ClassicalTwins Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Does anyone here limit TV time? I was wondering if anyone has in place, a system, such as if you do X, Y and Z, you get 30 minutes of TV today..or something similar. My boys are 10, and I think we've just started down a bad a track where the TV is the center and not enough reading and relaxing activities. They don't sit and watch for hours, and both are competitive gymnasts, so physical activity isn't what they are lacking, but I just don't think we've had enough focus on educational activities, outside of getting school books done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 How it works at our house is that there is no tv unless dad or I say "Hey, if you want you can watch an episode/movie/whatever" or if there is a documentary I want to watch, then I'll ask if anyone wants to watch it with me. The only exceptions are on Wed nights. We watch old black and white shows and eat a black and white snack after dinner as a family. Or on Sat mornings we don't have to be anywhere, each of the 6 kids gets to pick an episode of something. We only have netflix though, no regular tv, so no one is going to "miss" something, it is always there waiting. No one asks for tv because they know the answer will be no. I don't know if it will always be this way, but it is for right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 We allow 20 minutes of screen time a day, one show or iPad time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 My mom did an hour a day with us. I thought that sounded right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 I'm probably in the minority, but we don't set limits. YMMV, but my feeling is that when I set a limit on things, it seems to make the activity (TV, computer, video game, or whatever) more desirable to my ds than it would be if he knows he can do it whenever he feels like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 We don't set limits either. My girls never just sit and watch TV. In fact, I do a mandatory sit down/watch TV time shortly before bedtime to settle them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 We do TV a bit backwards from a lot of people. My kids each get to choose a 30 min. show to watch at breakfast (and they can watch the other kid's choice). I can't take the noise first thing in the morning, so it helps me keep my sanity. :willy_nilly: If dh or I watch something kid-friendly (like Cake Boss) in the evening they are allowed to watch with us. They occasionally ask to play games on the DS or iPad and usually we allow it for about 30 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 We do 1 video in the late afternoon/early evening - that witching hour where people are all cranky and crazy. It is either short (30-40 minutes) or long (90 minutes) depending on my mood - usually it's short. Also depends on how long dinner will take to cook or if we're eating later than usual because dh is late getting home. Rule is both have to agree on the show or no show. Sometimes, there is no show and lots of tears - then it's quiet reading time in bedrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 I JUST started no tv on the weekdays... we will see. They will have 1 hour each on weekend days. The only exception is for DD3 and DS3 who get 1 dvd before lunch after tot school while I finish with older 2. That is preschool prep or leapfrog or pooh counting. In other words, a video the older 2 have no interest in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 I don't set strict limits but my children don't watch TV, just DVDs. My limit is usually 3-4 DVDs per week (about 45 mins each) but this week everyone was sick...I think we got 2 weeks of videos in 2 days!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 We don't set limits BUT they have to finish their studies first; EVERYONE does! AND if they start arguing its mine; even if they have only watched for two minutes. Arguments = no tv. If I think they have been on it too long, I kick them off it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 We don't set certain time limits and our kids don't earn TV, kind of like they don't earn food- I want them to learn healthy habits, not see it as something they constantly strive to get. We just don't make a lot of TV watching part of our rhythm. Sometimes we'll watch an episode of something (usually food network) in the evening, but when it's time to turn it off, it goes off. We enjoy documentaries as part of school a few times a week. My girls are 10, too. I think it's plenty old enough to understand that there are times to unwind with the TV, but it doesn't have to be constant. If you say no, it's no. If they are asking all the time, make a rule that the TV only gets turned on on the weekends and leave it that way until they develop better habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 We don't set certain time limits and our kids don't earn TV, kind of like they don't earn food- I want them to learn healthy habits, not see it as something they constantly strive to get. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Unfortunately, my kids are the type who would watch tv for hours if allowed. :001_rolleyes: When they started going to school this year, I made a rule of only one show each per day (30 minute show). They can watch one another's show, if they want. Recently, I realized that our mornings go better if I get them up and get them ready for school early with the promise that they can watch Arthur on PBS while they eat breakfast. They used to wake up fussing, but now they know that if they fuss, then no Arthur. I am not above bribery!!! On the weekends I am more flexible, but I'd like to start changing that. My kids have too much screen time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 My dc were allowed to watch TV in the morning before we started Official School Stuff, but only after they were dressed and had breakfast...and since we started around 9ish, and dds didn't wake up until around 8, well, there wasn't much time for TV. No TV until after 3, but by then dds were either busy doing their own thing or we were out of the house. No TV until after dinner (4:30-5:30, depending on where we were living at the time and how long it took Mr. Ellie to get home; we ate as soon as he walked in the door), but we left for church around 6-6:30 on Wednesday nights, and sometimes dds had dance or other classes around 6, so not much time for TV in the evening, either, especially since their bedtime was 7:30-8 on nights we were home, and as soon as they walked in the door on other nights. TV on Saturdays was allowed, but you know, we often were doing other fun things on Saturdays, so... Other than that, they could watch TV any time they wanted. :D I wouldn't make TV time a reward. I would establish times for TV and that would be the end of it. Oh, and no TV in bedrooms. Only one TV in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 We set tv time limits by not watching tv. :D Seriously. We used to have cable, the boys watched Disney and Nick and all that. About, oh, four or so years ago, we got rid of cable. That left us with just the local channels; I think maybe 7 or so? Not much on there, but there was PBS, so we watched some Martha Speaks, Curious George, etc. Then, our tv broke. :) We haven't watched tv in so long we're out of the habit now. But.... Dh just ordered a new tv. Apparently he has grand plans to use it as a giant 'monitor'. Hook it up to a computer so we can go online, watch dvd's, etc. I have no idea if we'll actually get any tv channels on the tv, LOL. (I don't *do* techy stuff like tvs, computers, etc. My dh's a programmer; that's his department.) My point is, if you had asked me about tv time limits five years ago, I'd have kinda shrugged and said we just tried to keep it reasonable. Now, we don't watch at all, and we don't miss it. ETA: BAHAHA! I just realized that the quote in my siggy might be a little controversial for this thread. LOL. FWIW, I don't think that ALL tv is evil or bad or anything. I do, however, think that we *as a society* watch too much of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 My dd gets forty-five minutes (which almost always ends up being two episodes of How It's Made, lol) of tv in the morning, and it's off the rest of the time when she's awake except for Friday nights, when we have a family movie night. I'd be fine cutting her back to one episode, but I take a long time to wake up and drink my coffee. The forty-five minutes is for my sanity, not her entertainment. ;) And it has to be decent tv, at least moderately educational. I'm picky about that. Occasionally she'll use Starfall for twenty minutes after lunch, and that's it for screen time of any kind for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 I grew up with an hour a day, but I didn't want my kids waiting for that one hour every day the way me and my siblings used to. My kids get to play wii Friday afternoon once all the chores and school are done and they usually play together until supper. After supper we have movie night together as a family. That is also the only night we each chips or have popcorn. On Saturday they get to play on whatever device they feel like until lunch time and then they have to leave it alone until after supper. They only get 30 min after supper. They love it, I love it. It seems to give me a break as well as them, and I don't ever hear them begging for it through the week. I am also hoping that it teaches them to focus on work and family through the week and leave the play time for weekends as they get older. I see to many young men that don't know how to leave those things alone during the week and their families suffer for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicalTwins Posted March 3, 2013 Author Share Posted March 3, 2013 Thanks for all the suggestions, especially the ones who don't "limit". That's kind of what I was thinking. We've all been sick with one thing or the other since before Christmas, and we've just gotten into a really bad habit with it. We just have to retrain out of it, plus summer will be here soon, and then the thing only gets turned on every once in awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I don't limit it much, but most of what my kids watch could be classified as educational. I do limit electronic gaming (Wii, computer games, 3DS, etc). Mostly the rule is that none of it comes on until schoolwork is done (unless it IS schoolwork, like our Latin DVDs). I do let my 4yo watch/play a bit sometimes while I work one-on-one with my older two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briansmama Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Weekends only, for an hour. It works great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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