DS is addicted to trash TV - how to get him out of the habit?

[Quattrocento]

He is 9, and a truly lovely little boy but completely addicted to trash TV. The Simpsons, South Park, Top Gear and Snog Marry or Avoid (!!!).

So how do I get him out of this habit?

get rid of your tv

I agree - ditch the tv

Or limit him to one hour using tv/computer/other gadget per day.

Gosh I don't mind that myself but there would be uproar.

Doable though. There is more than one but probably we could get rid of all of them. The DCs aren't allowed one in their bedrooms in any event.

I couldn't get rid of the telly. But I do limit DS's time on it. And my god, he watches some trash when it's his time on there. I can't control his taste but I can control how long it stays on for.

But Top Gear is great!!!

Ds3 (12) lives on a diet of Spongebob, Phineas and Ferb, Simpsons, Fairly Odd Parents etc etc. Ds2 (14) prefers a mixture of sport, billiards and Hannah Montana (don't ask), and this afternoon, I found ds1 (nearly 16) watching a programme the history of Fleet Prison and the Marshalsea Prison - which makes me think that it's a phase that they grow out of in the end.

Though I have to confess I do like a certain amount of televisual junk too - as part of a balanced diet, of course.

Why not put the TVs out of the way for a couple of weeks - then he will find/remember all the other things he enjoys. Then limit his time on the TV when it reappears.

I've actually had to explain to dh that it's a good thing when the dses are out mucking around in the garden getting wet and muddy and making a mess of themselves, their clothes and the patio. He did have the grace to look a bit shame-faced when I asked if he'd rather they were inside watching tv/playing playstation - but I still think he'd prefer it if the outdoor play didn't involve any dirt or mess whatsoever. He's dreaming!

Get rid or cut way down on the TV. DD (8) was watching too much last year, so for New Year's Resolution I banned all TV on weekdays (I don't watch it either), with limited viewing at weekends. Furthermore, I stated that if there was any fuss about lack of TV, it would disappear permanently!

The transition was fine actually, and DD now reads and plays more and there's no expectation that she'll watching TV at all in the week. It helps that I have my head stuck in legal books 24/7 so don't watch it either....

take the fuse out of the telly plug

If you have any problems cutting it down - tell him the TV's broken.

Don't know if it works or not but am thinking of trying it with my DD after she started shouting 'LOSER!' at the TV yesterday when the team she didn't like won a quiz we were watching.

She's actually picked it up from a kids programme on the Disney channel, which I've told her will be banned if I ever hear her doing it again.

If you want to do something a bit less drastic, lock the channels concerned. I did this when DD was a bit younger and kept wanting to watch some thing about teenage girls and ponies which was way too 'old' for her. Once she realised the channel had gone she never even mentioned it again.

He's 9 and watching South Park ?! Cut the plug off, that's what I did. It was put back on after 3 days, but the threat of me doing it again seemed to have the desired affect

There is an off button, is there not? You decide how long he is allowed to watch in a day, whether he is allowed to watch on a school night and what programmes he is allowed to watch. A 9 yo doesn't get to decide that. Just make sure your dh (if applicable) is singing from the same hymn sheet first.