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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to get rid of the T.V?

85 replies

DeliaRose · 27/04/2012 12:25

I' sick of staring at it TBH. I've just cancelled Sky (£70 a month saving!!), and I'm going to put the tele on Gumtree.

DH is cool with it. Not sure how the DC will feel (6, 3 and 1)

The Playstation and Wii are going too.

OP posts:

betterwhenthesunshines · 28/04/2012 14:27

DeliaRose "better- I most certainly don't want to be planning - or teaching my kids to plan- around the T.V" OK it was just an idea as you all seem to be stuck in a TV as automatic default mode. Not that you have to plan around the TV, but that by thinking about what you actually want to watch you don't just sit there and do nothing else and forget that there is actually an off switch
YABU to not have it at all just because you can't apply any self control, but up to you. I grew up without TV and it does have a place, like evrything, in moderation.

Serendipity30 · 28/04/2012 14:36

I have a DD who is 8 and we got rid of the tv a year ago, and we havent looked back, we watch things we really like on iplayer dd:cbbc together: food progs and music progs the voice et al. But she does lots of of other things now reading, drawing etc. We have a family pc and she has a netbook we do have some mod cons but it doesnt run our life like before,
and oh yes we actually talk to each other , so go for it OP

inabeautifulplace · 28/04/2012 15:22

YANBU, no harm whatsoever in giving it a go and seeing how you get on. If you're streaming rather than downloading content you would want a decent connection though.We have pretty much the setup you describe with a 28" monitor connected to a mac.

Someone asked upthread what the difference is between a PC and a TV. It is simply that it takes a little more forethought to watch something and because the programmes are encapsulated rather than free running there is an active decision made after every item.

"YABU to not have it at all just because you can't apply any self control"

No, if she has no self control then it's utterly reasonable and indeed sensible if she gets rid of the TV and tries alternative methods of accessing media. Note that she's not intending to cut out all TV, just apply some limits to it.

wearymum200 · 28/04/2012 15:28

We got rid of ours, have a pc where it used to be for occasional dvds or iplayer. Don't miss it as we never watched it and had no freeview box or anything. Dc (6 and 3) get occasional dvd, no games consoles in house yet.

timetoask · 28/04/2012 15:31

We don't have one, but we have a nice big iMac which we use for iplayer. It is great, you really need to chose what you want to watch rather than just flicking through channels aimlessly. Highly recommend it.

vanillamum · 28/04/2012 15:32

We got rid of the telly 2 years ago when my kids were 5,3 and 2. We were forced into it as we were seriously skint at the time and we'd cut everything else and still couldn't afford the license. Thought it would be a nightmare but it has been a real positive, kids still watch iplayer (although not live cbeebies) and you are right it is a conscious choice to put on the telly. We now spend the money on good internet bandwith and netflix so we can still legally watch films and we haven't regretted it. Our finances are a lot better now but we would never go back to telly.

Original poster

DeliaRose · 28/04/2012 19:47

Thanks everyone... We're doing it! Have cancelled Sky, takes 31days so will make the most of it till then

OP posts:

kitty4paws · 28/04/2012 19:57

we have at tv timer called Bob, each of the kids has their own log on and once their time is up the tv goes off.

Its REAALy reduced their scrren time but thaty watch what the want not just chanel surf.
Works for us ( and works on Wii etc)

WhippingGirl · 28/04/2012 21:11

I have issues with tv but I restrict with dd. she has about 20 mins after breakfast while I get ready and sometimes while I'm cooing dinner for about the same. Other than that I have a rule about sitting with her to watch and not using it as a babysitter. Exp used it as exactly that.
A lot of the restriction is enforced by the rest of our routine as in we're not milling about at home doing nothing that often.
That said I fought to wean exp of default tv watching and it was damn hard as he'd have it on 24 hours watching nothing in particular.
You need some back up family/adult activities to fill the time I reckon

MarianneM · 28/04/2012 21:58

YANBU

We haven't had a TV for about 8-9 years, haven't missed it at all.

Get rid of it, you won't regret it. And games consoles (or whatever they are called) are from hell - sling 'em!!!

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