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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ban TV and computer over the summer holidays

31 replies

zorgmoid · 20/07/2011 19:16

Is this actually child cruelty?

I'm not usually so lentil-weavy but I'm tempted to see if they'd make their own entertainment. I'm aware I could be heading for a fall on this, after, oooh, 30 minutes of holiday time, but it's worth a try, no?

Or is it utterly mean?

OP posts:

cory · 20/07/2011 19:18

We'll be spending the summer with my parents and unless they have changed a lot in the last 6 months there will be no TV there. We will be taking a laptop but that will be reserved for my Mumsnetting book. Fully prepared to be evil.

catgirl1976 · 20/07/2011 19:20

YANBU but i think you will need to provide a whole lot of other activities. Depends on age of DCs too - I think a teenager would have more of an issue with no computer than a four year old. But go for it!

EuphemiaMcGonagall · 20/07/2011 19:20

It would be reasonable to limit it; unreasonable to prohibit.

whackamole · 20/07/2011 19:20

YABVVVVVU.

Beebies is the only thing that will keep my two quiet at 6 in the morning, but then they are only 2!

Pandemoniaa · 20/07/2011 19:21

Unless you've chosen not to have a TV or a computer then I'm not sure that there's any point in complete bans. Especially if the adults are going to suffer! But it makes a lot of sense to restrict access and do more interesting things in real life over the holidays.

Nagini · 20/07/2011 19:22

ha ha you'll crack before they do

smartyparts · 20/07/2011 19:22

Well! I banned anything computer related for my ds2 in May, after he'd been a bit naughty. I was planning on one week, but he seems to have forgotten all about the computer,x-box and wii and hasn't used any of them since.

It's been really great tbh. When he has friends to play they've been playing either board games or fab imagination type games in the garden. Normally when he has friends here, they want to play on the x-box non-stop.

And he and his brother have been playing games like Mousetrap and Buckeroo which hadn't seen the light of day for some time!

I'm hoping this will last all summer long!

dexter73 · 20/07/2011 19:22

I don't know about child-cruelty but it would definitely be parent-cruelty! No Mumsnet for 6 weeks, how will you cope?

floosiemcwoosie · 20/07/2011 19:23

I havent had to ban tv, DS has never been in long enough to watch it. For example we have been at park all day with a picnic and then since he has been home, he has been out playing.

Don't ban it as that will make a big deal of it, just get them outside.

lubberlich · 20/07/2011 19:23

YABU.
There is nothing wrong with a bit of telly now and then.

BluddyMoFo · 20/07/2011 19:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

forehead · 20/07/2011 19:25

Good luck, you'll need it.......

RosieMapleLeaf · 20/07/2011 19:25

YANBU. I banned all electronics (computer/TV/Wii/DS) during the day, they can only use them at night, after tea. (My kids are ages 9, 7, 6 and 4) I find life is much better! Before, they used to start asking to use one of those things the second they woke up, and then they would fight over whose turn it was, so-and-so got more of a turn than me, etc. Now they know there's absolutely no point asking during the day, so they don't. They manage to amuse themselves and if they complain they're bored, I offer to find them some work to do around the house. Usually that is enough motivation for them to go and find something to do by themselves. :) We go out to do activities sometimes, but definitely not everyday. They're surviving OK! We're on week 4 of holidays.

TastyMuffins · 20/07/2011 20:06

Child cruelty? LMAO.

I don't have a TV, absolutely no regrets in getting rid of it. I have a lap top and and iPad. DS 6 yo doesn't get free range on these so not every day.

Poor child even made himself a DS out of a piece of paper the other day due to being deprived of a personal games consul.

wordfactory · 20/07/2011 20:18

The first week of the holiday saw my two endlessly glued to screens. It drove me mad. I even started a thread about it as I wondered if I should just let them be, given it was their break too.

So we set out some rules. We are not screen free (actually right this second DC are watching My Family and giggling to high heaven) but we are screen limited. We plan what we're going to do each day ad this usually kicks off around ten so if they are up, showered etc before they can screen away until ten.

Between six and seven we designated quiet time when they read or draw or do sudoku.

Then at seven they can watch TV which is usually The Simpsons, My Family and Outnumbered until nine. If we have friends staying over they might watch a DVD too and extend until ten thirty.

We are all very happy and have done so much. Everyone is making arrangements and plans. Two weeks down and another six to go...

Deaddei · 20/07/2011 20:24

The wii went away in May as we were decorating, and has not yet re emerged.....ds (12) too busy doing cricket, table tennis, football.
However yesterday he broke his collarbone, and I am now contemplating a slightly different 6 weeks to the one I envisaged!!!!!!
Mind you, he couldn't operate the wii with his collarbone at the moment.
I have suggested he could do some reading.........

pointydog · 20/07/2011 20:31

Why would you do that, zorg?

duckdodgers · 20/07/2011 20:36

Whats the point of that really?!! Oh yes I forgot TV was the devil. My boys manage to watch TV, play board games, read etc etc and do all sorts of activities, and they would rather be outside than inside in good weather to because DS2 loves going out exploring with his friends, I would never give up so Im not banning my boys. But its up to you of course.

Riveninside · 20/07/2011 20:40

Why?
Will this apply to you as well?

wordfactory · 20/07/2011 20:42

The thing is duck as DC get older, they seem, or I've found anyway, to gravitate to screens as a default position iyswim.

And the more time they spend on screens the less they seem to organise elsewhere. Which means there are more hours to kill...you get my gist.

For me this was never a problemo when they were little, and in term time mine have such a long day and do so much sport and drama that b the time they'vve done hours of homework they don't even trun the tv on. But cue the hols and they seemed to move from PCs to TVs to Platstations.

Once I curtailed it (drastically) they suddely made dates to see friends, dragged out the table tennis table, asked to be taken to the swimming pool, helped with the chickens etc.

So I really feel that for us, it's made a huge difference.

wordfactory · 20/07/2011 20:48

Riven I think too much screen time is sapping for everyone.

I've really enjoyed this week. We've been into London to the Science Museum, we've seen friends, we've walked the dogs miles, we've all ridden the horses and the chucks have never looked so clean.

Life is short. My childrwn will leave for university in six years...where ahs the time gone?????? Too much time can be spent with everyone in a different room on a different screen.

LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay · 20/07/2011 20:56

Good for you. We're doing similar. Read 'Toxic Childhood' and see what the author has to say about TV/DVD/laptops etc etc.

We all grew up sans laptops and similar and 'never did us any 'arm' etc etc... Apart from that actually, I just REALLY want to enjoy some time with my lovely babies whilst they're still young enough to want to.

Live in the middle of the country and will be doing lots of walks, bugger the rain too - if it's pouring down, we'll be going out anyway - and will do baking, drawing, artsyfartsy stuff (which I HATE!!) but anyway...

No TV and PCs for us this summer. Kids are (nearly) 10, 4.5 and 3yrs. THey all know. No moaning as yet.

duckdodgers · 20/07/2011 20:56

"wordfactory - The thing is duck as DC get older, they seem, or I've found anyway, to gravitate to screens as a default position iyswim."

Well DS3 is only 3 and DS2 is 9 but DS1 is 18 and Ive never really found that with him. He loves his TV and X box as much as the next teenager but as well as seeing his friends and girlfriend he plays in a football team and goes to the gym, its really up to him now as hes an adult how he manages his time but hes been like this for years now.

Each to their own of course, Ive just never got what is so wrong with TV, even hours of it, its enjoyable and just another way of spending free time at the end of the day. DS1 has always watched it loads since he was little and as I said hes hardly antisocial and has done well in his exams there at school.

He doesnt come on all the days out we do with the younger boys anymore now but thats not because of TV of course, thats because hes 18 and wouldnt be seen with us.

GwanShoooo · 20/07/2011 20:58

how old are the kids?

if they are say under 10 i would say you are wise to limit the screen time, as long as you are prepared to do stuff with them, take them out, play games, and whatnot

aquashiv · 20/07/2011 20:58

If you can do it I would. No way could I live without my pc though.

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