Reducing Kids' TV Time - Tips for Parents

[tumor]

Tv

I might be getting married soon,after that i get kids I think, that is how things go..
If I have kids I'm planning to get rid of TV, not forbid kids to watch but to minimize as much as possible and propably I won't be taking them to the movies.
My reason for doing this is i don't want to make them stupid, rather give them some books, listen to music from radio or go for a walk.
CHECK THIS:related little bit to what I'm talking about.

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=67497

 

[dekoi]

I might be getting married soon,after that i get kids I think, that is how things go..
If I have kids I'm planning to get rid of TV, not forbid kids to watch but to minimize as much as possible and propably I won't be taking them to the movies.
My reason for doing this is i don't want to make them stupid, rather give them some books, listen to music from radio or go for a walk.
CHECK THIS:related little bit to what I'm talking about.

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=67497

I suggest "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman.

TV is "good" for its junk. It is only when it attempts to communicate serious methods of discourse -- such as culture and religion -- does it become dangerous to the mind of children and adults alike. However, i also think that the television should not be completely taken away from the children, but rather minimized.

As for the movies -- movies are good in every aspect. Although it depends on what movies they are. Some movies are absolutely genius, and will teach the children various interesting and helpful things. Films are not the same as TV. Take for example, A Clockwork Orange -- the film is a work of genius, and can be analyzed from an analytical, philosophical perspective. It is good for children to watch these sorts of movies (although my example is a little more adult-centered).

The most important thing you should do is teach your children what the meaning of entertainment is. Teach them aesthetics (at a kids level). Once they understand what is good and what is absolute crap, expose them to anything, and they will either reject it because it's crap, or accept it because it is good.

 

[Moonbear]

That's an interesting article you located. What's odd is, they state that their living conditions were unacceptable, but, in reality, although they were crude, from the description, they sounded pretty decent. It didn't sound like they were living in squalor and eating rotten food, but had a tidy little lean-to, kept their food cold in a cold stream, and pretty much lived the way the pioneers lived as they began to occupy the US.

It's your choice if you don't want a TV in your home when you are raising children, but I don't think it's necessary to accomplish your goals. Good supervision will accomplish the same thing. If you raise your kids so that TV is a rare treat, rather than continuously on, they will learn to go outside and play and read books, etc. This is how I was raised. I was allowed to watch two shows on TV, Sesame Street and The Electric Company (another educational kid's show that was on PBS right after Sesame Street). Even when I was sick, I didn't get to watch TV all day, I was given one of those big activity books, and could lie in bed and color, do word-find puzzles, read, or go back to sleep. When you're sitting awake in the middle of the night rocking a baby who won't sleep, you're going to wish you had a TV to watch some movies.

 

[tumor]

The most important thing you should do is teach your children what the meaning of entertainment is. Teach them aesthetics (at a kids level). Once they understand what is good and what is absolute crap, expose them to anything, and they will either reject it because it's crap, or accept it because it is good.

Those a words of wisdom, thanks.

I'm tough guy but when I saw that story about father/daughter living in forrest, i almost cried

 

[Dooga Blackrazor]

Have there been any results to show what minimizing t.v. does in the later years. I would be curious to know if it causes children to want to watch t.v. at a later age because of lack of exposure. I know I was aloud to watch television and rarely watch it in comparison to most people my age.

 

[Vega]

You don't automatically get kids when you get married you know. It's a good idea to discuss beforehand whether or not you both want them, and if you both do, then issues such as how many and how they'll be raised.

It's not solely your decision about getting rid of the TV. You may be planning on being tv-less while your future spouse may be planning on 24/7 Teletubbies and Blue's Clues as a pacifier (and once you have kids you'll understand why that can be necessary at times). Talk about what the plans are before you have the kids.

 

[tumor]

Oh! I forgot about stupyfing computer use.Gonna have to cut cable and internet for kids.those are hard choices but rewarding later in live.
One thing worriess me,my kids won't fit into the sociall group at school.
They will be laugh at for not knowing latests fads, kids can be v.cruel to one another.


P.S For example , i stopped watching TV almost completelly but instead i spend my whole free time addicted to the internet's message boards.

 

[honestrosewater]

You kids will face risk in everything they do. Teaching them to be safe is better than denying them potentially beneficial options.

 

[honestrosewater]

A 53-year-old disabled veteran and college graduate is mowing lawns for a pittance. Too bad Bank of America didn't set up a "write your congressperson" campaign I'll be writing anyway.

Anyway, why not homeschool your kids? Homeschooling is less expensive, easier, and more dynamic with computers and the internet.

 

[Integral]

You walk a fine line. By denying access to TV and other mass media you could well make it the forbidden fruit. I grew up in an era when not everyone had television, it appeared that those who did NOT have easy access were MORE fascinated, in fact mesmerized when they actually did come into contact. Those who were used to it could take it or leave it, if fact many of us learned to leave it by personal choice, not parental dictate. That is the best situation.

There is much value in learning defensive TV watching, this can only be done with experience, to deny children access to TV denies them this experience. TV is part of our culture, sooner or later, it will be a part of your children's life. You must teach them how to deal with it, banning it from the house is not the way to do it.

 

[singleton]

Don't do it. TV is great. With moderation.

 

[loseyourname]

Your genes do a lot more to make your children stupid than television does. The worst it can do is kill their attention span and maybe alter their tastes in a direction you don't like.

 

[Ba]

I grew up and we only watched TV for movies, we weren't connected (satellite doesn't work because we're in a little valley, and cable would be expensive to run). Internet never really interested me too much, but now with a cable modem it's a lot more interesting, that and discovering this site. ALthough I have to admit I played a lot of games instead of doing what I was supposed to be doing, but I've got along fine even if I'm still not doing my homework.