Youth Development

» RFecho - Yes! Yes! Yes!

You (and I) are in the minority, but it doesn't make us wrong, that's for sure. If it were entirely up to me, there would not even be a TV set in our home, but I have to compromise with my husband, you know. My toddlers have no screen time, but my older kids get one hour of total screen time each day, and have to decide how to spend it. Therefore they make their choices carefully, and obviously there are limits as to what type of shows or games are permitted. It is a daily struggle, but one I am not willing to give up. When I see them writing, reading, playing with playdough, etc., and see the joy, the creativity, the imagination it brings out, I am reminded of why I don't take "the easy way." As the author says, we'll see how it goes when they are older, but I hope I'll stay strong!

-- posted by RFecho

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» Susan Carney - Yes! Yes! Yes!

In response to Yes! Yes! Yes! posted by RFecho:

What a great idea! I love how you are teaching your kids to make shared decisions, and to prioritize. It must be so reinforcing to see them engaged in so many other positive activities instead of zoned out in front of the tube. Yo go girl!

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» kristinem - Yes! Yes! Yes!

In response to Yes! Yes! Yes! posted by sugarsnapmj:

I really really try to keep my kids away from the TV as much as possible. My oldest grew up watching a LOT of TV, as I was a kid too and loved TV. Now I really try to restrict their TV time, and find that the older ones play outside more, and the little ones are not so exposed to TV. And more than anything else, I restrict the kids to either PBS (our public channel which is all educational kids programming) or movies that we have. They do not watch anything that I feel is innapropriate, and can play video games (again, educational) for short periods.
I find that I also set the example, as I do not watch TV more than a few hours a week.
I love the idea of my kids playing playdoh or riding scooters in the yard rather than in the house...
K

-- posted by kristinem

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» brz2889 - TV

I'm writing a paper discussing parts of this issue, and I repeatedly find in my research and first hand experience how bad excessive amounts of TV, or even any entertainment device, can be on a child. My youngest step brother has known no other entertainment than television, computer, and video games. When he's not playing or watching, he's running around the house screaming and pretending to be those characters. It's just a detriment how much time is devoted to these simple forms of entertainment, and how little we actually receive in return. Television is such an escape, and sadly is used the most as entertainment, when perhaps it shouldn't be

-- posted by brz2889

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