug, with similar 'studies' trotted out. 3.5 years later, my son can read 25+ words by himself, write his name, and count to 50.

Leaving TV out of your child's life doesn't make you a better parent, but suggesting that someone is lazy and uninvolved in their child's life simply because they make different choices from you probably does.

[Anonymous]

for does, see doesn't. Oops. Must be all that TV.

Although since I've read copious books, who's to say it's not them?