Getting Rid of TV

[Giraffe]

I know some of you have done this, I guess I'm looking for advice, to be talked down, your experiences, etc.

 

I'm seriously thinking of ditching the TV. I'm the one who watches it, not anyone else. It gets in the way of taking care of DD. I'm addicted to the durn machine - there - I said it.

 

DH watches the Comedy Channel occasionally. DD likes watching Wonder Pets and Max & Ruby. Both would survive without. I'm the one who will have a hard time, but I just can't justify keeping it. Am I insane?

 

For those of you who have ditched the TV - what was it like?

 

For those of you who considered it but didn't - what were your reasons for keeping it?

 

My real concern is news. We live in North Texas and there are times when we've turned on the local channels to track tornadoes. I also just like knowing what's going on with the area, the world, the weather.

 

I'm rambling, I know, but this is weighing on me. Any advice?

[Hannah C.]

Do you have cable, or do you just have regular TV? If you have cable, I would definitely say ditch that. You'll have less to distract you and you'll still get the news channels. I live in North Texas too, without cable, and there have been plenty of times there simply hasn't been *anything* on.

[RainbowSprinkles]

I hardly ever watch TV. There just isn't much that interests me on Cable. I prefer watching movies. When we move in the Summer, I don't plan on getting cable. The only reason we still have it now is because we are in Alaska and it's much cheaper to have a package deal than to get rid of cable and pay for phone and Internet separately. Same reason we still have a landline. I cannot wait to move!! That said, I can see how it would be hard for you if I watch TV all the time. But I think you would get used it. And there's always movies!

[Mekanamom]

Unplug the cable/satellite for a week, and see how you get by with Hulu and/or Netflix as a substitute.

 

That's what we did, and eventually got rid of the satellite TV service. We can stream pretty much anything we want to watch.

[lionfamily1999]

Weather bug, hulu, netflix

 

We have no tv, but dh and I will watch our favorite shows on hulu and the kids get one movie at a time from netflix. Oh, and weather bug can link up to send you messages on your phone if you can't leave your computer online.

[elfinbaby]

I'm the TV addict in the house, too; however, since I have four kids, I don't indulge until after they've gone to bed. Still, it's a problem. We don't have cable (haven't for 10 yrs.) but we do have Netflix for the Wii. I stay up way too late and watch ridiculous things to veg out.

 

We have gone through periods of having little to no tv (it was in the garage at one point). It's a little piece of heaven, frankly. You (like me) might be thinking what will I do? Or what will child X do - I have a daughter w/severe disabilities who is unable to hold a book or turn the page, her hands are not functional, she can't speak, can't walk (she crawls) but, cognitively, she's in there so I think how can I take this from her? Anyway, those are the questions I ask myself and, really, they are bogus b/c every time I get rid of the tv - we're fine! Nothing happens. Things are quieter, more peaceful, and somehow less stressful. I always feel like I've been given about 5 hrs. of the day back (no, I don't watch 5 hrs. of tv a day). I always think it's going to be more stressful b/c I won't be able to put ds, 2 yrs., in front of the tv for 20 min. while I make dinner or whatever situation I use tv as a crutch.

 

Last time we ditched the tv we still did movie night. It consisted of 5 of us on the king size bed hunkered around a computer. DH said the other day he kind of misses that.

 

I so want to take a break from tv but then I think about dd and the kids playing the Wii and the convenience of it at times and I give in.

 

Bottom line is it's doable, nothing bad is going to happen, and I've only experienced positive results. I'm with you - I really want to take a long break from it.

[bigdogs29906]

Just do it!

I cut mine off today!

This isn't the first time we'll be going without, but it already feels so much nicer around here....

[MariannNOVA]

We did it ten months ago -- dh probably misses it most b/c he loves watching sports, but we made it through baseball season and we are getting through football (games are usually streamed online).

 

We got rid of it b/c of the kids and it has been a good thing. It's like pulling off a bandaid -- do it quickly and in one sweeping and it's done and you will move on.

 

As far as the weather, we have one of those NOAA Wx radios - we bought it at home depot --

 

HTH:001_smile:

[anneofalamo]

25 years without one!

my kids are weird!

yeah!

 

one of my favorite reasons for not having one?

tonight

my favorite football team is playing my hubby's!

 

we are going out for Pizza and football!

woot

 

news-we listen to XM radio MSNBC/NPR or Fox as current events for school in the morning

and weather bug tells me anything I need to know!!

 

I have to admit to watching a few episodes of Hoarders on the puter! lol

[May]

Just do it:001_smile: My dh was digging post holes and cut through the cable line. I just never got around to calling it in and 8 years later, a few houses later, still no cable. We have a Netflixs account, dds watch stuff on their computers but that's it.

[missesd]

We pick the shows we watch together as a family that are on regular stations. We download them, and then stream them over to our PS3. That way we still get to watch stuff together, but we are not sucked into the TV, AND I get to control what I don't want my kids to watch :)

 

That being said, I do miss CourtTV, Dicovery and History channels.

[Twigs]

I stopped watching tv when I got really.mad at the cable company.

I still watch DVDs.

I don't miss any of my old regular shows (Law & Order, Jeopardy!, etc.) and I certainly do.not miss commercials!

I've actually started reading more.

I've not regretted this decision once.

I say go for it!

[MamaBearTeacher]

If I had cable I might get addicted. I actually spent most of my twenties without a TV and since then have had a TV but no cable. We don't watch the few channels we have because reception is bad but watch movies and I watch some TV shows online. There are a lot of other interesting things online too. There is too much trash on TV and too much news. I honestly think getting rid of cable is good for the soul. Maybe you could make a list of other ways you would spend the time to get excited about.

[JennyD]

We got rid of the TV a few years ago -- ours stopped working and we just didn't replace it. The kids never watched anyway, and I only watched occasionally, but DH -- who was initially *very* dubious -- thinks that it is the best thing we have ever done for him. He is more productive in the evenings, he reads for pleasure (for the first time in his life) and the two of us wind up chatting more.

 

When we go to my parents' or ILs' I turn on the TV when the kids go to bed. And every time I'm stunned that with a zillion channels there is nothing at all I want to watch. I don't know if it's that television has gotten worse over the last few years or if I've just gotten out of the habit. Possibly both. In any event, we don't miss it at all and have no plans to get a new one.

[Tree House Academy]

We cut ours off for the third time (in 5 years) just a few weeks ago. I love going without it for a bit. We always seem to last a year and then get it back. We have really enjoyed watching lots of Christmas movies together as a family since the cable went.

 

You will adjust...just making the disconnect is the hardest part.

 

A radio or the internet will track a tornado for you too. ;) Besides, if you lose electricity, you can't use the TV in a storm anyway!

[Kathleen in VA]

We haven't had tv in a while - can't remember when we got rid of it. I do find it's harder in the winter when the sun does down early and you can't do anything outside. We watch movies from the library mostly. Dd18 painted her room from Oct. 20 or so to November 27th. Her dresser was in our living room in front of the entertainment center so we didn't watch anything at all for 37 days. We missed it a few times, but mostly it just didn't matter. I find out weather and news stuff on my computer. Our county has an email alert system for tornadoes and other emergencies.

[Sahamamama]

We have never had a TV in our family, but both my husband and I did grow up in homes with television. We both think we watched too much, which is part of the reason we didn't bother to buy one when we were first married. Of course, the main reason was we never felt like putting the money into purchasing one, not to mention paying for cable each month. :tongue_smilie:

 

We do have a computer with FIOS/Internet connection. We probably could watch movies through the Internet, but we don't. Instead, we watch free DVDs from the library. :D Free is good. We love our at-home, cheap-o movie nights. Sometimes it's with the girls -- all snuggly in footie pajamas, how cute is that? Sometimes it's just the two of us, after the girls are tucked in bed. How romantic is that? :lol:

 

Seriously, if you have a grandparent or auntie close by, your kids might get to go over there and watch TV once a week. That's about enough for my girls. They go to Grammy and Pop Pop's house, watch a bit of Max and Ruby, and they're good for at least a week. Of course, they would be fine with it if they never watched TV, but we don't want them to be freaky-weird, unsocialized homeschoolers. ;) I sometimes watch a bit of TV when I'm there, and I realize how much more refreshing life seems WITHOUT it. There, I said it.

 

Life seems so much happier, cleaner, less threatening, less doom-and-gloom WITHOUT television. Am I living with my head in the sand? Maybe. But television sensationalizes every little thing, to the point where it's not any wonder why there's so much anxiety and depression in America today. When my husband and I hang out at my parents' house and surf through the channels, we are always amazed at the rancor, the crassness, the utter waste of time that constitutes today's TV fare. It's actually a relief to turn the thing OFF.

 

I wish you well on your journey to being TV-free. If you are a Christian (or even if not?), you might like to begin with this book -- Fixing Our Eyes: A Guidebook for a TV-Free Week, by Kevin C. Lee.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Fixing-Our-Eyes-Guidebook-TV-Free/dp/0842354158

 

HTH.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Sahamamama

[Jen+4dc]

When we go to my parents' or ILs' I turn on the TV when the kids go to bed. And every time I'm stunned that with a zillion channels there is nothing at all I want to watch. I don't know if it's that television has gotten worse over the last few years or if I've just gotten out of the habit. Possibly both. In any event, we don't miss it at all and have no plans to get a new one.

:iagree: This is what happens when we visit friends, too.

 

We own a TV and have it hooked up to a dvd player and we have netflix but no TV reception or cable. We haven't had any for 4-5 years now and I love it! Dh misses his college football in the fall but nothing else. It's much, much more peaceful in our house without it and I'm a better mom. We read books, play lots of board games, and talk. My dc listen to lots of books on cd and play with toys.

 

We do watch movies (Fri night is family movie night) but it's a conscious choice we make to turn on the tv. And, even better, the content is actually something worth watching!

 

I highly recommend it!!:D

[regentrude]

I have not had a TV for the last twenty years -since I moved out of my parent's home.

We can watch documentaries and films through netflix, either on DVD or streaming.

 

When we travel and have a TV in our vacation house or motel, I am always amazed how there can be two hundred channels and not a single thing on that I would consider watching.

 

Living without TV is easy. And saves time.

[Heather in Neverland]

We have a TV with DVD player for movies but that is it. When we moved here the cable was so expensive and the american TV show selection so limited that we said forget it. We have now been cable-free for one and a half years and we don't miss it!

[alpidarkomama]

We've been without a tv for quite a few years now. Best thing ever! We watch a Netflix family movie 1x/week on a projector. Sometimes I'll stream something while I'm working on the computer planning lessons and stuff. The kids also enjoy David Attenborough nature shows, and a few other educational films. There's always internet and radio to get news and stay informed.

[elfgivas]

go for it! it is the most wonderful feeling (after the first few weeks, which just made my dh twitchy). we're on year 19, i think.... although we had a brief relapse in '97 that lasted only a few weeks. i would think around Christmas, with all there is to do, that it would be easier.

 

what a gift to give your family : ).

ann

[duckens]

I have gone tv-free twice in my life, and I highly recommend it.

 

Once was when I was a nanny. I spent my extra time studying for college and reading classics. I got so much done!!!

 

The second time was when a boyfriend moved out of our shared apartment. The tv was his, so I sent it with him. Again, I spent all of my extra time reading. It was wonderful!

 

You will also be more rested because you will go to bed when you are tired; not at the end of the hour or after your tv show.

 

Withdrawl symptoms: Each time I went tv-free, it was hard for the first year. On Thursday nights, I would think, "It's LA Law night." On Sunday nights, I would think, "It's Masterpiece Theater night." After the first year, these thoughts never crossed my mind. But, for me, it did take a year.

 

More withdrawl symptoms: I did not have a tv on 9/11. I spent the whole evening listening to NPR's coverage of the tragedy. I was soooo tempted to go out and buy a tv right then for that event. I wondered if I should impose myself on friends and their families to watch tv coverage of the situation. Since then, I've always wondered if I was less traumatized than the rest of the country over that event because I didn't see the towers falling down again and again and again throughout that evening.

 

Another option:

 

Currently, we have a tv. Last year, I splurged on a TIVO box from the TIVO company. If you go through the TIVO company, you do not need cable or satellite.

 

http://www.tivo.com/

 

Since doing this, we watch less tv, but still have access to watch the shows we want when we want.

 

I save all of the PBS children's shows for dd4. This has eliminated fighting with her over the tv. No matter what time she awakens in the morning, she may watch one show of her choice. At the end of 30 minutes, the TIVO automatically turns it off...and I am not the bad guy for turning off the next show in the middle of the beginning theme song.

 

I am also able to save the nerdy shows of Nature and Nova for me to watch. Sometimes we have time to watch them; sometimes we don't.

 

We also have a Netflix subscription of one DVD at a time. Thanks to TIVO, we can instantly watch some shows and documentaries through the Netflix/TIVO combination.

[T'smom]

We haven't had cable/satellite for a couple years now.....but I'm way more addicted to hulu than I ever was with the TV. And the only way to get rid of that is self-control, 'cause there's NO WAY I'm giving up the internet!

[jenniferlee]

15 years and no tv here. We ditched when I realized I was addicted to soap operas, if you can believe it!

So the kids have never had one. We have NEVER been sad to not have one.

 

We do watch movies and you tube videos for kicks. And I occasionally get some things from the library that we would have liked to have seen. PBS specials, etc.

 

But we'll never go back.

 

Jen

[tricia]

Well you have the internet for weather. And obviously you have a computer so maybe you can still watch a movie now and then!! I say ditch it. We ditched ours over 15 years ago and not regrets. We have 12 kids so it was no easy battle but we all survived and are better for it! How about just keeping it off for one week before ditching it to see how things go. If you make the week you should be fine after that. Good luck.:001_smile:

[Swirl]

We did it a couple of years ago, and I'm so glad we did. We listen to the radio a lot now, especially for baseball games. You can get a good weather alert radio for storm info. For special occasions when there is something on we really NEED to see, such as the All-Star game, we check into a local motel for pizza, TV watching, and indoor swimming. Kind of a cheap mini-vacation, lots of fun. Wished we had done it sooner!!!

[Paintedlady]

It was like quitting smoking smoking, painful at first, but now I only have the occasional withdrawal. And also just like smoking, it's easy to replace that bad habit with a different one. For me, it's the computer. I have to learn to balance everything and not feed into new addictive habits. Good luck!

[Hedgehog]

I've never had a TV, and neither has DH. We don't miss what we don't know! Our problem is spending too much time on the computer - he uses a laptop, I use the PC - we both combine work and relaxation on it, but it's becoming too much for me so I'm trying to restrict my use of it.

 

As for movies and other TV programs: I might occasionally rent a movie, or watch the odd comedy show on BBC iPlayer, but I'm not really drawn to that so it's not an issue.

 

The kids get to play one computer game, or share watching one movie either on Saturday or Sunday. They currently don't have any screen time during the week.

[Giraffe]

Thank you everyone for your comments! It's interesting to see how many people have turned their back on TV and lived to tell the tale. :)

 

I was thinking back and remembered that DD and I did go TV free twice - once visiting a friend with no TV for 2 weeks and again when we moved here and didn't have cable right away. Both times we did fine. I did miss the news though.

 

I spoke to DH about it. He said we can absolutely reduce/get rid of cable, but the TV stays. His mom paid for a year of Turkish language TV via satellite and internet streaming and we have to keep that. So.... I'm going to look long and hard at the English language cable and see about reducing that.

 

And buying a weather radio.

 

Thanks!