I've been thinking about this myself as I am also up here in the North and it has been a long winter. I work ft and my daughter is in pre-school ft. There is no tv at her pre-school. We have different rules for weekdays and weekends.

During the week, she watches a 1/2 hour of Scooby Doo pretty much every night. She needs jammies on and her teeth brushed and then usually at least one of us will watch it with her and a lot of times we all sit down and watch it together as a family. I usually also brush her hair during this time. This is all before stories and we make sure that we are reading for at least as long (we try and shoot for twice as long) as she watched tv.

During the weekend, the rules are a bit different and the tv is on more - usually in the mornings. We are big fans of dvd's but she is also allowed a bit of regular tv when we can't find something we agree on at the library. Usually one of us is with her when she is watching and the other one is using the time to get something done around the house.

We talk pretty openly about why it is important to not just watch tv and how about our growing bodies and minds need lots of activities to thrive.

i appreciate everyone's different perspectives. It feels good to be connected to people who are thinking about this and trying different ways to deal with it. We are trying to walk a middle road, and it helps to examine our own behavior with TV. We've made a conscious effort to reduce our own exposure too, whether the kids are around or not. I do use it to zone sometimes, but we are committed to finding lots of ways to do that, not just tv.

Anyway, thanks for sharing all your thoughts!

We don't have a TV, and that's about 80% because I'd waste my life away if we had one. I love escaping. Right now, I do it with food and the internet. I'm working on that. On some things, though, I just choose not to have them in my life. TV is one of those.

I LOVE TV--certain shows, anyway. And I miss it. But I see that missing-ness as withdrawls, because watching TV does not contribute much positive to my life. I get more done, thought, played, etc. without one. And since H is only 10 mo., she's neurologically too young to be watching the thing, anyway, IMHO.

It's on at daycare during "transition times"--usually when Deb is making lunch or the first 20 minutes before all the kids get there. And my family LOVES TV, so when we're visiting somewhere, it's generally on. I'm sure we'll have fights when she's older, if we don't have one at that point (and I will never pay for cable or dish. I will only consider it if I can get it a la carte. If I only like five channels, I should only have to pay for the five channels I watch.)

However, I am starting to consider getting a television and a DVD player in a year or two. I do love movies, and I could rent shows the same way. I do look fondly upon some of the classics I remember from when I was growing up, and I do see a difference between them and, say, Prime Time Cable. So that's my take on it at this point.

We don't own a tv. Once or twice a month they can watch a carefully chosen video on the laptop, which is really much more than I am comfortable with. Maybe once a week at most they see it at school in a magic schoolbus episode sort of way. I am not going to have one in my house ever again and am pretty frustrated that it is usexd at school. My kids read to each other, don't play video games, and typically are too busy with creative or outdoor play to ever even have time for that kind of thing. They are five and nine. We have been screen free for four years.
"Like dear St Francis of Assisi I am wedded to Poverty: but in my case the marriage is not a success." Oscar Wilde

and the great convo it's spawning!

Yes! TV sucks! I have a "kill your television" bumper sticker. I totally agree with Henry...in theory. In practice, it has been harder with a kid not to give in to the idiot box. We let him watch one or two PBS shows a day. In the morning, this helps us get him ready, as someone said before, with a minimal amount of fuss. It's not what I would prefer, believe me. I don't think that TV should be used as a pacifier or babysitter, for sure. I'm also not going to apologize for needing a break and turning on Sesame Street or Curious George to get some peace. I feel better about it because there are not commercials and it's pretty benign programming. but it's still "programming." I don't like it, but I'm human and I need "me" time in order to be the best mama I can be.

"revolution is not a one time event" Audre Lorde

We had no tv for a long time an now he is watching some. I put on PBS curious george in the morning & that's it. He will spring out of bed to watch it. It has been enormously helpful because he wakes up some, snuggles on the couch and will be distracted enough to let me help him get dressed with no hassles about clothing choices or breakfast choices. I can buzz around getting ready for the gym with no drama. It isn't on at all the rest of the day. Sometimes we may rent a movie or watch a movie as a family ( our in-laws are pretty fond of movies for gifts). I'm ok with this much tv in our lives right now but I worry that he may be catching a bit of tv when I am not at home & my hubby sneaks some. I personally watch none *ever*. I'll tell you this: Tv and commercials drive me nuts now. Seriously, they send me over the edge & I get annoyed beyond belief when I am in a room with a tv turned on to regular old network tv. I think commercials mess with our synapses.

I am truly ambivalent here. I think that the no-tv mama above is correct. But I am very much lackadasical about adhering to those ideas. Well, I have come along way in my relationship with TV.

I used to be the 'tv-nazi'. A few years ago, childless and with one roommate, we watched no TV. We had a set hooked up to DVD and stereo, but no channels. I liked it this way. Chosing to watch a movie or TV show series, and then turning it off. I woke up one morning and they had hooked the TV up and were watching morning network news. I was furious. "So this is how it's going to be? You two staring at the idiot box every f*cking morning?" Even I was suprised how vehement my reaction was.

It was pretty much commercials and network TV that I loathed. The first season of Mr. Show was more than welcome, as were any of the millions of movies we watched and rented. But the 'buy this and you'll be happy' crap could take a hike. The sensationalist news, the reality shows. The entire showcase of human depravity on a glittering platter. Once, I actually heard a newscaster say 'and child-molesting gym teachers! at eleven' -it was a vamp for the evening news.

I believe that by and large, the message they are selling is corrupt. I think TV might have had a big hand in the depression I dealt with as a kid. They are telling you 'buying this product will make you happy'. No one is happy. They're all on prozac. TV is a sham.

That said, I think it is totally reasonable for an adult/young adult to 'veg' out and not think about all our modern worries for a few hours or an afternoon. I think there's a lot of potential for learning, good efficient learning, with NOVA and PBS and Mr. Wizard and the like. Soaps and game shows are so much fluff, and fairly harmless, like all the innane sit-coms and stuff. I must admit I sometimes turn on the TV for background.

I think the real problem is teens. When they are old enough to choose their own shows, the shows and messages they have to choose from suck. High-school kid's heads are full of bullshit. I don't see the majority doing anything about that, and they (the kids) seem to figure it all out eventually.

My son is 13 months. I have tried to get him to appreciate the odd cartoon animal/song. I love to play the SchoolHouse Multiplication rock. I LOVE, love love kids movies. And am actually really looking forward to snuggling up on the couch with him and watching disney or bill nye.

What I worry about is the power rangers phase. When he is old enough to ask for it himself. When he wants to watch the shows his friends watch. I don't want to alienate him. But I do want to limit the amount of plastic and sugar that TV will want him to love.

I think we will chose to watch programs together that we can benefit from. I plan to learn and snuggle if I'm going to watch TV. But I wonder what I will do when he starts asking for shows that I feel illustrate garbadge ideas and actions.

It would be hard to quantify the negative effect of that ultra-processed consumer message, but I don't want to fight too hard against it either, that'd be like giving it more power. I'd like to think that we can find alternatives to just sitting in front of the boob tube. And that sometimes it is okay to relax and be entertained by silly antics, or to use TV as a tool and be amazed. There are a lot of good movies and a lot of good documentaries out there.

I'm hoping I can put TV in it's place. We'll see how I do.

This is an issue with us right now.

DS (2) was really sick a while back and just wanted to lay in bed so I put some DVD's on for him (and me since I was a prisoner), I also let him watch Sesame Street in the morning so I can get breakfast and coffee in me before having to fully engage. Now all he asks for is TV. I am trying not to give in because where I do not have a problem with limited watching, I do have a problem with extended watching and it just creeps me out to see him staring at the screen in a total daze. I don't watch during the day myself, maybe the occasional DVR'd show during nap, but I don't like it on constantly. It is hard when I need to get something done and he is trying to pull me away to play or constantly needs my attention, I just don't want to fall into the trap of turning it on to tune him out.

This morning I made us breakfast and we ate outside and got the chalk out and drew all over the patio so I was able to skip even Sesame Street. I see a battle with myself and him to make sure that neither one of us makes it a habit to keep him occupied. I am not looking forward to the summer where we are shut in the house for most of the day (it gets over 110 here).

My oldest is 3.5, youngest is 1. We limit tv watching. Our TV is on the third floor - so it doesn't loom in the main living area as a constant reminder. I'm a SAHM mom, DD 3.5 watches 20 min to 1 hour on days she watches TV. I would say she watches maybe 4 days/week. We have tivo, so the 3 TV shows she watches are sesame street, blues clues, and wonder pets - all with commercials edited out (but obviously not all three in the same day). I'm comfortable with these shows because there is no violence. I can't stand the violent kid shows! She gets really scared/nervous when characters are distressed/fighting - earlier this week she was allowed to watch old school superman cartoons at a friends house & was so freaked out by them (and I was pissed - playdates are for playing!!)

She rarely watches a whole movie - though the whole family is down with pixar. DH & I never watch TV around the kids unless we are watching with DD or if there is a sporting event on (which we usually tivo to watch later).
She goes to school for 3 hours/day 5 days/ week & there is no TV there.

I don't think TVs belong in family rooms or bedrooms.

I admit I love to zone out after the kids are in bed and watch a movie or TV show that I like - but I hate the idea of my kids zoning out. I feel very strongly that families in general watch too much TV when they should be connecting. I think daytime TV is useless. At the same time, I have some shows I enjoy, love a good movie, and do like the brief time I can use TV to occupy DD on rough days. I've been dicking around on the computer for the last 30 minutes while she romps around in make-believe land completely content, so maybe kids should be given more credit in their ability to entertain themselves.

My kid is three, I am a stay at home mom with a kid home/with me all the time. We have no tv. He doesn't watch tv or dvd's anywhere in the course of an average week or month, though he occasionally sees it at someone else's house (but from another room, he still doesn't get to watch it - we really are that lame!) My husband and I sometimes watch dvd's on the computer but I wish we didn't do it more than once a month or so.

I used to work in film and video, studied it in school, watched a ton of it - I make no distinction between tv with commercials or dvd's - 90% (or more) of what is sold on tv (or on "shows", or movies) is not sold during the commercials. The cartoons are basically long entertaining commercials for toys, products and idea and tv shows with people are pretty much long commercials for lifestyles, products and ideas. I am not saying it's evil. I do think it sells things, mostly indirectly. I participated in this, I know how to do it, and I don't want my kid all wrapped up in it when he's too young to understand. I don't think he can break down ad messages at his age. I don't think that kids who are incapable of thinking abstractly (too young for it still) have any hope of really understanding the sales nature of tv/advertising etc. And even when they are old enough to grasp it they are still susceptible to it. I know some adults who claim their kids totally "get it" at two, or that they (the adults in this case) "aren't effected" by it. I disagree. It's not bad or wrong, it is a choice.

in our case any is too much for our kid, and very little is probably too much even for us adults. we do other stuff and we love it. I don't feel like we "need" it either (to entertain or distract him) so I don't miss it or wish for it. For any family I think that "enough" is how much you enjoy up until "too much" and too much in my mind is where the consequences outweigh the benefits.
I have gotten slammed for every tv comment I;ve ever made (most have been more like "he doesn't watch any") so have at it. I won't cry about it and this is *my* opinion. We also eat organic food, have a huge garden, don't let the kid eat a ton of sugar, won't buy him clothes with characters or prominent logos, only eat organic (and usually unpasteurized) dairy and a lot of other uptight stuff! I am not saying I am a better parent than anyone. I believe something different and must act accordingly (which is pretty much everyone's story here, it seems - we try to act according to our beliefs - which is pretty great).

i let my kid watch tv in our old house, PBS and simpsons only. but she watched a lot, cumulatively speaking. we had no cable so it was broadcast only. then when we moved we didn't even have broadcast, so it's DVD's only. she watches maybe one feature length DVD per day. (she's nine) i much prefer this set up, although this week would have gone more smoothly with her sick if we had tv. and now with me sick, i can't really occupy her, and we don't have enough DVD's to keep her entertained.

I have to admit I love the boob tube dearly. We have a dvr, which has made it even better, cause I can watch primarily things that I love instead of just whatever crap is on. My babe in only 10 months, so it's pretty much a non-issue as far as he's concerned. But obviously he's not being sheltered from it. We work full time, so he doesn't see any tv at daycare, they don't have them there. We've never put on kid dvds or programming, mainly cause he's too young to care. But I just hate that stuff anyways, it would make me go insane to watch! I say this now, but we'll see in a year or so I'm not sure how we'll tackle the issue once he's older. I do want to foster being active and having lots of outdoor time, hopefully soon I'll be able to be home with him more and we can make that part of our daily routine. If we move soon we'll be in a house with a pool, so we'll have an active, fun summer and hopefully we won't rely on the tv so much for our entertainment.

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