HSMother Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 My children use the computer, play video games, and watch tv. They have a limit of one hour per day per child, BUT when one child is using their time the others usually sit and watch. This adds up to a LOT of time spent on fruitless activity each day. Is there anyone here who has gone from allowing these things to eliminating them entirely? How did you go about it, and did your children live through it? ;-) Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 No such thing as video games or computer time when I was little, but one day the tv was removed from our home, out of the blue. We survived. Thrived, I would argue. This is an issue I struggle with myself re my sons. There are many days I would love to chuck all media sources out the window. Hope you find a solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We moved to individual media days. We do Mon/Fri everyone plays/watches together and we have individual days the rest of the week. That way no one is spending more than an hour watching or playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We count all media time within the 'budget'. So if they sit and watch together, then they are both using up their time. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We count all media time within the 'budget'. So if they sit and watch together, then they are both using up their time. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 My dh just finished teaching a human development course and one item of research that really caught his eye was the correlation between screen time and emotional maturity. The more screen time, the less mature (I'll ask him tonight for the reference). Anyhoo. Here's what we do. No t.v. We don't have it. We don't watch it on -line either. X-box is in a closet from the time we can go barefoot to the first snow or Thanksgiving (whichever comes later). Movies- limited and parent approved. Sometimes our older kids will watch something the notsolittles can't but it's rare. Computer time is earned for my 2 younger- the older ones are 2 busy to use it much but do do research and writing. Computer is the first thing to go if there is attitude/behavior issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 In our house, watching is the same as playing. If you are staring at a screen for your screen time, it doesn't matter who's got the controller. Time's up. I'd love to haul the tv to the curb and slap a free sign on it. (Except I just started watching Dr. Who through Amazon Prime, so maybe when I've finished with that. ;) ) My dh, otoh, grew up on tv and loves video games. We're having a no-screens month right now, and after an initial protest, my boys have barely noticed. We're going to take this month to re-evaluate our screens policies...my hope is that dh will be willing to limit the time even more. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I would count observation as screen time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We unplugged the TV and stuck it in the corner (that was six months ago). After the kids were in bed, I had the option to pull it out and plug it in to watch some not-to-be-missed shows, Castle, Deadliest Catch, The Soup and Fashion Police, Project Runway. When the season of Castle was over, I usually only pulled it out on Tuesdays to watch Deadliest Catch. And I left it out. And a little Pigby would wake up early and watch. This past Sunday, since DC is over) we put the TV on the curb with a free sign and away it went. I will still be able to watch Castle, Project Runway, Next Food Network Star, Raising Hope on Hulu or IMDB, but now I can do it on my own time and don't have to worry as much about getting sucked in or letting the kids get sucked in. The boys generally watch one movie a day while I wash dishes or get some other cleaning done. Computer time for Pigby is being cut off. When he tells me he's bored or asks me what to do, he's getting a chore. play time on my phone will only be a reward for getting his chores done and doing his school work. He loses time every time he whines/is disobedient/rude/mean/etc. I need homeschooling to work out. I need to pour my heart and soul into educating this little man and eventually the youngers. I absolutely cannot do that while glued to the computer screen myself, so I need to beat this addiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 What do you and your kids do instead? We do not have neighborhood children to play with. Dd has three friends, but not everyone is available every day so we have days like yesterday and today were there is no one to play with. I don't play, I don't do crafty stuff (oh the never ending mess of crafts), I'm not playing outside. I don't feel that is is my job to entertain dd. So we watch tv, play video games (individually and together), do things on the computer and occasionally read. So far today we've: watched tv ate breakfast while watching tv checked in with Wii Fit played Mario Kart I cooked lunch I cleaned the kitchen Played more Mario Kart TV is on and now I'm typing. Dd is tidying up pajamas and robe that for some reason got left down stairs this morning. At some point I'll water the plants and dust mop the wood floors and clean out the bathtub since I didn't do that last night when I washed the dog. Dd might help or she might do something else. I'm sure the TV will be involved in some way along with more video games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I grew up in a home with the only tv in my parents' bedroom sitting area. I watched cartoons a couple tomes during the week and on Saturday mornings, and maybe WKRP or MASH, Wild Kingdom with my dad. My husband grew up with the tv on all the time, video games, etc. For a lot of our early marriage, the tv would go on when the first person would get up and be on all day. We just got rid of it. Period. The tv doesn't go on until we go to bed (we both fall asleep with it on and set the sleep timer). 3 out of 4 Friday nights (when Dad's home) we have family pizza and movie night. And that's pretty much it, except for computer based school things (Gensler logic app, MEP interactive pages, Meet the Masters), which aren't every day. We do use the computer for media... The kids are camped out at the counter right now, finishing their lunch and listening to a Junie B Jones audiobook. It's like the family radio of the 21st century, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alveraz Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 My children use the computer, play video games, and watch tv. They have a limit of one hour per day per child, BUT when one child is using their time the others usually sit and watch. This adds up to a LOT of time spent on fruitless activity each day. Is there anyone here who has gone from allowing these things to eliminating them entirely? How did you go about it, and did your children live through it? ;-) Michelle Why not make it one hour for everyone at the same time? I only have two kids but that's how we do it. They play video games together or one plays on PC, the other on Kinect. BTW, if your kids are hooked on video games, switch over to Kinect. It's been a huge difference. You can't beat a video game that makes your kids sweat and exercise. My kids love it! No more lethargic mind numbing games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneplustwoIdaho Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I grew up with the TV on 24/7, and I see how it limited family interaction, creativity, and the desire to learn or do something new (sewing, recreational sports, even card or board games, etc.) DH and I were considering getting rid of ours when it was fried by a power surge (despite being plugged into a surge protector, God works in mysterious ways)! We cancelled cable, bough a cheap used TV for movies and the Wii. We cannot even get local chanels without cable. We still have the movies, Wii and computer. I hope we all adjust and use our time more wisely (mostly the DH and I). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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