Reducing screen time for family and self

[displace]

I am embarrassed to say I watch too much TV/Netflix/hulu.  I don't mind looking at things on the Internet I feel help to teach me new things (like this website), but I need to reduce drastically my and DS's TV amounts.

Did you have the same problem and what was the best solution for you?  Did you go cold turkey and cancel Netflix or cable?  Did you gradually reduce your time doing those things with a timer, or perhaps substitute these entertainment items with another activity you enjoy? 

What about children and changing their viewing habits?  Did you gradually reduce time, cut it out overnight, use it for a reward?  I'm considering going cold turkey for a month or so (we're moving and will have a drastic lifestyle change for a bit anyway), then only reintroducing as a reward/limit (for DS) and similar concept for myself (setting a timer or only using at night after everything during the day is already accomplished).

Thanks for your helpful and supportive ideas with this.  TV has always been my vice, so I'm trying to change lifelong habits and prevent them from developing in DS.  :blush:

[MeghanL]

It sounds like now is a good time to cut it out cold turkey during this time of transition. When/If you do re-introduce, set some boundaries around it. For instance, I have a rule for myself of no computer time until after school & chores are done. I stay more focused on teaching/helping/maintaining cleanliness if I'm not always running back over to the computer to see what's new. The kids have the same rules except after everything is done, they needed to have exhibited a good attitude and then can have up to 2 hours per day of combined screen time. When we are off school (we take one week off a month), the kids can't have screens during those weeks (I'm allowed), but I take them to a craft store and let them pick out some activities to work on instead.

[displace]

We did a month TV-free, and only allowed one show a day after that, when DS was getting too into TV. Be forewarned: he did not stop asking until at least the 3rd week.

 

I'm not that interested in TV but can overdo the internet. I now have my laptop set up on a shelf in a cabinet and hooked up to wired-only internet, so it's a standing desk. Much less cozy to surf for long periods.

 

Eek!  3 weeks to wean.  I guess I should expect that but I was hoping more like a week of whining/complaining.  Good idea about the computer, thanks. 

 

I think cold turkey for a month or so is just the thing for both of us.  We really need to get more exercise too so this sounds like a good time.    :001_smile:

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Cold turkey.

 

I got rid of directv because of cost, but we still had Netflix. Then I reduced our Internet speed which made Netflix frustrating, so I tossed that as well.

 

Next up is reducing iPod time (ds just got an iPod from my father, so I was giving him some time on it). Depending on ds's current med trial, I'll be making several days each week screen free.

[J-rap]

I'd suggest going cold turkey, since you are in a time of transition. I think it's a great idea to help train your son out of it. I must admit that it was easier in my small town and when my children were young. Netflix didn't exist and we only got one channel with our television. (PBS) My kids did watch an hour/day of PBS and sometimes that would turn into more... But once they outgrew the young children's programs (Sesame Street, etc.) there wasn't much else on that caught their interest in the daytime. I can't tell you how glad I am that it ended up being that way, kind of by accident. We did always rent a movie once a week for family movie night.

 

I think using it for rewards (maybe one 1/2 show/day after all school work is done, or something like that) would work, with a longer movie on the weekends, perhaps?

 

I do believe it's a lot harder now than it was even 15 years ago to keep screen time to a minimum in your children's lives.

[lllll]

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[lynn]

I suggest cold turkey  However prepare a list of things to do if child says "I have nothing to do"  I usually start with things I can do with them at the moment, walk, ride bikes, plays soccer and if that does not work I go to crafts, building something, make playdough etc then it's onto "Ok then, here's  a rag dust dust the living room, baseboards (or whatever)"    Funny how quickly they find something to do if I start talking extra chores..

[nd293]

We made our change all in one go - neither cold turkey nor a gradual withdrawal, we changed in one move to our new policy. Our change was no TV Monday to Friday. As the kids somehow made that mean 'unlimited weekend TV time' we now do 1 programme before bed during the week, and are working on establishing a reasonable limit for weekends.

 

The key for the kids was to be 100% clear on our new rule and not to give in if they nagged or if I was having a bad day. It is also important to have a rule that is calibrated in a time children of a certain age can understand: '30 minutes' doesn't mean anything to my 6 yr old '1 episode of x or 2 episodes of y' does. Similarly, "You can watch just before bedtime" is easier to police than "You can watch after 6pm" (the latter leading to being asked if it is 6pm yet at 9:30am and every half hour thereafter).

 

Changing TV policy isn't easy, but it can be done if you think it through and stick to your guns.

[regentrude]

I find that spending too much time on the computer/watching movies is a sign that we do not have enough to do. For me, this is typically over the summer when I don't work (my contract is only mid-august-may); for the kids during school break.

Our solution is to have a busier schedule. When I work, the kids homeschool or take outside classes and are involved in outside activities, there is not that much time left over for mindless media consumption. When days start early, we all need to go to bed earlier, so we don' stay up late on the computer.

Beginning the school year and switching to a busier schedule solves the problem for us every time.

 

ETA: My kids both use their computers to communicate with their friends. DD chats on skype, DS plays multiplayer games and talks to his friends on steam. I consider this part of socializing and find it important, so we do make enough time for that.

[Ellie]

I am embarrassed to say I watch too much TV/Netflix/hulu.  I don't mind looking at things on the Internet I feel help to teach me new things (like this website), but I need to reduce drastically my and DS's TV amounts.

Did you have the same problem and what was the best solution for you?  Did you go cold turkey and cancel Netflix or cable?  Did you gradually reduce your time doing those things with a timer, or perhaps substitute these entertainment items with another activity you enjoy? 

What about children and changing their viewing habits?  Did you gradually reduce time, cut it out overnight, use it for a reward?  I'm considering going cold turkey for a month or so (we're moving and will have a drastic lifestyle change for a bit anyway), then only reintroducing as a reward/limit (for DS) and similar concept for myself (setting a timer or only using at night after everything during the day is already accomplished).

Thanks for your helpful and supportive ideas with this.  TV has always been my vice, so I'm trying to change lifelong habits and prevent them from developing in DS.  :blush:

 

I'm a cold-turkey kind of gal, although I would probably not cancel Netflix or cable. Ok, maybe cable/satellite, because it's so much more expensive than Netflix.

 

I wouldn't use the TV as a reward. That can come back to bite you.

 

In our home, the dc could watch TV in the morning after they were dressed and had breakfast, and it was turned off by 9. Since the dc didn't get up until around 8, this was not a big problem. :-) No TV until after 3 in the afternoon, but it turned out that by then the dc were busy doing their own thing, or we were out of the house, so it was no problem

 

No TV during dinner, which for many years was very early, 4:30, so that was only an hour and a half of TV time *if* the dc weren't busy or we were home.

 

Bedtime was 8, which meant that the dc were getting baths and whatnot beginning around 7-7:30. Not much time for TV.

 

That left weekends....if we were home. I wouldn't have minded having the TV on if we were home.

 

I enjoy TV, or rather, the concept of TV, especially now with Netflix available instead of only cable/satellite/antenna (we have an antenna in addition to Netflix). Sometimes I put it on for the noise...said the empty-nester. :-) When the dc were young, I rarely turned on the TV during the day; I had started leaving it on all day when DD1 was in the mommy hotel :-) but decided that was not a good thing, and cold-turkey-like, decide Not to Watch During the Day.