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Our family decided to take the “no TV for a week challenge” given by Mary. I read her post a little bit late so we didn’t start until Tuesday-cold turkey. (MInTheGap and I haven’t watched a movie in a long time. I can’t remember when so we went and still are going on longer than a week). The children are allowed to watch one TV show or VeggieTales movie a day. (About one hour a day). We don’t have cable so our channels are very limited. They watch PBS through the “snow” once in a while. Their TV time is usually while mom gets a shower. (Reminding you our children are 4, 3, and 7 months). Occasionally, the children watch a movie if mom is exhausted. The reason why I wanted to take the challenge was to see if I could stop using the TV as my babysitter and to see if the children could entertain themselves without mom playing with them.
The week was a success! I think the children only ask to watch TV about 4 times the whole week. It was amazing. It was almost like they forgot about it. (It was still in the same place). It rained a lot here this week so we played more card games (which our oldest son really enjoyed), read more stories, and they even helped out with more chores. On the nice days we played outside. I found that they really could manage to entertain themselves in their room while mom got a shower and that we didn’t need to watch a show in the afternoon when mom was exhausted. I think they learned how to play together and use their imaginations more this past week and I learned to be a little more creative in planning things for them to do.
Thanks, Mary, for the challenge.
Mrs. MInTheGap
Great job, Mrs. MIntheGap! That is amazing considering how integrated TV is into this society!
What a challenge! I don’t think I can do without my tv, I would have to miss my Star Treks. *snort* More power to those that can, though.
Woo-Hoo, Mrs. MIn! I’m so excited that we’re in this together, and just like you, we’re going longer than a week also! We’ve decided that each Friday night we’ll have a “family night” and either rent a movie (one for the girls and one for dh and I) or do something else. I’m impressed that your littles didn’t ask for movies more often. We moved ours out of the LR and into our bedroom, and I think that’s why 3 yo didn’t ask for any. It’s really amazing how well they do at entertaining each other when TV/movies aren’t an option. I know it was a blessing to me. :O)
I’m thrilled and very encouraged by your first week’s report! And it’s *fun* reading a post by you on here! Great job!
Good work! Speaking as one who was raised by Nickelodeon (sp?) I can say at TV was a large cause of my poor moral/ethical framework in life. I used to mimick people’s sarcastic attitudes in school because in TV world, they get a comical reaction, while in the school-world, I got into alot of trouble!
Of course, getting into trouble meant that I was a victim… I definately learned victim-mentality from TV.
Anyway, I hardly watchTV anymore, and I’m much happier for it. One day my children will come back from their friend’s house and tell me strange tales of a box with light and colors and people talking inside it!
I for one think that TV is a negative influence on children and it has nothing to do with the content of the program, but it has to do with the flashy, bright, exciting, colorful, fun, noisy, sensory stimlae that is TV. It teaches children to be excitable and I don’t think that’s the way to go.