to ban TV and computer over the summer holidays

[zorgmoid]

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?

[Fennel]

Yanbu. I sometimes ban it all for a week or so when they've been watching too much or nagging for it. It's actually surprisingly painless, they just get used to doing other things.

We have 10 days in a tent and then 10 days away from easy tv or computer games, so we will have 3 weeks of the 6 week holiday without all the tv and computer games and that is quite nice. It's one reason I like camping. We all have to read and play games and talk.

[nancy10]

This evening I locked the kids programs on our Sky + I don't mind the kids watching TV at all but I'm sick of them watching Sponge Bob and icarly over and over again. I find icarly extremely irritating and pointless!

[wordfactory]

duck your eldest DS sounds better than my two (11yrs).

Perhaps it's because they never gte to watch it term time (too busy) and it was only the first week of the holiday. Maybe by now they'd have got bored anyways and moved on.

I just got very impatient and implemented a (consensual) limitation.

[defineme]

I watch loads of tv, always have, but I'm too busy until the kids are inb bed and I've finished jobs.

My kids (9, 6 and 6) are not arsed for it at all.

I think there are several reasons for this.

Ds1 has aspergers, and save for a brief period when he watched peppa pig obsessively, has never shown any interest.

The tv is small and in the small living room that has no toys in it. The conservatory has their toys in it and is next to the garden so they gravitate there.

Being twins ,dd and ds2 have a readymade playmate at all times.we also havbe kids over a lot because we have neighbouring families.

I have never applied any rules about watching tv and I have never suggested tv is a bad thing (as I said, I love it), so there is no tension around the tv.

We haven't got any computer games stuff because I just can't countenance spending that much money on a present when we've got holidays to save for.

They watch it if they're ill or tired (I usually have to suggest it), but we can go a week without it being on in the day and longer in the summer.

I would like to watch a dvd with them, but they never want to. They seem to have bypassed kids tv except for deadly60 and they prefer you've been framed or something tragic like the crystal maze-usually they'll insist I watch it with them.

Actually I think the twins may have realised that I wnated to use the tv as a babysitter when they were little and had toi get on with stuff, were having none of me ignoring them, and have rejected it ever since.

I wouldn't ban it-makes such a big deal of it, perhaps move it?

[CurrySpice]

While I think it's a great idea in principle, I think it may be harder on you than them in practice :o

Maybe limiting it to an hour a day and / or using it as a bribe reward for good behaviour

[usualsuspect]

YABU

My Ds managed to use his laptop etc as well as do other stuff

in fact he taught himself to play guitar one summer holiday using the internet

[aquashiv]

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

[GwanShoooo]

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

[duckdodgers]

"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.

[LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay]

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.

[wordfactory]

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.

[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.

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.

[Riveninside]

Why?
Will this apply to you as well?

[duckdodgers]

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.

[pointydog]

Why would you do that, zorg?

[Deaddei]

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.........

[wordfactory]

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...

[TastyMuffins]

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.

[RosieMapleLeaf]

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.

[forehead]

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

[lubberlich]

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

[floosiemcwoosie]

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.

[dexter73]

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

[smartyparts]

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!