Turning off the TV

[luvinmykidz]

I have a bad habit of using the electronic babysitter. My 3 year old watches way to much TV!! I have such a hard time finding the energy to play with him, take care of a baby and do housework. I want to stop getting in the habit of having it on all day. I have even considered cancelling the TV. Then of course there is the internet on which I spent to much time on GCM!! :P~ I need to get my priorities straight how do I kick myself to work harder at this??? Some days I don't even get out of my jammies till 3pm :shifty How do I make our life more fun together and less time glued to tv?? Its not that my DS watches anything bad but its just I feel like we should be spending more time with him without the TV on. Any ideas???

[Myrtle]

I find the tv addictive and often find myself just staring at it, even when it's just commercials. When I can snap out of it, I'll think "Is what I"m watching that important? DD is way more special than the newest Kia commercial or episode of Starting Over." Keeping that question in my mind helps me keep perspective. Also, we don't have cable, but even the regular stuff is full of cussing and violence and whatever, so when I snap out of it and realize dd is watching, I'll also ask if what I'm watching is important enough to get into her little mind. 9 times out of 10, it isn't. HTH

[luvinmykidz]

In my case I am sitting on the couch with my little boy and watch nothing but kids shows!! So there is no cussing or anything bad going on but I figure we should be doing something physical instead of sitting in front of the tv together all the time. What kind of activities do you guys do with your preschoolers???

[mommyTay]

I haven't exposed the kids to a lot of tv to begin with, so I don't have a big problem with my preschoolers. Though right now they are seeing a little too much tv. "Buddy" our 8yo foster son is addicted to tv. I am trying hard to get him out the door and playing with the other kids.

My preschoolers prefer to be outside on the swings, slide, exploring, going for walks, being pulled in the wagon :car or favorite of all is playing in any available puddle or pool.
The only time "Mouse" cares about the tv is when daddy puts in a train video! :wow Everything stops to watch trains!

[luvinmykidz]

we moved to this town in November last year and I was really sick with severe morning sickness so we camped out in front of the TV almost every day all day long because I could barely get up and move :sad2 after my daughter was born I am just having a hard time breaking the habit. We don't know anyone here so my preschooler doesn't have any friends :sad2 I have however signed him up for a parent toddler co op program starting in 2 weeks ~ That will be 3 days a week so that will be great :tu I just want to do more things with him and become more active....Its hard though when you have a little baby in the house too. I have been trying to take them out for stroller rides each day. What other activities do you mamas do with your preschoolers?? I feel a little embarassed, having a history in Early Childhood Education and having all sorts of resources for interacting with kids and here I am sitting around the house all day with my own :rolleyes I think I need us to fast from the TV for a few days and see what happens. ;)

[Aerynne]

Here are a few ideas:

blow bubbles together
bake a cake together. even my 18-month-old loves to help me. I give her a spoonful of baking soda, she dumps it in, etc.
fill a baby bathtub with water or sand, get out all your measuring cups, funnels, spaghetti strainers, etc, and play in the yard, garage, or another place you can clean up easily. We live in an apartment and we do it on our balcony.
color. It's fun to cover a table with butcher paper and color all over it
playdough (make it yourself if you're trying to save money)
story time at the library or bookstore
story time at home
wooden blocks are always good
rubber stamp (or stamp with items you have around the house, like an apple cut in half, etc. or leaf rubbings)
get a big piece of paper and trace your ds. Then have him color it. If you're feeling up to it, do one of l'il sis, too
play roller hockey in the kitchen if yours is big enough
fill bottles partway with water, find a ball and go "bowling"
make a basketball hoop out of a box or anything else you have around. Then play basketball.
fill one bottle halfway with dyed water, then the rest of the way with oil. You can shake it, but the oil and water always separate.
teach ds to clean. Wash walls, cabinets, sweep, dust with a feather duster, teach him to fold laundry, etc.
build a fort (this is hugely fun, and you can do it with whatever you have on hand. The easiest one I can think of is throwing a blanket over the kitchen table. Then get a flashlight and go inside and read books together)

Never underestimate the value of boredom. Your son being bored doesn't make you a bad mom- a little boredom is good for the imagination. So if he says he's bored, don't immediately suggest something. I think it's good for kids to learn to play by themselves and come up with play ideas on their own.

[Irene]

great ideas Erin!!!
I found that after a couple months of recovery :blush and the tv being on all day long that it is an extremely hard habit to break!!! I did little bits at a time. no cold turkey here ;) especially with a baby and an active toddler!
so we would do morning breakfast together, clean up, get dressed, then watch some tv (vs eating bfast in front of tv :blush ) then maybe after a couple shows then we would work on an easy craft, or bake something together. then nap time. snacks, try to do something else, we would do laundry together, or clean house, whatever, just giving her a job, then come 3 or 4 I was pretty beat ;) so then I let her watch tv till daddy got home. :blush
then out went morning tv, and we got into a better routine of what we did in the mornings and afternoons, and now pretty much its tv every day or 2 or 3 ;) not all day! just an hour or 2 ;)

once the habit is broken and you can look around and see what kinds of things to do, it gets easier. :hug start small :)

[AttachedMamma]

I highly recommend keeping the TV off as much as possible. It's hard, but I think the dividends are huge. Our DD didn't get exposed to TV until she was about 3 and then very minimally. The past 4 months she's had much more exposure than usual b/c we were selling our house and moving. I noticed that she picked up a lot of stuff and her behavior got unkind (I think both b/c of the TV itself and b/c the tube was taking the place of something much more brain-healthy, such as a calming activity or playing w/me!). She'll be 5 in a few wks.

It took more effort to spend a lot of time playing w/her, taking her to activities, having her alongside me in the kitchen, etc., but then, as she got older, she was able to enjoy doing non-TV activities easily and her imagination really took off. It's very common for children who watch a lot of TV to have no idea how to occupy themselves w/o the tube. I also noticed that she wasn't turned on to all this "stuff" at the store (not until we took her to DisneyWorld and then someone gave her a Barbie musicbox, etc. :rolleyes).

So, now we're trying to wean her off of this stuff and get back to playing board games and cards again. It's hard, though. I sometimes wonder if we'd be better off w/o the TV altogether. But that's unthinkable for DH. He loves to watch TV and I love to be w/him, :heart so now we're both hooked on the show "Lost" and "The 4400". :banghead So I guess we're gonna be settling in for the winter and seeing those shows through. :popcorn :rolleyes

cindi

[abbiroads]

our tv is in the bedroom. Sometimes I have to close the door to keep ds from seeing it and thinking it needs to be on. We watch when we need to rest. It is a hard habit to break and an easy one to get into. I think realizing it has become a problem is a good start.

[kmcmomof3]

You can get some awesome ideas from fisher-price.com.

http://www.fisher-price.com/us/playtime/learn.asp

The have a "Play and Learn Family Activities" Section with age appopriate ideas (from birth up to 6 years) that are free, easy, and doesn't use anything but what you might have around the house or can get inexpensively, and don't require batteries!

I'm actually starting to have more time now that my littlest one is getting older and not nursing constantly anymore, so I want to get back into more of an activity schedule of sorts for the kids.

I too need to get the tv off more around here too. I have got to be getting back to doing activities, especially now that my spirited middle child is getting a little older and better doing things. At least I can trust her not to eat crayons and playdoh.

[mackinsiesmom]

I get involved in playgroups. I have found that if I am home then the tv stays on. If we are gone to playgroups then we are not home so there is no tv watching. I found most of mine through either msn or yahoo groups.

Katie

[MagnoliaMommy]

It can be challenging to do all the things you'd like to do with your preschooler when you have a tiny baby in the house. :hug
I think that you will find that once your dd gets older and a little more mobile, you will be able to do more. :-) My best advice for you right now is to take it easy and try not to be too hard on yourself.

If you feel that your ds is watching too much tv, how about snuggling up on the couch to read some books instead? Coloring and play dough are also fun at this age. My ds really loves his Tinkertoys and Legos...also enjoys his wooden unit blocks.
Maybe borrow a book like Preschool Art from the library and do an art project every now and then.
We love our local library and spend a lot of time there. When dd was smaller, she would sleep in her sling or stroller while ds played and looked at books. It is free and also a great way to meet other moms.:)
If the weather is nice, you can put dd in a sling and go for a nice walk. Ds loves to ride his bike while we follow along behind.

HTH!

[Boys and Angels]

We area completely TURNED OFF FAMILY, except for specific sports events, during the week. Saturday and Sunday the boys are allowed to watch TV *IF* there's nothing else to do, or *IF* there's something specific they want to watch. We never, ever just put the TV on and flip the channels. When the boys were young - - toddlers, for example, the TV was only for videos and such. They were on a really strict TV schedule then, too. We put on PBS after breakfast until lunch time and that was it! That usually meant that they saw Barney, Sesame Street, Mr Rogers and Reading Rainbow. If they weren't paying attention to the set, I turned ot off, and didn't put it back on. Usually they found something else MORE interesting to do. Usaully take every pot and cover out from the cabinets and crawl inside like a club house or make a lot of noise. Ah, yes the JOYS of a "turned off" family.

The ONLY way to do it is to just *DO* it. Shut the TV and put the remote in a crazy place. If you have to (and I've done it . . . ) pull out the plug. I've done that for the computer, too (For MYSELF.) Then you have no choice! LOL. You get creative. My husband had the most difficult time with this. But, as he started spending evenings with us instead of the TV, he is realizing that he will never ever be able to get this time with his family any other way. Our boys are older, so the day is taken up with school and after school activities, music lessons and sports. And the evenings are dinner and homework and showers, and so I always say "There just isn't ROOM for TV in our day!" We play cards at night, or trivia games, Conga, Cadoo, ANYTHING but Monopoly (I *HATE* Monopoly! LOL) We have music on, and a couple of nights a week my husband or I will have "Devotional" time with the boys. Not FORMAL STRUCTURED devotional time, but read a Christian magazine together, or maybe talk about a sermon we heard at church, or a Christian Board Game (we have Bible-opoly, Bible In Other Words, bible Pictionary, Bible Baseball) or break out a new Christian CD and see what happens.

(Right now, they're playing darts.) Since the Yankees-Red Sox game is over, hey, the TV is off! We were going to a fair but it's pouring (welcome to Florida) so they're killing time. TOGETHER. I can deal with it.

It DOES get easier. Trust me.

[milkmommy]

We've recently taken on the turn it off challange and overall I've been really happy and have seen a huge inprovment with our DD. We have a DVR player so we can record programs we really want to watch.. but made a vow to really work on watching what we really want and not just turn it on because its their KWIM? Another that really helps are CD music channels :tu I ussually keep it on one of those channels and we change it up depending on mood so sometimes its classical others country or oldies even radio disney to a point. SO even if I let dd watch a show once its over it automaticaly switches back to the music signaling TV times over.
The one "trade off" though is before when I allowed a ton of TV time Cecilia never really sat and watched but if you dared to turn the channel or turn it off or even to music she had a fit :hissyfit and it often made her aggitated, now weve cut back to probably about 1-1.5 hours of TV a day (not all at once) and she totally sits and watches. Soo
1) we really carefull with content
2) we keep TV as a "treat" a few time during the day to stop and just "veggie out" because no matter how "educational the show thats what were doing so we call it what it is :shrug
Oh the best thing I've done to keep the TV urge down is to invite my DD to join me, she helps me around the house, we go outside more, were readin gmore and she does more independent play..
I'll be happy if we can keep things like they are now its a great balance and our days are enjoyable again..

Deanna

[Mert]

The ONLY way to do it is to just *DO* it. Shut the TV and put the remote in a crazy place. If you have to (and I've done it . . . ) pull out the plug. I've done that for the computer, too (For MYSELF.) Then you have no choice! LOL.

Confessions of a TVaholic: I've asked my husband to take all the remotes to work with him a few times! :P~ I know I can still turn it on, but I can't just sit on the sofa and click through the channels. It's worked for me when I had alot to do around the house!

[Mamatoto]

Oh, mama, there are sooooo many experiences and things you are missing sitting on the couch!!! I am so encouraged that you are ready to make the change.

My first suggestion would be to create a daily rhythm/schedule that does not include TV or includes only a minimal amount and hang it up on the wall. You have to break the habit to begin with. Once you do that and silence begins to fill the home, you guys will be motivated to get moving!!! Start by going for nature walks with buckets or baskets each day. Get boots and warm clothes for this season so the weather won't stop you. Stay outside for as long as possible.

Another important suggestion is for your three year old to work alongside of you. Are you washing dishes? Pull up a chair and let them suds up some dishes. Let them dry and put the silverware away. Are you doing laundry? Have them help you sort the colors and throw the wash in. Get a stool and let them dump the soap in.

Get out the modeling clay, watercolor paints, heavy paper, crayons, glue, glitter, construction paper, old calendars, yarn, material, whatever you have and let the creative juices in your home begin to flow...

Have a circle time each day..with singing, books, finger rhymes, etc. Okay, I can't put my whole guidebook out here on this thread... :lol

But most important, know that it is GOOD for your child to be bored sometimes. You may be very surprised what a child will do with socks, candlesticks, blocks, etc. when they have time to be bored, quiet, and imaginative. :yes

[slingmamaof4]

Judy, I too limit the tv more. I have been working on this for a while and it is getting better. They watch Between the Lions Mon-Fri morning. And usually something else at some point during the day.

There is already some good lists on here. You know if find yourself sitting a lot nursing the baby and such just grab a bunch of books before you sit down or have your ds pick out some books. Some things on my list are going to be repeats.

-read him lots and lots of books
-let him just look through books when you can't read to him (taking shower...). It is good for children to look through books on there own.
-let him "read" you a story
-cut out a bunch of things from magazines and catalogs and let your son make a collage (I find glue sticks are easier and less messy than
normal glue for young childre).
-go outside as much as you can
-let him help you cook, clean...
-puzzles are great
-write and illustrate a story together
-play simon says
-play I spy
-buy games that he can play (i.e. Elefun, Roll & Play from Discovery toys--Discovery toys has lots of great things, Go Fish, Old Maid, Chutes
and Ladders...)
-have a library day (Wednesday is ours). Find out what kind of programs they have for his age. Get the max number of books he can get
because you will read all of them in a week if the tv is off.
-let him have some time when you aren't playing with him and the tv off. He may complain about being bored the first few times you do this,
but it won't be long before he starts finding things to do.
-get out some things you can use as instruments. Play music and sing together. (It doesn't have to be extremely loud if you don't want it to
be...pick out plastic instead of metal for the "instruments."
-have lots of fun bath toys and let him take long baths and play in the water

Suggestions:
*Make sure he was time to play/read/color/glue on his own everyday. Maybe just 15 minutes in the morning and in the afternoon. If he can
do 30 mintues in the morning and afternoon. Great!
*Read to both of your children at least two times a day. Maybe once before nap (if he still naps) and once before bed. But I like to read to them also when it isn't "before" anything in particular. When we don't have to set a limit or feel rushed. I try to find time (althoug it doesn't happen everyday right now :blush) when I can just read to them as much as they want. Thing is it is hard for me to find time to do it everyday because Belle (4) would probably have me read to her for 2 hours and Ry (just, just, just turned 2) depending on his mood put will often have me read to him for an hour. They are just getting to the point now that I can read them both the same stories for any amount of time. We usually read Belle chapter books and Ry is still too young for those. But now if I read long nonchapter books to them both that are very engaging it works for both of them. Then Belle gets her chapters either when Ry is napping or in the evening after dinner--or both times. Whoa! I am going on and on about my family now. :O

Enjoy the time with them UNPLUGGED!!!!