On Monday i called my TV/phone/internet provider and downgraded (is that the opposite to upgrade?) to the basic package on television. We use to have two tvs with all the possible chanels (the "supreme" package) in both tellies: one in our room, and one in the living room, which is also my son's room (we only have i bedrooom). We opted for the basic package (with only a few national chanels) in our room and nothing in my son's room. So he can watch a video which we can choose together at the library, or a special DVD. But we had had enough of uninterrupted cartoon programming that he could access whenever he wanted. Both dh and i were always anxious about letting him watch too much telly. But being neither too strict or disciplined ourselves he still watched a lot in our opinion. He couldn't watch TV in the mornings before going to school or during weekdays on school days. However, my ds felt that he had to make up for it on weekends and holidays. I never had the heart to say no because i thought i was depriving him of something (i don't know of what!). Or that i was being too severe, so if we weren't out doing something i'd let him watch it. I think he always felt my anxiety about this and he became sort of obessed with television. My house is not one of those that you walk in and the telly is on all day no matter what. And i have seen that, in some of my friends' houses where having the telly on is a norm, their children weren't that interested in watching it.

So because we don't like to have the telly on all day, we decided to cut it off completely. We felt that our son changed whenever he watched less television so we decided to give it a try. Today is Wednesday and i can already see the change. In the past three days i have felt that he listens more to what i say the first time and that he can concentrate more on what he is doing. I use to get so mad that he wouldn't play with his toys and now has been playing and doing other stuff he hadn't done for a long time. Over the past months i think i was a bit absent (that is mentally, i'm sorry i don't know how to explain it) and therefore this happened. I don't know if i am making sense, only that i am happy that i have taken this decision. I don't want to stop him from doing what he likes but it was becoming an obssession that was affecting everybody -and i repeat, he didn't even watch that much, but whenever he had the chance he became so absorted (sp?) that he wouldn't care to do anything else. He is such a bright boy and i don't want to waste his potential by allowing hours of television when he could be doing something else.

I have also noticed that we talk a lot more and that he is more interested in the world around him. I am so happy and i am looking forward to stimulate him in so many other ways. Plus, we are saving £60 a month, which is about 70 dollars (i think) .

Thanks for reading and sorry it was so long!

Maria

By Ginny~moderator on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 07:50 pm:

Good for you. I think most people and most kids watch entirely too much television, and I think you have taken a very positive step.

By Tink on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 10:17 pm:

We've drastically reduced the TV time our kids have. They are no longer allowed to watch before school, after school, or more than two hours on the weekends. Like you, I noticed that my kids weren't paying attention to me the way I'd like, weren't playing with their toys, and I have noticed that their attention span with other activities is longer. I think that people get used to attending in bites as long as an episode and now my kids are playing for hours with things that encourage their creativity and imaginations. Honestly, they are probably arguing more but that gives them a chance to work on their problem solving skills, right? I think you've made a good choice!

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 11:17 pm:

We only have basic cable at our house and it has been that way since January 97, when we got the internet. We didn't want to pay for full cable and the internet. Kids whine every now and then that there is something that they can't watch, but not too often. If there is something really important, we can ask Grandma and Grandpa to tape it for us. I don't know that it would be as much of a financial burden for us to have more cable, at this point, but we are fine the way it is.

By Kaye on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 08:21 am:

Good Job! We regular take a week with no TV. When I feel like my kids are being particularly bad, we go electronic free. My kids do act much better, then we are better about limiting it. Their tv is upstairs so I don't always know it is on. I moved the game cube downstairs so I KNOW how much time is spent on that now.

By Angellew on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 08:49 am:

In the last month, I have drastically cut my DDs television time and taken all her videos out of her sight (the old out of sight, out of mind theory!!) There has been a significant change in her since then. She's really "Playing" with her toys now, and wants us to play with her, which is what we were looking for, and we are using her favorite movies, like Shrek and Winnie the Pooh as rewards! If she was a very good girl for grandma, she can watch Shrek! If she tries to go potty, she gets a sticker, but if something actually comes out and goes into the potty, she gets Pooh!!!

Yeah, I know, it's actually bribery, but... (shrug), what can I say? It's working!