To ditch our TV?

[Toodleloodle]

I'm thinking about getting rid of our TV. I have a baby and a toddler (2.5 years) and when they eventually go to sleep, we just spend our evening vegetating in front of the telly. Yes, we've watched some good documentaries and dramas, but we also watch a lot of trash. From 6am - 7pm I'm looking after small children - I have so little free time that it just seems mad to spend it staring passively at a box instead of, say, reading, doing something creative, exercising, actually having a proper conversation with DH etc. I'm just not sure it's actually relaxing and I feel like I'm wasting my life. I'm also relying on the TV a lot to entertain my toddler at the moment and she's basically obsessed with Peppa Pig. Does anyone else feel the same? Have you got rid of your TV or at least managed to cut down? Have you noticed any impact on your kids?

@Elphame

I haven't watched TV for over 15 years now. I don't miss it at all.

During a recent hospital stay the nurses kept turning my TV on, I kept turning it off!

My children have now left home but seem to manage without the TV fix very easily whilst they are visiting.

Wow, I find that hard to believe 😳. Not once in 15 years?

l dont have a tv, it wasnt a conscious decision, the wind blew the ariel of the roof and l never got round to replacing it. That was 9 yrs ago. My eldest son bought a smart tv several years ago, we set it up, but then nothing really appealed as we were out of the habit, think we watched a couple of Top Gear episodes that was it, tv was then later put up in the attic.
We do have Neflix which my sons watch on their PC s.
l do enjoy not having a tv as my late husband had it on 24/7 and it used to drive me insane. l like that we just chat and house is much quieter. We have alot of gym equipment and thats what my teenage sons do mostly now, l read, potter, exercise , garden and use my tablet . l cannot envisage ever getting a tv again.

Just turn the telly off?

I'm not a big telly watcher. Yes, I have other devices like my Nintendo and my kindle. But I don't really enjoy a lot of what is on telly. I prefer watching films and I do love a good old binge watch of a decent series. But I don't just sit there and randomly scroll through for something to watch.

No TV here either. It broke about 5/6 years ago and couldn't afford to replace it. teens just watch their phones anyway so not needed. If I want to watch something I'll watch on my work laptop...Netflix but never BBC or "terrestrial" channels.

I bloody love our TV.

@FlamingoDust

What does your DH think?!

That!

I can just imagine if I suggested getting rid of the TV to my DH...😬

I’ve only ever watched TV programmes and films that I actively want to see, then I switch it off or walk away and have no trouble doing that. But everyone is different. Now, cutting down on MN...that’s a who.e different ballgame

Get rid of Live TV, and just use Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and catch-up. (If you can make do without iPlayer you'll save yourself the cost of the license too.) That way you have to pick something to watch, rather than just vegging infront of whatever crap is on.

@Sablemablelable

Just turn the telly off?

I'm not a big telly watcher. Yes, I have other devices like my Nintendo and my kindle. But I don't really enjoy a lot of what is on telly. I prefer watching films and I do love a good old binge watch of a decent series. But I don't just sit there and randomly scroll through for something to watch.

You sound like me! That’s exactly how I watch tv. Unless I’m in a hotel room on my own then it’s my guilty pleasure

I love TV and so does DH.
What on earth would we do today if we couldn't watch two rugby international and Spurs tonight? When the cricket is on in the UK it's essential.
Plus I love old films so TalkingPicsTV is also essential and many other things.
I do also read, go out, see people, do housework etc etc

It annoys me when people have a blanket attitude that all TV is inherently bad and boast about not having watched anything on a telly for 27 years as if it’s something to be admired. TV is fantastic at the moment - better than most books you can name at any rate. If people boast they haven’t watched TV for ages, I think they’re frightfully uncultured.

And so what if it’s easy to turn the telly on? Why does life have to be hard?

Put the TV remote high up and locked inside a safe if you must insist on making it more difficult to turn it on OP.

If you watch Netflix or Prime or whatever, you're still watching programming.

So whether a TV, tablet or PC you're still doing the same thing, surely?

And I never just watch the TV. I'm playing games, reading, Mumsnetting, Tweeting, whatever at the same time.

I think if you really have no self control here then get rid, as long as all in the home are aligned.

Personally I think it’s better to try to control yourself better. Sitting in front of thr tv is personal choice.

So my lifestyle is VERY similar to yours. Most evenings I spend watching back to back TV after a full day caring for little people and my partner's on another screen.

I love it and hate it. Im recognising I'm becoming quite antisocial - I don't like having social plans in the evening as I feel it's my time to decompress and do what I want without compromise. When I do see people, I get home feeling like I've wasted an evening as I have to go to bed with no time to "chill".

But equally it often feels that the hours slip away without meaning when watching TV and I'm probably a much more boring person to talk to because of it.

I couldn't get rid of it. I think I enjoy the brain numbing too much.

I would say, if your husband is on board, try it. Put the TV in the shed, gets some books and see if it has the desired impact.

I'd love for you to update this thread with your honest findings :)

It annoys me when people have a blanket attitude that all TV is inherently bad and boast about not having watched anything on a telly for 27 years as if it’s something to be admired.

Well said.

DH is going upstairs to watch the rugby while I watch old episodes of Tenko.

The house is clean and tidy, there are no outstanding household tasks to do, I don't need any shopping, the weather outside is absolutely foul, I don't feel like reading or lsitening to music just now and I hate sewing, kinitting or anything crafty. So, I am enjoying watching TV while mumsnetting and playing scrabble.

I don't miss the TV when on holiday.

You could do what I remember my primary school head teacher telling us what his family used to do at Christmas, which was they turned the tv around so it couldn't be watched.

I had no TV for about 5 years, but to be honest these days, what is a TV? It is just another screen, you couy watch all the same stuff on a tablet or laptop.

Therefore, I think you need to get disciplined, not just do the big act of throwing away the TV.

I also have a baby and 2.5 year old. 7pm is my favourite part of the day when they're in bed and I can fall in front of the TV! I bloody love it! I go to bed early about 9 though and read for an hour before bed. I also try to do a 30 minute workout at least 4 times a week but normally when baby is sleeping and toddler can be distracted. It's hard looking after these ages all day, do whatever makes you relax and wind down x

@gettingthemfromheretohere I could have written your post. That I'd exactly how I feel, I've become very antisocial as being with babies all day makes me just want to switch my brain off in front of TV and if I'm out in the evening I almost wind myself up that I've missed my chill time! I've just given in to it and don't overthink it anymore!

I rarely watch TV, just don't turn it on.

I'd rather watch things on YouTube only watch a a film on the weekend with my DC.

I had relatives that had no TV, to help their kids.

The kids have moved out now, everyone of them has a tv, as is far more of a telly addict than me and my family.

It is just another screen, you could watch all the same stuff on a tablet or laptop.

But the picture and sound quality is better on TV. I also hook my laptop up to the TV for doing zoom exercise classes becasue it is easier to see the instructor on a large screen while I am lying on the floor rather than having to keep adjusting the angle of my laptop screen.

We also watch specific programmes on TV as a family. Much easier than huddling round a small screen.

Only you and I @Spinnier

What does your dh say?

Oh, and DH hates board games and just won't play them at all. I love a game of Scrabble, but have to play it online.

We both WFH and are with each other 24/7 so we do run out of things to say to each other now and again, but we enjoy the companionship of watching TV together.

Does your DH not get a say in this?