What do non tv DC's get up to, what do they do?

[thecaty]

I am curious to know and happy to share what mine get up to.

we became a non tv household about a year ago - it wasn't in favour of books on fine art and poetry readings after evening cha, it was becuase no- one watched it.

we watch films and specific tv programmes - like dexter etc - using the puter.

my teens go out - they always did. nowts changed.

"I have allready plenty of people warning me that if I do not let mine watch tv they will miss out."

This is true-my children have missed out and continue to miss out big time almost on a daily basis. Just the other day, f.e. my youngest came home and asked me if I had heard what happened to Michael Phelps and I said fibbed lied, why no, I hadn't. He said -he got suspended from swimming for two weeks because he was caught with a bomb!

oh but v. funny - there was a comparison thing that dd had to do using a soap opera on tv

she told the teach she didn't have tv and he didn't believe her thinking hse was being petulant, until her friends backed her up.

she was actually being petulant becuase she could have watched it on bbc i player

That's it though, isn't it, these days if anyone really wants to watch something they can if they have a computer (which I guess by default we all do on here).

DD does have one programme she is waiting for avidly . . . she got to be number 4 on a programme on S4C when they came & filmed at her school!

I think tv for under 8's is not a good idea.
between 8 and 12 I would be happy with a nature programme here and there.
from the age of twelve I will avoid violent films,and Tv ads, The spending social time in front of telly is strange as you don't really socially interact as you are watching.
Why not just socially interact without telly but with a game?

of course they socially interact with you when they watch tv, they don't sit there like zombies. We talk, discuss the programme etc
What are you so scared of?
As long as children are happy and thriving does it really matter what they do to veg out by themselves or with the family.

Bruffin why do you want to talk when watching, whats the point? why don't you just talk anyway. Why do you pay a licence fee to talk?
If you mean relaxing with veging out then I find that strange.. again there are free ways to veg out that don't cost you a penny.

Did anyone read this?

very interesting. My Ds is in his bedroom right now! After being told he has to play a while I get dressed to go out. He's not happy but hey! What was the point of buying him toys.
Found a great game while folding clothes or sorting washing. Get lego people call them numbskulls (from Beano) then play hide and seek with them. ds loved it.

YOu can't get away from the fact that you seem to think that if someone has a television all they do in their life surrounds the television and they do nothing else.
Start thinking differently and we might get somewhere.
As a family we talk a lot, I have two very inquisitive & intelligent children who talk and ask questions all day!
We enjoy television, we enjoy watching a film or laughing at a comedy programme or learning from a documentary. Television programmes as others have said often raise many questions and thought processes especially as my DS is an abstract thinker,his teachers love his ideas.

We also love going to the theatre but can't afford it. They listen to music. Today DS has been teaching himself card tricks, my dd has taken herself off to her swimming lesson then come home and cuddled her guinea pig, watched Hannah Montanna and played cards, listened to the Jonas Brothers. We have discussed making a bracelet for her teacheras a leaving present.
I can afford my license fee and the dc's are not denyed anything to pay for that or the television.
I don't give a damn if other people don't have televisions or don't want to watch it, everybody has different interests but I really dislike the fact you seem to assume that because other people have a television that they are incapable of doing anything else, which is what your points keep coming back to.

We (Starbear family) do watch telly maybe like you but, I've got to stop using it as a baby sitter. I'm not really concerned about other people. I just want him to have a bit and then go and do something else. Also not rely on us to entertain him every moment of the day. Any ideas welcome!

I think it is also worth bearing in mind that in the past people would worry about children reading too much, tell them it was bad for them, hassle them to get out more - well now, it seems like reading is considered fantastic and the best thing ever.

Maybe in 100 years time people will be hassling their children to stop doing xxxxx and tell them they should be spending more time watching television

We used to play laundry shop a lot when the children were smaller-my 13 year old still enjoys playing. He folds and sorts clothes and writes up a bill then I pay him with play money and he makes change while I put away the clothes. I don't know why this is fun but it is.

bruffin I agree with you.
Having a tv does not morons make.
It can add to learning, interaction and fun.
Earlier I made a point about denying childen things often makes them want it more. An article in the Guardian also said this.
Thecaty just makes her way sound too good to be true, and I can't help getting a whiff of superirority about her questions.
Sorry if that sounds rude. It's just how you're coming across that gets me a bit.

Is that true, Takver?

I used to spend ages reading , but now I'm a grown up, I neven have time!

yes I wondered that- "get your nose out of that there book Augustus and go and roll your hoop in the fresh air or you'll die of consumption and get funny ideas in your head from that book nonsense"

I find there's nothing worth watching , so read more than tv these days.

Mydc's always read in bed before they turn out the light.

One thing I do hate is tv's in dc's bedrooms. Really don't agree with it. At all. So there.

I don't necessarily think not having a TV makes you watch it non-stop either. We never had one when I was little and I watch it very seldom.

Basically, I see no very great disadvantage either way.

Dd and I had a great time of social interaction when she was ill at half-term: we spent the whole afternoon watching French costume films, with me providing a running commentary.

Strikes me the social interaction argument could equally well be used against a number of other more oldfashioned activities. What would thecaty make of my dd who spends every spare moment with her nose in a book? Or my brother who used to spend hours every evening playing the violin- what a shocking waste of time that should have been given over to social interaction. Or ds who is always drawing and painting- shouldn't he be playing poker instead?

bigTillyMint. good article thank you, have you read Sue Palmers book 'The toxic Childhood'?
Starbear. sometimes boredoom can get the creative juices going let him deal with the dilema of self entertainment (if you can bear the screaming) you have to tell him that he has to play on his own no matter what and this will evetully unlock his need to allways needing entertainment. If you suggest things to do all the time he will forever remain dependant on you.
Balance seems to be the clue to some of the posts. My Ds comes home, he has always something in mind to do on arrival so on one day he plays a game with his DS say for 30 minutes then he fancies drawing for 50 minutes then I may ask him to empty the dishwasher and tidy the table and then he will read for 30min, then we play a board game, DD helps with cooking. After dinner we have a cuddle session with lots of laughter
Then its time to fold the washing pile and at 8 they have a chapter of Swallows and Amazons in bed and an invented story then 8.30/45 they both fall asleep.
This would be a possible day but sometimes his friend comes round and they make a fire in the backgarden. This does not make me feel superior but it illustrates that my DS does at the age of ten not miss the telly at all allthough he has seen two episodes of Spring watch he still does not ask ever to watch it.

Mine basically just make dens trash the house. They are 5.8 and 2.8, girls.

So, op, kids that watch TV do totally different things to those that do - is that your point? Sure that's only true if they watch TV all the time.

Personally, I like TV. Especially with a glass of wine after dd's gone to bed. I don't have adult TV on during the day but she watches some CBeebies or DVD almost every day. Inevitably, kids have something of the lifestyle of thier parents. Same with the pc - we are a pc loving houselhold and dd has some pc time. Am I to understand that watching 'TV' on a pc doesn't count as TV? Sort of like eating a biscuit standing up doesn't have any calories?

And as for kids that can't play alone - it's not necessarily about entertainment but about an overwhelming need/desire some kids feel for close company and interaction.

We do watch TV, I like them to watch decent stuff, and not too often - maybe four hours a month? I think it is all about balance, just like we usually eat healthy food but the odd burger doesn't bother me.

When the TV is off they just play really. At the moment DS (6) likes maps so plays with his cars, buses, or whatever and pretends he's following the map.

DD (3) raids the tea towel drawer daily and puts every toy in the house to bed under a tea towel blanket.

On three school days we have activities. So no time for TV those days.

On the other two days the kids mostly dictate the schedule. We might go to the park or library, make dinner together, take a tube somewhere random and then come a different way home, etc. Or we might watch some TV if we're all tired and it's not a nice day. Sunggling up together under a duvet on the sofa is pretty nice....

Acinonyx Good point, I'll keep that in mind. If we do chores together maybe, that's all he needs. he also moans about that. Oh! I'll send him up the chimney and give him cheese & water That should sort out the moaning shouldn't it.
I also hate the telly in the bedroom. AND not turning the telly off when you have guests which happened to us yesterday! BUT they are such lovely people!

Starbear - my dd can't stand to be alone. I've always let her lead the play rather than entertain her but I've noticed that she is rather bossy and uncompromising with other dc so I am starting to be less cooperative and more opinionated and generally a bit more like a fellow 3 yr-old. It's very apparent though, that being without close company is painful to her. I think TV provides some sense of still being in company. I'm a bit like that myself and tend to have the radio on when I'm on my own (and should be working....).

Acinonyx - Yep! That sound like him. I've found that the things he can't bossy me about over are the things I like:- cooking, making Lego toys and gardening. It not straight forward, it takes some patience. True, I listen to Venessa, radio 7 and a little of radio 4.