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Original poster

Should we get rid of the TV?

82 replies

knickerelasticjones · 02/02/2008 20:12

Let me at the outset say that I'm not at all somebody who is vehemently opposed to TV per se - but due to our DD1 both DH and I are now seriously considering getting rid of the TV for good (or at least for several years).

DD1 (nearly 3) just LOVES tv. She asks to watch it constantly and always cries and moans when it is turned off. If I am stuck at home with her all day (waiting for plumbers etc) it is a constant battle to get her to do other things. The problem is that at the moment she WON'T play with her toys / paint / read / do anything much apart from ask from TV.

Actually that's not true - she will play with her toys happily first thing in the morning (before 9am) and last thing at night (after 5.30) as she knows she NEVER gets TV at these times. When we've been on holiday and there is no TV, there is no problem!

I know that the logical thing would just be to limit her TV to 30 mins a day, but I feel that I will spend my entire time battling with her desperately trying to get her to do other things, and if we have a bad day I might just succumb and turn the TV back on.

What do you think?

Are we being too draconian? Or will we be glad we got rid and never look back?

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PerkinWarbeck · 02/02/2008 20:34

Can you go for a comprise option? Put it away. If you store it away in your room, then you all need to make a concerted effort to watch something. And subsequently watch less dross.

I lurrrrve lots of telly and thing it's weird that attneborough documentaries are considered the devil's work . But I am equally quite happy not to turn the thing on from one week to the next.

bunnyhunny · 02/02/2008 20:35

hmmm, maybe it could be 'broken' for a while? Seems quite drastic to totally get rid.

ds is 1, and only watches tv for in the night garden, and the occasional cbeebies when he has been doing my head in.

I was surpised when I met up with friends and their 1 yr olds mimic changing the channel on the remote - ds thinks it's a telephone and tries to text on it (what does that say about me!)

I think kids are better off without tv, but I would personally want it for films and games (and occasional tv in the evenings) so I wouldnt want to get rid of it.

Can you unplug or 'break' the digibox if you have one?

barking · 02/02/2008 20:35

we got rid of the tv when i saw how much it affected my children's behaviour and the news upset my eldest so much that he wrote to the pm twice!

we have compromised by signing up to amazon and renting films for the weekend and the odd day during the week when i need a break. This way you get to choose what they see.

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southeastastra · 02/02/2008 20:40

tv is educational. i did find my ds(6) did get addicted though and would want it on all the time, though i blame the tv kids channels. there's only so much maggie and the ferocious beast i can stand.

childrens channels shouldn't be broadcast all day imo.

dinny · 02/02/2008 20:42

I'm tempted to get rid of it except in the evening if we really want to watch something, think moving it into our bedroom is a good way forward.....

Original poster
knickerelasticjones · 02/02/2008 20:43

PerkinWarbeck we were actually planning to put the TV in the cupboard under the stairs and not actually take it to the dump. So there will always be the option of getting it out again.

DH and I are reading this together and finding all your comments really useful, so thanks to all - keep 'em coming!

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bunnyhunny · 02/02/2008 20:44

southeastastra - totally agree about kids channels shouldnt be on all day. and they shouldne have ads on either - that is just pure evil!

dinny · 02/02/2008 20:49

can I ask - those without TV, what kind of things do you do to relax in the evening and do you listen to music all the time? or radio? or do you get used to no background noise?

FrannyandZooey · 02/02/2008 20:54

god I hate background noise
do you mean you just have the tv on all the time without watching it? I would go spare
for entertainment I mostly go online, read books, sometimes we watch a DVD on the pc, dp plays games and the guitar

sushistar · 02/02/2008 20:55

Dinny, in our 2.5 yrs without one, we...

  • read a lot more (went to the library more too!)
  • cooked more / more interesting things
  • had more people round to dinner
  • used the internet more
  • used the phone more to catch up with people
  • spent more time in the garden (in the summer)
  • listened to more music / the radio for news
  • went out more to the cinema / to eat / to events etc
  • kept the house tidier - more time to clean up!
  • went to bed earlier
  • got more of those annoying little diy jobs done
  • spent LOTS more time eating together and chatting
  • played more board games

I'm sure there's more... now I'm wondering if we did right getting one again!

Stopfighting · 02/02/2008 20:56

We have a tv but the kids are only allowed to watch it occasionally. This is usually just to watch a dvd, maybe once a month. They don't care. They do other things like read, draw etc.

I watch it when they're in bed.

As it has already been said: You make the rules.

southeastastra · 02/02/2008 20:56

i started a thread ages ago about it, it annoys me. the disney channel is on all night iirc. and i love children's tv but it's dumbed down now.

i love the sound of silence, but i then get paranoid about aeroplanes.

sushistar · 02/02/2008 20:57

We watched more dvds too FaZ, and dh started learning the guitar. I re'learnt how to knit.

dinny · 02/02/2008 20:57

lol, as I posted that I thought I should add that I don't have it on loads at all - tend to switch it on after kids in bed and we have eaten together, chatted - then watch for 1-2 hours. do often read at same time though.

just such a habit - kind of "mmmm, what's on? oh, that looks OK, will watch that".

so, no, I hate TV on a lot and as constant background anyway... just mainly wonder about reading without it on too (sad I know!)

Stopfighting · 02/02/2008 20:58

Oh, and we're not weird...

Habbibu · 02/02/2008 21:00

Sushistar, I'm wondering if getting rid of MN might help me with your list! Much more time spent on this than watching TV...

hairtwiddler · 02/02/2008 21:02

Difficult. My DD is also starting to ask to have the TV on. I used limit it to just before dinner (while I'm cooking)but recent weeks have been stressful, and some days she's asked, and I've let her watch. Sometimes this is very useful, like today, when I'm full of cold and feeling not up to much toddler entertaining.
DD is bilingual so usually only watches programmes in her second language. It's much needed extra exposure for her (only hears second language from her father), and one of the main reasons I feel somewhat justified in her tv watching!
I also think I'd be much more productive without it though.

FrannyandZooey · 02/02/2008 21:03

yes I understand about the habit
I find it difficult to break habits and to regulate addictive kind of things myself, so not having one really suits me. I am on here loads instead, but I get more from that at least
you see I would find it hard to read with the tv on
I find it hard to read with music on, also. I just like peace and quiet, really

Original poster
knickerelasticjones · 02/02/2008 21:03

knickereleastic's DH here:

We find that we only watch about an hour or so on any given evening. By the time we've got the kids settled it's about 7.30 - 8.00; then we chat/tidy up for an hour; then at 9 we go and watch some crap that we've doubtless seen before (Friends, CSI etc) then go to bed at 10 - 10.30. So obviously it wouldn't leave a gaping hole for us.

Our concern is more around DD1's behaviour when she's been watching too much. And yes, I know we're the boss etc etc but both of us are fairly pragmatic and really don't enjoy fighting with our DDs. So. More than prepared to put our collective foot down about stuff that is immediately dangerous/stupid (eg NOT playing with the kettle). Less so with the slightly more abstract transgressions like watching too much TV. Our experience of our DDs is that they completely understand DO/DO NOT boundaries but they are less clear (and therefore more likely to flare up) with matters of degree - such as "you can't watch quite so much TV".

Of course the world is not black and white and they have to learn that. But then if we knew the answer we wouldn't be asking you lot.....

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hunkermunker · 02/02/2008 21:04

Dinny

I rarely watch TV at home.

The boys watch too much, probably.

But I really, really can't see the harm if children watch quality children's TV interspersed with nature progs (Nigel Marven and David Attenborough) and this series of programmes and Countdown

hairtwiddler · 02/02/2008 21:06

Hello Mr and Mrs knicker... have figured out your mumsnet guise! Will look forward to hearing outcome of this one.

hunkermunker · 02/02/2008 21:07

This is my favourite children's show - The Beeps

hairtwiddler · 02/02/2008 21:07

Am the bridesmaid, by the way!

barking · 02/02/2008 21:09

knickerelastic - we bougth a mini dvd player which we store away the rest of the time, so out of sight out of mind/no tv = no conflict

Original poster
knickerelasticjones · 02/02/2008 21:10

Hairtwiddler - got you too!

DH says you spend far too much time online - but then if you didn't love the interweb so much your life would be very different wouldn't it?

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