For You Mamas Who Don't Give Your Kids T.V.

I don't think the amount of TV you are describing is a problem. We don't have TV (cable or satellite) in our home, but we have Netflix videos and online streaming - so the shows without the commercials is all. She has screen time every day. She's almost 9 now and I don't think this is a problem. I keep an eye on how much time she watches, what she watches, and make sure she has a balance of physical activities, play time, homework time, reading time, etc. along with watching a cartoon or two in the morning and again at night, most days. Yeah, it helps me keep my sanity and I don't feel guilt about it!

3 kids and no TV. We don't even have one in fact. No nothing. The 1st two weeks are hard. Really hard. My parents let us stay with hem while moving and my parents like the TV on just to have background noise while they are awake. That means 12 or more hours a day for a month. My husband watched shows and such on his computer and we own a projector but is set up in my husband office so if he wants to watch something he looses family time. Sometime it is needed for him to destress from work. The room most families would use as a TV room is a play room. The kids have to clean it up when I ask or that toy is lost for a month. If the kids want my attention I have them help with housework. Sort laundry, fold washcloths, whatever within their level. No they are no real help but it does let me work.

We don't have tv service. none. The cable bill was ridiculous, and a new cable company was installing it's service in our neighborhood... so I figured, I'd cancel the current one and then get the new service. Well, the installation took longer than we thought and we went w/o any tv service for about 5 months. DID NOT MISS IT! Well, we have the new company now, and since we didn't miss the TV, we opted to just get internet service through them, and no tv. We haven't had TV for 8 months. So, we watch an occasional youtube video or hulu video, and we also have netflix through our game console as of a month ago... but, we go without viewing anything for days!

How we do it? Well, I'm a stay at home home with four kids(7,6,4 and 2)- two go to school, and the other two are too young for school, so I am definitely in situations where many parents would have their kids watch TV... but instead, I have them either "help" me with what I'm doing, play in their playroom (that has NO electronic toys... just imaginative play stuff), have them color right next to me, do puzzles, or they just make up their own pretend games on their own. We go outside frequently- take walks, play in the dirt, sidewalk chalk, ride the tricycle, etc. When you get used to it, it really isn't a struggle!

I use my "veg out" time after the kids go to sleep:)

I did something similar to what you are doing now. I allowed a favorite program once a day and one video once day while I tended to the house, laundry, cooking, cleaning stuff. And I kept the TV volume low, very low, so they had to really sit quietly and watch. I can't stand that noise and did not want to be bothered by it.

When I wasn't using the TV to babysit for me, just being honest, I would play music for them. The radio. A CD. I would play classical music softly during quiet time and fun, rhythmic, rock and roll, and loud for dancing and playing.

And this strategy did not harm them. My kids are straight A students and excel in their sports and music lessons now.

To get you time while baby naps give your toddler quiet time in her room. Let her have one 30 minute show in the afternoon and then drop the before bed show tv close to bed time actually makes your mind more active instead of making you sleepy and relaxed.

I turn the TV off when I want it off and my three year old plays with her toys. Yes she might whine about it if she really wants to watch something but we just tell her that it is time for her to play with toys not watch TV. If she is watching TV and the baby seems to be paying attention to it I just take the baby to a different room or play with the baby so her attention is elsewhere.

As far as getting things done, my older daughter knows that she cannot always have my undivided attention. She knows that I have things I have to get done before I get to play (just like she does).

In my opinion there is nothing wrong with telling your children no, not right now, I have to do ____________ or no you aren't watching TV, go play.

:0) switch to the radio on tv. it is so boring to look at the bubbles and dots.

One thing I haven't read in any comments are radio or audio programming for children. These are just as entertaining as television programs and less invasive in the home. Like some other posts, I can't stand the sound of TV nor the commercials. Some programs are on tape or CD, others you can buy from iTunes. I just recently purchased a couple series of the old "Chicken Man" radio series. The kids love it and then make up their own episodes.