Has any one ever tried too really limit TV time?

[aubry]

I wasn't sure where too put this, so I put it here!;-) TV is leisure right? I know my dks watch WAY too much tv. But I have such a hard time limiting it, espepecially in the winter. I hate being cooped up and hearing the whines."I want clifford, dragon tales, little bear, caillou, barney,jj the jet plane.. ya get the idea. If you have cut back tv time , how did you survive the transition or should I just wait till summer!

[Crafty Amanda]

I've been pretty lucky in this area. Even though my TV is on ALL day (I know, some moms are probably shuddering right now LOL), my kids don't actually watch it all day. They watch their favorite shows and play, watch and play, and so on. They go back and forth all day. But there are some times that I just turn it off. When I do, they just find toys and play with them. I've been very lucky! Sometimes they even turn it off themselves.

I have been trying to make it a habit to turn off the TV when they eat lunch, when I sit them at the table to color, when we eat dinner, etc. We have a small house, so the TV is pretty close to the kitchen, but they can't see it from the table, just hear it. So I have been trying to get them in the habit of it being quiet during certain times.

Another thing you can try is turning off the TV and replacing it with a radio, or if you have kids songs, like those silly songs things, put that tape in. Then give them puzzles or coloring books to work on while they listen to the music. If they really object, start off slow. Just ten minutes of coloring and the TV being off. When they ask for it to go back on, go ahead and let them have it. Remember, if yuo resist they will just want it more!

It's not perfect advice, but maybe it'll spark some ideas

[otheila]

My house sounds like yours lol. The tv seems to be on all day but there is only 2 shows that she really likes to watche.
I don't mind her having the tv on as backround noise usually it's turned down low.
In a way I would rather have certian shows on then some music or other shows. It does get turned off for meal times, reading time, and when we play 'school'.
We do use tv as a timer of sorts, ' when you hear the theme for caillou we'll color then when it's over you can play with your barbies'. That kinda thing

[kimmyo]

My kids are in school all day, but I do have to limit my 11 yo ds to 1 hour of tv on school nights and 1 hour of computer. Otherwise he would veg out on both and never move. My teenager doesn't watch much tv...mostly music videos.

[Irene]

Hello everyone,
My kids are in school all day also but I do have a few rules about the tv. On school days there is no nintendo before school or at lunch time either. After school they don't watch tv except to play nintendo. I have 3 boys. The 2 younger ones get out of school at 2:30pm and the other at 3pm. When they get home they take turns on the game, 30 minutes each. I don't really limit television show time because they don't do much of that anyway. My boys are very busy, they are all in tae kwon do, cubs and beavers.
On the weekends the half hour limit per kid doesn't really apply but I try to offset this by allowing them to play on Saturday morning but they also have to tidy the room in which they play the game, they must tidy their rooms and if friends come to call on them to play outside I always boot them out.
My sons ages are 9-7-and 5.
Oh yeah, they also have swimming lessons for an hour on Sunday so that also breaks up the time on the tv. I guess my advice to anyone that may need help with this topic is to first set a reasonable time for a limitation on the set then following that keep them reeeeeeeeealllllllllllly busy That way, as far as they are concerned, you didn't do a whole lot to keep them off the tv . The FACT is they have chosen SUCH A BUSY LIFESTYLE
Ciao for now,
Irene

[carmenblack]

I was considering how to best reduce the amount of tv my young daughter watched during the day if not eliminate it altogether when the picture tube blew in our main tv. Instead of having it repaired or purchasing a new one right away we decided to experiment with this new opportunity. I was prepared for my daughter to grieve over this tradgedy but when I told her the tv no longer worked she said "okay" and pulled out some toys. She colors more than before and although she has always loved books, she spends more time looking through them now. I didn't have to plan out her day with alternative activities, she found them herself. She has a tv in her room for videos (no cable) and she seldom watches those anymore. We're all out of the "tv habit" I guess. We have no plans to replace that tv any time soon.

[Shawn]

During the day I have no problem limiting TV time. It is bed time that I have a problem with.

My dd can't sleep unless the TV is on.

I have been trying to break this habit by using the timer, putting on the radio instead, etc....

Nothing seems to work. Once the TV shuts off, she would wake up and put it back on.

Yes I know, she should not have a tv in her room, but she does
(smack my hand, bad mommy )

Any ideas on how to break this habbit?

[Crafty Amanda]

Shawn

Do you think it's the light that comes from the TV or the sound? Does she have a night light in her room? My dd won't sleep unless she has her nightlight on. If it's burnt out, I have to leave the hall light on for her.

[Shawn]

I had a regular night light in the room but that was too bright. I then bought one of those flat blue ones and that is not bright enough.

I think it may be time to go looking for a happy medium.

[justGina]

We're the only family in my small church (down to 4 families now ) that owns a TV. Dh isn't a member, that's why we have one.

Suffice it to say, I am ready to throw mine out the door at a moment's notice.