I found this helpful list on another blog. There is a lot of great info, as well as some shocking statistics, on many of these sites.
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
- Instead of TV
- Center for Screen-Time Awareness
- Don't Buy It - Get Media Smart (For Kids & Teens)
- Kid Source
- Kill Your Televsion
- LimiTV
- PBS Parents: Children & Media
- The TV Project
- Trash Your TV
- TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment)
- TV Smarter
- White Dot
- TV Smarter Blog
- Trash Your TV Blog
- White Dot Forum
- Alliance for Childhood
- Parents Television Council
- TVFreeLiving.com
- TV Stinks
- Media by Choice
- Plato's Cave
- Television vs. Children
I am not trying to preach to you about how unwholesome and unholy today's programming is (even though it is), nor am I trying to tell you not to have a TV because misery loves company (and we are, in fact, not at all miserable about having been without TV for almost 10 years now).
My #1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 reasons for not having TV, no DVDs, no video games (well, we have ONE), etc. are that they would steal what limited time I get to have with the children while they are little and living at home. Our kids are best friends with each other, and I love to just listen to them playing together, or reading and telling stories to one another. On any given day, they spend their time inventing crazy contraptions, teaching their younger siblings something new, or affectionately doting on the baby and playing with her without ever being asked to do so. I'm sure the same goes on in homes with TV, but I doubt it is going on while the dumb thing is on. I want to fill each precious moment with my wonderful blessings as much as I can, and TV is just so shallow and worthless it is much below them for me to waste their time or mine on it.
When they are grown, you will never once look back and think: "I wish I had watched more TV with the kids", but you may find yourself wishing you had redeemed your time more wisely by investing into them, rather than leaving them to rot their brains in front of the tell-lie-vision.
My #1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 reasons for not having TV, no DVDs, no video games (well, we have ONE), etc. are that they would steal what limited time I get to have with the children while they are little and living at home. Our kids are best friends with each other, and I love to just listen to them playing together, or reading and telling stories to one another. On any given day, they spend their time inventing crazy contraptions, teaching their younger siblings something new, or affectionately doting on the baby and playing with her without ever being asked to do so. I'm sure the same goes on in homes with TV, but I doubt it is going on while the dumb thing is on. I want to fill each precious moment with my wonderful blessings as much as I can, and TV is just so shallow and worthless it is much below them for me to waste their time or mine on it.
When they are grown, you will never once look back and think: "I wish I had watched more TV with the kids", but you may find yourself wishing you had redeemed your time more wisely by investing into them, rather than leaving them to rot their brains in front of the tell-lie-vision.
Amen!! I lived without a TV till I was about 7, and when my parents got one it was only for watching occasional videos or the news. Now I look back and wish they wouldn't have given in to buying one just for that. It ended up becoming such a time-waster (even when there was something "good" to watch, like Andy Griffith or whatever). Those old shows take away your time just as quickly as the new ones.
ReplyDeleteWe have a TV, but it isn't able to get any channels, so I'm thankful for that. We use it to watch DVDs on a very rare occasion, or to play the Wii (which I got so that I can get the Wii fit eventually. The only regret I have about buying it is that whenever kids come over, they ALWAYS want to play on it. I have learned that kids + video games = a bad thing, and I won't let Nathan play video games when he gets older except on a rare occasion, like if we're at someone else's house). I think it's so important, especially in the early years, that a child learns to love books and how to use his own imagination while playing.
Since I have been married, my husband and I haven't had a TV in our home. Quite frankly, I do not miss it AT ALL.
ReplyDeleteI remember one specific instance while a young teenager when I told myself that when I was married, I would NOT have a televison. I needed to talk to my mom about something really important (to me) and she was watching one of her regular tv programs. She told me "after my show" she would talk to me..."not now". I was heartbroken. I vowed to NEVER do that to my children.
I grew up with no TV in the house until I was about 10, then my parents borrowed one to watch the olympics. From then on in, we had a television. Life before television consisted of playing outside until the sun went down, inventing crazy things, reading books and spending time with each other. Now, my younger siblings who have had TV all along know nothing of what I had. It is sad to see.
Good post...glad to see that there are people out there that dislike the "hellevision" as much as we do!!! (I still check your blog periodically and enjoy reading what you are doing!)
Wow its funny how your so against tv ( I am too ) but you spend just as much time bloging, reading comments, reading other blogs and leaving comments. You will say its different but really it takes just as much time to do all that stuff as it does to watch a tv show. So if your sitting at the computer screen or the tv what's the difference. It's still not spending time with the kids. And you have said that you watch all the dugger episodes online, again tell me the difference? Your bloging instead of spending time with your kids. You will say well I only do it when they are sleeping, so why would it be wrong for a husband and wife to watch a Andy, or dugger episode after the kids have went to bed? Should I just look at stuff online and thats different? The internet can be a useful tool but bloging is just so stupid I am no longer going to read blogs and wast my time. I've relized how much time it takes away from my day. The Bible says your life is like a vapor, I don't want to waste anymore of it on worthless blogs. Blogging and all this networking has gottwn way out of hand! We don't have a computer, we have internet on our phone to look up stuff, but it cannot access porn sites or other horriable dangers, and advertisements that are bad that pop up on GOOD websites. I know you can put protection on it but there doent seem to be any good enough for computers. When your children get older they may have a time where they sneek on the computer and they see things they shouldn't. You say well i can see they history, its to late by then. And another thing why would you post pics of your children for the world to see on the internet, there are some real creeps out there that could easly find you because you have put your church and city where you are on here, so be careful. Thoes people who don't post such info are smart! I don't want to post my life on the world wide web its just so stupid.
ReplyDeleteI have 52-inch television, but I don't watch actual programs on it. I watch DVDs and play video games. Are you also opposed to those things?
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to get rid of ours, but hubby doesn't agree. We have agreed that our children, when and if we are blessed, will only be allowed to watch educational dvd's to go along with their home schooling.
ReplyDeleteI heard your husband's sermon a couple of weeks ago regarding getting rid of the television. It brought me to tears with the guilt of ever letting my precious children ages 3 and 1 watch it. I was raised with it on all the time and so was my husband. I don't want it in the house anymore and while I am home 2ith the kids during the day it does not come on. My husband has no conviction on the matter and has no problem playing shows with adult content in front of the children. The TV is in the central part of the house in an open floor plan. I want family time, but to protect my children I have to isolate my husband. His idea of spending time with the kids is them playing in the same room while he watches his shows. He has not once taken them outside to play. I am in constant prayer for him, but was wondering if you have any advice for me. I also would like to start family bible time in the evenings, however, my husband has no interest at all.
ReplyDeleteHey there,
ReplyDeleteYou've probably posted a lot on this blog that answers the question I am about to ask, but here goes:
How do you guys keep the kids entertained/amused without the TV, DVDs, video games?
I only ask because I want rid of all these things in our home! We don't do TV and don't feel like we're missing out, but the kids are very into their games and DVDs. And, I really don't like the content.
Thanks, Cheryl C.