To think TV's are not evil.....

[VinegarTits]

Why are some people so against dc watching a bit of TV?

Is it the work of the devil or summit?

Compo - I'm not sure really, but it's not really off very much.

I wouldn't put it on all the time, but for a hour after lunch, or if either of us are poorly, then absolutely. It has been a lifesaver for ds and I lately. During the summer it is never on at all though, becasue we are outdoors.

It has it's place.

I think people CAN be a bit snobby about it. I know I was in the past - feeling smug becasue ds didn't watch it. Then I got over myself...

I think different people and all that...

-some people use their tv as babysitters,
-some people let their Dcs watch a bit of tv every now and again,

• some people watch tv with their dcs to keep an eye on things,

-some people do not own a tv

FWIW I have a friend who does not have a tv and it took me years to realise that. Had she been a weirdo I'd have sussed on it quickly. BTW, she does not think tv is evil, she just found different ways to keep her three DDs entertained.

As long as she does not come barging in my house telling me I should not let my DCs watch telly, I don't see the problem.

I loved Evil Edna

It's not really a follow on from the nursery thread, that was just what provoked my train of thought

It was more the father in the pub who's 2 yo had never seen a TV before that sparked it

A couple I know of don't have a tv at home, and their daughters reaction to tv is unbelieveble.
Her eyes as wide as saucers she glides through the room to sit, not once diverting her gaze. She will sit and stare at that screen until told no more..... it's hypnotic to her. You can't talk to her when it's, she simply blocks out the world. This is even if it's just on in the room, not specifially for her, ike if she peeps her head around the corner to say hi or something. Bizarre!

It's the smae with sweets too. My cousins were denied sweets, always had carrot and cucumber when the others had treats. They are now the greediest people with sweets and choc I've ever seen! Can't be good!

And I would stress that letting dc watch TV and being relaxed about limited viewing doesn't mean that they never do the things that you are suggesting.

at Ebb.
Great minds and all that.

sorry, terrible crosspost!
{shock] I thought I was second poster!

I've never limited television watching for my DCs (7 & 4). Sometimes they watch hours of it, but frequently we can go for days without them switching it on - & that includes watching DVDs.
I don't know why it's so frowned upon. I love watching tv - a huge variety of things, from crud to quality.

a friend of mine has cbeebies on all day
I'm not against it at all - as i said my kids watch it loads too but not all day
when we go round to her house she doesn't turn the TV off
I think that's rude
Am I alone?
My brother is the same, he always has it on, usally sport on a Sat afternoon when we go round, never turns it off
I guess it's comforting in some way to have it on all the time?

I agree it is fine in short doses. My DD is only 1 year old but we watch in the night garden each evening after her bath, while she drinks her bedtime bottle of milk. It really helps to calm her down as she is such a hyper baby. BUT we go to toddler groups etc during the day, go out to the parks, spend lots of time playing etc so I really don't mind the odd bit of tv

I dont limit TV time for my dc and never have, ds1 is 19 now and it hasnt had any adverse affects on him, he not a couch potato who is addicted to the TV, he can take it or like it.

Both my dc love books

take it or leave it i mean

It's all about a balance, no?

I don't think TV is evil and do turn it on a bit probably most days but think having it on in the background is a bit odd (and quite over stimulating). Isn't there something about the research showing that half an hour is enough?

I have to say tho that, going on my own instincts, I would much rather watch DS playing with his toys, thinking through things, being active, using his imagination etc then parked in front of the TV.

Perhaps it is just the way I watch TV but I tend to tune off mostly and can watch hours of rubbish without really taking in anything worthwhile and I would prefer that DS had limited to exposure to such passive behaviours.

But, like I said at the beginning, it is always a balance and there are some fantastic and very educational tv programmes that I think it is great if DS can watch and which he find stimulating but I do try to keep a lid on it and under half an hour.

My tv is not generally switched on by me. I find it irritating a lot of the time and tend to listen to my ipod when the dd's have the tv on.

DD1 is normally the one who turns it on when she comes home from dancing. And it then stays on untill she is in bed. When DH switches on the football and the ipod comes back out.

I turn it on sometimes if I am cooking something for dd2 and I for lunch as i am not happy leaving her to crawl around the floor unattended and I also don't like her being in the kitchen while I cook because it's a chicken or whatever that I am hoping to cook not dd2 who has a fascination with getting into the oven.

She is much happier to be in her highchair waiting for lunch if ITNG/Teletubbies/Something Special etc is on.

After lunch is not always switched off but is normally switched onto the music channels and she enjoys dancing to them.

I think no TV is not a good thing as it make TV something exciting and exotic to the dcs and also precludes them from discussing certain topics with their peers.

I am uneasy about them watching too much TV. I think the reasons for this are:

1. I sometimes let them watch TV when I can't be bothered to parent (not saying this is true of others) so I feel guilty about it.

1. I think that TV does stiffle social interaction and creativity (when watched in large quantities). When the TV is not on, my dcs make up games and play together. When it is on, they stare at it.

So I try and go for a moderate (fairly regulated) amount but accept that this is as much about my feelings of parental adequacy as it is about any objective sense of what is good for them.

Do you see parenting as always being interactive with your DC then goosey? so if they watch TV or play with their toys alone while you are cooking dinner then you are not parenting them?

I have no problem with "a bit of TV".

I do think most young children watch far more than "a bit".

It freaks me, seeing the immediate impact on my children and many other children I know, when you turn the TV on. They are all quietened, eyes glued to the screen, staring away. Most of them will stay staring for hours.

And I do notice that most houses we visit, especially in winter, the tv or computer games are turned on as the major form of entertainment. And however long we stay, that's what the children are doing, in house after house. Plus every sleepover, a dvd or similar is the main activity.

I do think that most UK children are spending a huge amount of time in front of screens (computer, tv, dvd, games consoles). far more than parents maybe realise.

And I do think it's linked to the huge rise in sedentary behaviour, childhood obesity, concentration issues, which are being documented in recent studies.

telly is fine - like chocolate all things in moderation.

however some people use the term 'moderation' very stretchily - tv becomes the centre of the living room, nay house. its not turned off when people come to visit or when people eat. - its there all the time in the background. with a very basic culture perforating your family and saying "its ok to spend more money than you have, its right to worship posh spice and sleb wankers, its ok to show your tits and walk on all foors in an office environment - for a music video, shake the baps, get the bling.

the expectations for holidays and what we should spend out money on seasonally.

when i was at BILs house the adverts at xmas were like POW POW POW POW BUY BUY BUY TAT TAT TAT

then its DIET DIET DIET DIET DIET DIET

then its HOLIDAY HOLIDAY HOLIDAY

all things in moderation - but hand on heart, i have met maybe 2 people who have the ability to make a dicerning choice - and actually turn it off if there is nothing on - and ....read or something.

PIL came round an hour ago, dd was sat watching In the night garden which is on between 11am - 11.30am. I don't mind her watching it, it gave me the chance to go up and change the bed sheets, otherwise she climbs all over the bed and it takes ages. Anyway, PIL made a comment on the lines of "You should be playing with your toys, you'll get square eyes." Making it sound like she has been sat there all morning watching it.

I just know now that he is gonna go home and say to MIL that i let dd sit and watch tv when she should be playing with toys instead. Another comment to add to MILs list of things that make me an inadiquate mother

On that side of things I agree with you MsSparkle. It cannot be deducted from comming in your house while Dc is watching something on tv, that she is glued in front of the screen all day.

That's true, a child might only watch half an hour a day (which I'm fine with) and you might happen to visit at that time. But if, time after time, whatever time of day you visit someone, the children are watching TV, you might assume they are watching it a fair amount more than half an hour a day. Which is what I'm deducing from the frequency of TV watching we experience at other people's houses.

Vinegar - I don't think I need to interact with them all of the time, that would not be good for any of us. However, I am aware that I usually suggest turning the TV on when I just can't be bothered with them and this is what I feel guilty about.

GooseyLoosey has expressed my feelings well