re: Views on TV

Quoting OneLoveMama:" because reading was not instilled in their daily rhythms."

   

DS is 3 and I don't count how much he watches tv. If I need to make an important phone call I will put on the tv, but he often doesn't watch it. He'd much rather color, play with his toys, or hang all over me lol.

The only time he sits down and watches tv is if we do a movie a night, either Cars or Nemo. Which more often than not we read a few small books or the same book several times.

After bath, before bed, he has about an hour and a half to kill. I let him either choose a movie, or have "quiet time" which consists of reading books, or playing with the toys in his room. Believe it or not most of the time quiet time wins over movies.

He will be 4 in April.

And we also don't have cable so it's not like he's able to really sit and stare at the TV all day anyway lol.

Quoting Black Dynamite:" After bath, before bed, he has about an hour and a half to kill. I let him either choose a movie, or ... [snip!] ... be 4 in April. And we also don't have cable so it's not like he's able to really sit and stare at the TV all day anyway lol."

I wish there was an option to only have certain premium channels because we rarely watch anything on tv besides shows on Showtime. We could always cancel our cable and just buy the seasons on dvd or watch them online, but DH feels that cable is important. The man who is rarely home thinks cable is important for us to have.  

<blockquote><b>Quoting 624582:</b>" I wish there was an option to only have certain premium channels because we rarely watch anything on ... [snip!] ... them online, but DH feels that cable is important. The man who is rarely home thinks cable is important for us to have.  "</blockquote>

We got rid of cable 5 years ago after having it for a year.

One of the best decisions ever.

Quoting 624582:" I wish there was an option to only have certain premium channels because we rarely watch anything on ... [snip!] ... them online, but DH feels that cable is important. The man who is rarely home thinks cable is important for us to have.  "

Not going to lie...we were the sammmeee way for a long time. Finally it just got too expensive. We actually haven't had it since October and I don't really miss it as much as I thought I would!

We do go to redbox a couple times a week..but $10 a month for that still beats having cable. (plus they always send codes for free rentals so that helps!)

Quoting Black Dynamite:" Not going to lie...we were the sammmeee way for a long time. Finally it just got too expensive. We ... [snip!] ... times a week..but $10 a month for that still beats having cable. (plus they always send codes for free rentals so that helps!)"

I just don't see the point anymore. I try to sit down and watch tv, but I'm really not into it. I don't really care for movies, either. We're on a 2 year plan right now, we're almost to a year, so I think I'm just going to not renew the contract once it's up. I'm not sure how canceling a contract works, but I'm under the assumption that it will go on my credit if I break the contract? I'm not sure.

I'd much rather just have internet and rent movies or buy seasons when we want to see something.

Quoting 624582:" I just don't see the point anymore. I try to sit down and watch tv, but I'm really not into it. I don't ... [snip!] ... the contract? I'm not sure. I'd much rather just have internet and rent movies or buy seasons when we want to see something."

We just had to pay a cancellation fee. No biggie.

We rent movies on the weekends (if there's anything worth watching or when we get free codes) and that's about it. It'd actually been pretty refreshing.

And we used to just buy the seasons of shows. Mainly because I liked watching them all at once instead of waiting week after week hahaha.

Quoting OneLoveMama:" because reading was not instilled in their daily rhythms."

MMmmmmm I don't buy it being so simple. I read to my kids all the time & have posted many times about us not doing TV, we have no cable satellite, etc...but my kids NEVER set still for books & I have no clue how much they listen - they also have penises. My niece? awesome. She sets with me & reads the book with me. My two boys? Forget it. Not even while we are in bed & I've read to them since they were tiny babies. I don't think the fact that a child won't set still for a book means they haven't been read to. Dh teases me all the time that I must love children's books because I am the only one who seems to care. :S I DO still read though. I now it is better than not doing it, but don't assumea child who doesn't set for stories hasn't been read to. The ONLY time my kids set for books is if they are ill, which is rare...so I think they've actually sat through a dozen books each in their whole lives (almost 6yrs & 3 yrs). They will come & go & start it & then wander & come back...but they don't actually pay attention at least 60% of the time. I KNOW some of it sinks in anyway though as the 6 yr old has half the more common ones we read memorized....so I purposely mess up the words to get him engaged & correcting me.

Quoting OneLoveMama:" how do you feel about TV and Preschoolers? how often should they be allowed to watch? what should they ... [snip!] ... should they be allowed to watch? How do you feel about NO TV? or occasional TV, maybe just a couple times a week, or less ?"

we don't have tv - as in the thing that's live w/ commercials, so i guess zero hours ever.

we do have a screen and a computer, so max loves watching curious george and we'll watch animated films together.

his new favorite is porko rosso from ghibli studios.

Quoting justanothamotha:" MMmmmmm I don't buy it being so simple. I read to my kids all the time & have posted many times about ... [snip!] ... old has half the more common ones we read memorized....so I purposely mess up the words to get him engaged & correcting me."

my son insists on a story every night and on the weekends every morning in our bed.

he's great about sitting still.

(to point out the fallacy of this being a boy issue).

i think television is HORRIBLE for children's attention and focus. it literally gives me a headache to watch the smurf on kid's tv that comes on these days.

they're so manic w/ how quickly they cut scene-to-scene.

and i mean, fer chrissake, even the APA recommends ZERO TV for children under two years.

Quoting justanothamotha:" MMmmmmm I don't buy it being so simple. I read to my kids all the time & have posted many times about ... [snip!] ... old has half the more common ones we read memorized....so I purposely mess up the words to get him engaged & correcting me."

if that was part of their daily rhythms, same as brushing teeth and eating and going outside or doing circle time, ... whatever may be part of your childs daily rhythms, he/she would sit dowm to listen to a story, especially if they p[icked out the story themselves at the library. It gets their imagination going, teaches them to calm down without being calmed down while being stimulated by TV. Not only that, but it also teaches them to listen while imagine and trains their attention and focus. Also if there are times in the day that TV is not really all that great for kids, it Morning and night time..

Quoting OneLoveMama:" if that was part of their daily rhythms, same as brushing teeth and eating and going outside or doing ... [snip!] ... and focus. Also if there are times in the day that TV is not really all that great for kids, it Morning and night time.."

Should & do are two different things. You go ahead & do that with my kids & see if they sit. They don't. And no - neither of my kids has any neurological or behavioral disorders to my knowledge nor has it ever been suggested by anyone else. They are just busy & not all that interested in a whole book. If I am lucky they will set through a whole game of candy land or the like...and I know they have attention spans because the younger one (almost 3) will set & draw for over an hour easily & the older one will build towers & cities for ages. Books just arne't their thing. I still read to them daily - but as far as setting for it - it doesn't happen.

My point was do NOT assume that a child who doesn't set, doesn't do so because they haven't been read to & have been watching television. I have no doubt some kids set. I've seen it plenty - I've also seen my own kids who get very little TV, read to several times daily, very little processed foods, breastfed forever, etc, etc - still don't set for a book. It isn't because I've somehow set it up that way.

Quoting justanothamotha:" Should & do are two different things. You go ahead & do that with my kids & see if they sit. ... [snip!] ... processed foods, breastfed forever, etc, etc - still don't set for a book. It isn't because I've somehow set it up that way."

you haven't.

some kids need more stimulation than a book, they're little animals w/ a lot of energy to burn... you shouldn't feel bad about it whatsoever!

but i do think TV - w/ commercials is horrible these days, and i'd rather kids were exposed to slower simpler videos rather than the insanity of tv.

I hate silence so the TV is always on. Sometimes they watch it, sometimes they are playing.