A TV-Free Home

[Fuzzy125]

My wife and I have just agreed on not having TV in our house. This radical change is for our still very young kids. My plan is to have our weeknights filled with game playing, reading, and music playing. Right now, I'm the only one in our house who plays any instrument. So initially, it'll be me strumming on my guitar and the kids and the wife singing. Hopefully, the kids will one day be curious enough to pick up a guitar or ukulele voluntarily and ask me how to form a C chord.

Has anyone here tried anything similar in their home? Any successes?

[picassov7]

I applaud you! I think it is a great idea. My home has been basically TV-less for close to 10 years. I love it. Back when I was in the US my wife and I spent most of our evenings together cooking, playing music, taking walks, gardening, hanging out with neighbors, etc. It is great!

Unfortunately, now that we live back in China I have been extremely busy often working 14+ hour days. Most weekdays I don't see much of them, but we still have the weekends.

Enjoy that time with your family!

[Shoreline Music]

Excellent call.

We dumped our television 12 years ago, when our kids were all pretty young. During the time that I suppose we would have been watching shows, we played games, hiked, rode bikes, enjoyed leisurely dinners together, worked on homework, read together, sang songs, and so much more. We didn't follow sports, we didn't get hooked on shows, and I don't regret our choice for a second.

Good luck!

[ewalling]

Are you placing any restrictions on smart phone/internet use?

[Gasworker]

Over the years my kids had friends who came to our house only to watch TV. It was annoying because we were trying to limit TV, not eliminate it. Occasionally parents would come over and when they saw our 42" wall mounted flat screen they would proudly announce they didn't own a TV. I would say (smugly) "I know" then I would suffer the glare of my wife and stop.
While we may not have been parents that appear in magazines I think we did a pretty good job. Family time watching baseball and hockey, the occasional show and "The Simpsons" seemed to have value. The kids watched some YTV and MTV and whatever else and I don't think TV hurt my kids.
We did all the game playing, hiking, hanging out as well. I suppose we practiced moderation.

[HHP]

I'm not sure I get the whole "we won't have a TV in the house" thing. Can't you just not turn it on? Isn't the Internet a more potentially corrosive influence?

[mitchel674]

Originally Posted by HHP

I'm not sure I get the whole "we won't have a TV in the house" thing. Can't you just not turn it on? Isn't the Internet a more potentially corrosive influence?

+1

My three kids are all getting older, but we've always had a rule that there is no TV on school nights. This rule has eliminated any questioning about TV viewing. They do get to watch up to 1 hour/day on weekends though they rarely turn the thing on even when they are allowed.

[noledog]

We love the nature & planet earth type shows that are fun & educational when I had youngin's. Living by the ocean, we always liked ocean life shows as well as going out there and seeing it live in our backyard even better. So I thought it helped in many ways for them to appreciate & explore nature, especially in areas outside our coastal environment...moderation is key, BUT, I did enjoy Thomas The Tank Engine
Do what you think is best for your children & best wishes with it.

[PorkPieGuy]

We took our TV out of our living room about 1.5 years ago (I think...). We cut our cable and just have internet. Our kids watch their Kindles (during the school year, their time is very limited), my wife watches her phone at bedtime with headphones on. I sleep.

I watch YouTube at work when things are terribly slow (the way they are right now). I watch nothing when I get home. When I go to my parents' house, I flip through all of their cable channels. Nothing but garbage.

[paulp1960]

I think today's generation of kids prefers Youtube and games consoles over live television. My 10 yo son hardly ever watches live tv.

[rmyAddison]

Like anything there are two sides to "TV", the pure junk and commercials, and the educational, historical and science programming.

I rarely watch network programming, but I enjoy sports and even at 65 have learned a lot about our world, other cultures, science, history, etc. from "good" programming.

If you're posting here you use the Internet, all things in moderation.....

[dagobert]

I went almost 7 years TV, computer, internet free at home. Never missed it. I had more places to go and things to do than I had time.
I have since bought a TV and a Mac mini but for as little as they get used I could have easily gone with out.

[Borderdon]

According to a recent Global news article, cable TV subscription in Canada is dropping rapidly, and a further steep decline in "traditional" TV viewing
is forecast. Predictably, platforms like Netflix et al are taking over.

[Smitty70]

Tell me why, that with all there is out there today, people still can't tell you who the picture is even when's it's of Hillary Clinton. Or can't tell you from whom we won our independence, or who we fought in the Second World War. What's happening to our school systems? I'm talking college kids too.

[JoePa and Son]

No T.V. since 1975. Raised four kids who turned out "above average"......