indywhited

http://simplemom.net/5-great-reasons-to-not-watch-much-tv/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+simplemom+%28Simple+Mom%29

1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels.

2. Mindless TV-watching allows all sorts of images and values I don't necessarily endorse into my home.

3. Keeping TV watching down to a minimal level means that when it's on, it's quality.

4. It's more peaceful, relaxing, and less stressful when the TV is off by default.

5. There are simply other fun things to do.

~~~~~~~~~~

I would have agreed to every one of these reasons just a few months ago and was rather proud (arrogant) about our TV-free status. Now I'm just rather embarrassed that I ever thought I had to control my childrens' lives and experiences that much.

I would love to hear some wise words on this subject.

peace,
Mary
mama to Nic, Theo & Whingari

Three Mommies

On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 6:12 PM, indywhited <indywhited@...> wrote:

>
>
>
> http://simplemom.net/5-great-reasons-to-not-watch-much-tv/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+simplemom+%28Simple+Mom%29
>
> 1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy
> levels.
>
> That's true sometimes for some people. It's not true at all times for all
people.


> 2. Mindless TV-watching allows all sorts of images and values I don't
> necessarily endorse into my home.
>

Mindless consumption of anything can be harmful ;)

> 3. Keeping TV watching down to a minimal level means that when it's on,
> it's quality.
>
Who gets to decide what "quality" means? My quality but be your boring as
all hell.

> 4. It's more peaceful, relaxing, and less stressful when the TV is off by
> default.
>
Again, who gets to decide to that? I know that for some people, like me,
that's certainly true, but for others it's a soothing noise in the
background.


> 5. There are simply other fun things to do.
>

There are, but that doesn't mean that one fun thing should be cut out
because there are other fun things. What if we decided that there are other
fun things to do and decided to cut out reading, or playing with play-doh,
or bike riding, or jumping on the trampoline, or using the computer? Seems a
bit arbitrary to me.

>
> ~~~~~~~~~~
>
> I would have agreed to every one of these reasons just a few months ago and
> was rather proud (arrogant) about our TV-free status. Now I'm just rather
> embarrassed that I ever thought I had to control my childrens' lives and
> experiences that much.
>

People grow and change. There are many things I was convinced was right 20
years ago that have long since been proven, well, just plain wrong.

> I would love to hear some wise words on this subject.
>
I don't know about wise, but here is some food for thought. (Just for the
record, I don't completely agree with any of these, but they were
interesting to read about.)


- Kids who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers tend
to watch more informative and educational shows when they get older. They
use TV effectively as a complement to school learning. On the other hand,
kids who watch more entertainment program watch fewer informative programs
as they get older (Macbeth, 1996).
- Preschoolers who viewed educational programs tend to have higher
grades, are less aggressive and value their studies more when they reach
high school, according to a long-term study (Anderson, et. al, 2001).
- Finally, scientists from the University of Siena found that children
experience a soothing, painkilling effect by watching cartoons. So perhaps,
a little entertainment TV can be a source of relief to kids who are stressed
or are in pain.


Peace,
Jean Elizabeth
http://3mommies.blogspot.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Julie van der Wekken

There's this really cool commercial that's been playing on PBS recently that shows Big Bird going to a girls home, taking her by the hand and them going together to various well known places throughout the world. At the end of the commercial it says "T.V. can be a child's window to the world". Of course it doesn't say all t.v. as it is a plug for PBS, but I like it nonetheless.

The reasons stated below for limiting t.v. are pure rubbish in my book and just reiterate what every other anti-t.v. group/person/study is spouting nowdays. I'm to the point now that I read stuff like that and just shake my head because my family has already disproved every single one of the anti-t.v. aruguments (maybe not everyone because my children aren't to adulthood yet, but you get the drift). As far as limiting ones world and only calling certain shows "quality", that's the same as only labeling certain toys "educational".

My house is more peaceful when my kids are able to pursue what interests them without judgement. I know I wouldn't feel very peaceful inside if I was made to feel like my interests didn't matter because they didn't coincide with what my parents deemed "quality".

There are lots of other fun things to do in addition to watching t.v., that doesn't mean that watching t.v. is less fun though, it's just something else to do, another choice if you will in the wide world of choices unschoolers get to choose from.

Taking an analogy from the book 'Peace Begins With You':

When one side wins (the mother/father who have control of the t.v.) and one side loses (the child who can't choose what he wants to watch on t.v.) that isn't peace. When one side gets what they want or need (the mother/father who gets to make the choice) and the other (the child) gives up trying because "those are the rules", that is not peace.

A quote from the book:

'Everybody is different. They want and need different things, in different places at different times in their lives. Peace is being allowed to be different-and letting others be different from you."

Our children are their own people, they have different likes, dislikes & tastes than us. For us to put our own wants and intersts onto someone else is just plain wrong.

Children that are free to have their own minds and their own interests allow others to have their own minds and their own interests.

Julie v.
http://www.lerendzonderschool.blogspot.com


--- In [email protected], "indywhited" <indywhited@...> wrote:
>
> http://simplemom.net/5-great-reasons-to-not-watch-much-tv/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+simplemom+%28Simple+Mom%29
>
> 1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels.
>
> 2. Mindless TV-watching allows all sorts of images and values I don't necessarily endorse into my home.
>
> 3. Keeping TV watching down to a minimal level means that when it's on, it's quality.
>
> 4. It's more peaceful, relaxing, and less stressful when the TV is off by default.
>
> 5. There are simply other fun things to do.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~
>
> I would have agreed to every one of these reasons just a few months ago and was rather proud (arrogant) about our TV-free status. Now I'm just rather embarrassed that I ever thought I had to control my childrens' lives and experiences that much.
>
> I would love to hear some wise words on this subject.
>
> peace,
> Mary
> mama to Nic, Theo & Whingari
>

Michele K

1. Not moving enough is the culprit, not the t.v.
2. Who wants to sit mindless in front of the t.v.?
3. I don't see how limiting it ensures only good quality.
4. It's not peaceful and stress-free enforcing limits, and in my house, with no limits on t.v., we have lots more screen free time than otherwise anyway.
5. Yes, there are other fun things to do. How is that a reason not to watch t.v.? Is it also a reason not to dance, build block towers, write stories, or tell jokes because there are other fun things to do besides those things, too?

Michele, mom of Rhiannon 8, Caroline 6, and Ian 3
Learning, Laughing, Snuggling, Scrapping
http://rhicarian.wordpress.com/




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Bob Collier

--- In [email protected], "indywhited" <indywhited@...> wrote:
>
> http://simplemom.net/5-great-reasons-to-not-watch-much-tv/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+simplemom+%28Simple+Mom%29
>
> 1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels.
>
> 2. Mindless TV-watching allows all sorts of images and values I don't necessarily endorse into my home.
>
> 3. Keeping TV watching down to a minimal level means that when it's on, it's quality.
>
> 4. It's more peaceful, relaxing, and less stressful when the TV is off by default.
>
> 5. There are simply other fun things to do.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~
>
> I would have agreed to every one of these reasons just a few months ago and was rather proud (arrogant) about our TV-free status. Now I'm just rather embarrassed that I ever thought I had to control my childrens' lives and experiences that much.
>
> I would love to hear some wise words on this subject.
>
> peace,
> Mary
> mama to Nic, Theo & Whingari
>



TV is a medium providing varying degrees of access to experiences not physically present, just like newspapers, magazines, radio, those holiday brochures you get in travel agents, billboards. I wouldn't be without one. I wouldn't be without my library of books. I can pick up a book any time I choose and put it down again any time I choose. I can switch on the TV any time I choose and switch it off any time I choose. Every TV I've ever had has come with an on/off switch.

1. Being sedentary is what correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels. That can be achieved in a number of ways - playing chess for hours every day, for example, which is what world champions are required to do. Having a job where you're at a desk in an office all day every day is another opportunity.

2. What self-respecting TV aficionado would waste valuable viewing time on watching mindlessly?

3. When it's on, it's "quality". Hmm... That's an invitation to a six week long discussion of what exactly constitutes "quality TV". I'm pretty sure my ideas about that will differ to many people's.

4. The TV is off by default in my home too. That's always been the case.

5. There are other fun things to do. Absolutely.

Wise words? I've no idea. Some random thoughts as I eagerly anticipate long hours glued to the idiot box every day through the upcoming soccer World Cup.

Bob

augustbug2002

Hi, Mary,

I'm glad you mentioned about not watching TV too much. I'd let my oldest son, almost 3, to watch only PBS or Sprout or educational DVD/VT while I breastfeed my baby for a while. after that, i would ask him please to turn the tv off and he just stand up and turn if off and start to do something with me. And, if I'm too sick with migraine headaches, then I'd have to let him to watch all morning while i play with my baby. I'd start to do a few activities with them from PBS or Sprout after their nap time in afternoon time. I think it's okay.

I have tried to invite a few friends with their children to join with us to do something in the mornings, but their children sleep (babies/toddlers/preschoolers) LATE in the mornings! the parents allow their children to watch too much tv and sleep in real late like at 10pm, 11pm, or midnight. I feel it's not fun to invite them because i would end up being disappointed doing alone with my sons in the mornings.

I beleive it's from the society and so many young children sleep in late and wake up late or have to get up early morning and they act grumpy - no energy to play.

tell me if you disagree with me - that'd be fine - and i'd like to hear your thoughtfuls. thanks. :)

ANyway, thank you for sharing! :)

Tara

--- In [email protected], "indywhited" <indywhited@...> wrote:
>
> http://simplemom.net/5-great-reasons-to-not-watch-much-tv/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+simplemom+%28Simple+Mom%29
>
> 1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels.
>
> 2. Mindless TV-watching allows all sorts of images and values I don't necessarily endorse into my home.
>
> 3. Keeping TV watching down to a minimal level means that when it's on, it's quality.
>
> 4. It's more peaceful, relaxing, and less stressful when the TV is off by default.
>
> 5. There are simply other fun things to do.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~
>
> I would have agreed to every one of these reasons just a few months ago and was rather proud (arrogant) about our TV-free status. Now I'm just rather embarrassed that I ever thought I had to control my childrens' lives and experiences that much.
>
> I would love to hear some wise words on this subject.
>
> peace,
> Mary
> mama to Nic, Theo & Whingari
>

wtexans

===1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels.===

Referring back to the article to which you linked, I don't understand why sitting in classrooms for 7-8 hours a day isn't considered a correlation to poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels (ie, couch potato-edness). That's approximately double the time that the "average child" spends watching tv daily, according to the professor quoted in the article. Pfft, what a double standard.

There are many things a person could spend all day doing that required minimal physical exertion, but it's always tv and video games that get the bad rap.

If a child came home from school and read for four hours instead of watching tv for four hours, that's considered acceptable -- even though reading isn't any more physically exerting than watching tv. (The irony is that some kids do come home and spend a crazy amount of time doing homework -- something that requires minimal physical exertion.)


===2. Mindless TV-watching allows all sorts of images and values I don't necessarily endorse into my home. <snip> Leaving the tv on means having very little control of what information is infiltrated into your four walls.===

I disagree. I like having the tv on in the background when I'm doing things around the house or in my office. Sometimes, like today, it's on all day, but I'm *always* aware of what's on -- and it's never anything I would be horrified for my son to walk in and see if I'm not in the room -- Food Network, HGTV, Discovery Channel, History Channel, and USA Network. If my son has the tv on in the background while he's doing something else, he has it on channels he enjoys -- Nick, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel.

I don't understand the statement that leaving the tv on means having very little control over what info "infiltrates" my house -- like all of a sudden my tv takes control over itself and changes to trashy shows and forces my son to watch them and zaps me if I try to change the channel or turn off the tv??? Good grief.


===3. Keeping TV watching down to a minimal level means that when it's on, it's quality. <snip> Watching tv as a family for four hours per week, instead of 28, means that those four hours are much more meaningful.===

Well, maybe it's something the parent considers quality but the kids would rather take a pass on if they had the choice. Someone mentioned in the unschooling chat yesterday that her daughter's boyfriend was required to watch tv with his dad on Sunday nights -- the dad deems obviously deems it quality viewing, but does his son?

I don't think that more tv viewing equates to it being less meaningful. Andrew rarely watches tv anymore, but when he was a bit younger we watched it a lot of some days -- we'd have marathon viewings of whatever his favorite series' were. That time was just as meaningful to him and me as it would've been if we'd only watched 15 or 30 minutes of tv that day.


===4. It's more peaceful, relaxing, and less stressful when the TV is off by default.===

It depends on what's on the tv. I never watch news channels or talk shows because I personally find those stressful and as far from peaceful as you can get. No matter which channel we watch, when commercials come on the volume gets muted or turned way down -- we don't mind doing that (I find commercials on the radio equally as annoying). There are certain channels that are very relaxing for me to watch -- Food Network, Travel Channel, HGTV; hubby finds History Channel very relaxing.

There are times I want quiet and the tv off, but there are times when I don't want the house totally quiet so I choose to have the tv on something that is relaxing for me to watch or have on in the background.


===5. There are simply other fun things to do.===

Sure, there are plenty of fun things to do, many that don't involve the tv at all! But it doesn't have to be either-or kind of thing. Andrew and I embarked upon many a role-playing adventures after watching an episode of Pokemon or Digimon!! Even though he came up with his own ideas when we played with those action figures, he also liked drawing inspiration from the tv shows.

I find Food Network to be a frequent source of inspiration. Duff Goldman of Ace of Cakes (on Food Network) is a great example of someone who took something they enjoyed doing and going outside the box with how they used it, and creating a successful business because of it. Instead of hiring a bunch of folks trained as cake decorators, he hired friends with artistic backgrounds . . . and it shows in their cakes! They make some truly amazing stuff, and they inspire kids and adults, alike.


===Why would I trade watching someone else's (fake) life for living out my own?=== (quote from the article these "5 great reasons" came from)

The article's author has obviously not watched "Glee" or "LOST" [g].

When I'm watching tv while I'm doing needlework or cooking or paying bills, I am definitely living my own life. When my hubby and I were watching "NCIS" on Sunday and trying to solve the crime before the show did, we were definitely living our own lives -- just as much as we were earlier in the day when we puttering around in the backyard.

When someone writes an article or a book, aren't they hoping someone (preferably many someones!) will trade living their own life for a few minutes or hours in exchange for reading about someone else's (fake or real) life???

As with many things in life, it's all perspective [g].

Glenda

Su Penn

On Apr 20, 2010, at 12:47 AM, Bob Collier wrote:

> 1. Being sedentary is what correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels.

I would like to remind folks that weight gain does not equal poor health. We have a hysteria about weight in the US that isn't well-supported by medical research. I'd encourage anyone who is interested, or who is fretting about weight, to read The Obesity Myth as one introduction to the topic.

Su, mom to Eric, 8; Carl, 6; Yehva, 2.5
tapeflags.blogspot.com

Bernadette Lynn

On 20 April 2010 05:57, augustbug2002 <augustbug2002@...> wrote:

>
> I have tried to invite a few friends with their children to join with us to
> do something in the mornings, but their children sleep
> (babies/toddlers/preschoolers) LATE in the mornings! the parents allow
> their children to watch too much tv and sleep in real late like at 10pm,
> 11pm, or midnight. I feel it's not fun to invite them because i would end
> up being disappointed doing alone with my sons in the mornings.
> -------------------------
>



My children go to bed late and wake up late, but it's not to do with how
much TV they watch; they still spend the same number of hours awake and the
same number watching TV regardless of when those hours are.

The reason we have a late routine is because they like to spend a lot of
time with their father, who doesn't get home until eight or nine pm. We like
to have dinner together and yes, watch TV together, and a child who eats
dinner at nine doesn't want to go to sleep at half past. They want to tell
him about their day, and play with him, and be near him. I think giving them
that opportunity is far more important than being awake in the mornings.


Maybe you should try arranging to do things with your friends in the
afternoons.


Bernadette.
--
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/U15459


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Bernadette Lynn

On 19 April 2010 23:12, indywhited <indywhited@...> wrote:

>
> http://simplemom.net/5-great-reasons-to-not-watch-much-tv/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+simplemom+%28Simple+Mom%29
>
> 1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy
> levels.
>
==========

You could turn that around and say that poor health and low energy levels
correlate with watching TV - my children watch more TV when they're unwell
or tired because it's restful as well as mentally stimulating. They also
watch at other times but no-one observing them leaping around the room in
front of the TV could accuse them of low energy levels.


======
> 2. Mindless TV-watching allows all sorts of images and values I don't
> necessarily endorse into my home.
> ======
>

I can't imagine mindless TV watching in our house; my children don't
tolerate what they consider to be rubbish and skip through adverts. I have
known people who claim to have been too tired to change the channel or find
the remote who have seen things they didn't want to but in my house if the
children are that tired I'm changing the channel for them and giving them
food; that kind of tiredness usually means being tucked up in a blanket with
some hot chocolate and a familiar DVD on so they can fall asleep without
feeling they missed out.

Having visitors allows all sorts of values I don't necessarily endorse into
my home, but I'm not going to stop having friends round, even if they smack
their children and tell them they mustn't watch TV.

====

> 3. Keeping TV watching down to a minimal level means that when it's on,
> it's quality.
> =====
>


If it's only on when one of the family is watching what they consider to be
quality I guess that could be described as minimal for your family.


====

> 4. It's more peaceful, relaxing, and less stressful when the TV is off by
> default.
> ======
>


If the children REALLY want to watch TV and I won't let them, I doubt I'd
find it peaceful, relaxing or stress-free. I know they wouldn't find it
stress-free.


==========

> 5. There are simply other fun things to do.
> =========
>



> Often at the same time as watching TV! My children draw, paint, play board
games, play lego, play with toys, jump on the trampoline, swing on the
doorway bar, eat food - all while watching TV. And while not watching TV.
And when something on TV has inspired then to the point that they can't wait
a moment longer, even until the programme has finished, before going to try
out their ideas.

TV enhances our life so much I find it hard to understand the viewpoint of
people who don't use it, even though I know I had a wonderful childhood
without one. My children's lives just seem so much more rounded.

Bernadette.
--
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/U15459


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

keetry

> ===1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels.===
>
> Referring back to the article to which you linked, I don't understand why sitting in classrooms for 7-8 hours a day isn't considered a correlation to poor health, weight gain, and low energy levels (ie, couch potato-edness). That's approximately double the time that the "average child" spends watching tv daily, according to the professor quoted in the article. Pfft, what a double standard.
>

Whenever I hear this argument against TV that's the first thing I think of. Yes, it probably would be a problem for children who spend half the day sitting at a desk in school, especially when they might only get 5-10 minutes for recess and no PE class. Those children go from sitting at school to sitting at home, if not watching TV than doing homework.

At my house, the TV may be on most of the day but the kids are not sitting in front of it like zombies. Most of the time, they are barely paying attention to it. It's background noise while they play with toys, run, jump, dance around, whatever.

Alysia

Mary Whited

Tara,
I apologize if I gave the impression that I was agreeing with this list and
the blog post from which it comes. I'm not at all. :D

I posted it here because I was so recently of that mindset and I am actively
and aggressively working to understand, unravel and excise all of this
'schoolthink' from my system.

blessings,
Mary
mama to Nic, Theo & Whingari
in the beautiful mountains of eastern West Virginia



On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 12:57 AM, augustbug2002 <augustbug2002@...>wrote:

>
>
> Hi, Mary,
>
> I'm glad you mentioned about not watching TV too much.
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Marina DeLuca-Howard

My kids don't watch tv, because I need them out of my way. They watch
programs, or movies they enjoy. I don't turn the tv on, give snacks or turn
the computer on and instruct them to engage in an activity until I'm ready
to interact with them:)

I think incorporating media and snacks into a family's life is about
children's empowerment, not adult convenience. Many studies don't seem to
take into account whether children have adult or human contact or other
options. Intention gets lost. My kids would rather go out than watch 8
hours of television most days, because some shows are boring.
So if they do a movie marathon it is a family affair to sit and watch--it is
not an opportunity for me to get other stuff done.

Marina


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-Every TV I've ever had has come with an on/off switch.-=-

For a while (maybe still) someone was selling a clicker that would
turn off any public TV. People could use it from their pockets in a
cowardly fashion.

I've stayed in an airport 24 hours. I've sat at motor vehicles two
hours. I've been in doctors' offices worried and afraid and in pain,
needing a distraction. I've been at department stores and just
enjoyed the heck out of seeing some beautiful documentary showing on
100 large and small screens all at once.

And some people think TV is so evil that they would be doing the whole
earth a favor by turning it off.

It would be like running through snatching magazines and books and
newspapers out of people's hands and throwing them on some Farenheit
451 fire. Only in that case the people know who did it and would
probably pummel him or call security. With those pocket clickers, the
cowards weren't caught.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-Referring back to the article to which you linked, I don't
understand why sitting in classrooms for 7-8 hours a day isn't
considered a correlation to poor health, weight gain, and low energy
levels (ie, couch potato-edness). That's approximately double the time
that the "average child" spends watching tv daily, according to the
professor quoted in the article. Pfft, what a double standard.

-=-There are many things a person could spend all day doing that
required minimal physical exertion, but it's always tv and video games
that get the bad rap. -=-

Ooooh! Ooooh! [hopping up and down in my chair with my hand
stretched as far as humanly possible] I know! Ask me!

"Yes, Sandra?" (with an eye roll, and a sigh, like 'her again'--though
not all teachers did that, and not all readers do that)

Teachers do as much as they can to make school interesting, including
covering the windows with paper, or artwork, or paint, lest a child
look out the window at clouds or trees or other people.

TV can keep kids from doing homework, and from going to bed early so
they won't be tired in school. Never in all that has school itself
been blamed for kids falling asleep in school. That is always taken
as absolute proof that the parents are bad parents for not enforcing
an earlier bedtime.

Video games are so exciting that the kids draw pictures of the
characters and scenarios in their notebooks at school, and that seems
proof to the teacher that the kids aren't listening. No consideration
of the **fact** that some kids need to doodle or fidget in order to
sit still. I was one of them, but because I got good grades, they
said I was bored. If I had had bad grades, I would've been "acting
out" or "hyperactive."

When collectible cards were the big thing ten years ago, schools
confiscated cards. Kids risked that confiscation, just as they had
with comic books in years before that, because the comics and cards
were like technicolor compared to the grey-on-grey of the school
lessons.

The more exciting the outside world is, the more and more dull school
seems. And when something seems dull, that's because it is dull.
Dull is in the eye of the beholder.

Sandra




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Su Penn

On Apr 20, 2010, at 12:15 PM, Sandra Dodd wrote:

>
> It would be like running through snatching magazines and books and
> newspapers out of people's hands and throwing them on some Farenheit
> 451 fire. Only in that case the people know who did it and would
> probably pummel him or call security. With those pocket clickers, the
> cowards weren't caught.

On the other hand, when people are reading a magazine or a book, I'm not having to read it too whether I want to or not. I hate TVs in public places not because I dislike TV but because if I'm in an airport, say, I hate the extra noise. It feels like an imposition and an extra stressor on top of all the other ones I'm dealing with to travel in that way. Most of the time TVs in public places aren't being watched. If I had one of those clickers, and was sitting in a waiting area at the airport with a TV blaring and nobody actually watching it, I'd gladly turn it off.

Su, mom to Eric, 8; Carl, 6; Yehva, 2.5
tapeflags.blogspot.com

Sandra Dodd

-=-- Kids who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers
tend
to watch more informative and educational shows when they get older.
They
use TV effectively as a complement to school learning. On the other
hand,
kids who watch more entertainment program watch fewer informative
programs
as they get older (Macbeth, 1996).-=-

So kids have real preferences and personalities and don't need to (or
maybe can't even if they wanted to) learn them from school.

They probably didn't "use TV effectively as a complement to school
learning" so much as they already knew what was in the books at school
because they had learned it for fun before they got there.

Some kids parents will turn off documentaries and educational TV. My
mom did that dozens of times, with a "That show is boring" or "turn
off that stupid show" for good measure. If I watched The Price is
Right or I Love Lucy, that was fine with her. If I watched guitar
lessons or yoga or The Friendly Giant, that was stupid.

-=-- Preschoolers who viewed educational programs tend to have higher
grades, are less aggressive and value their studies more when they reach
high school, according to a long-term study (Anderson, et. al, 2001).-=-

Different interests from the get go. Parents who didn't say "turn off
that boring show."

-=-- Finally, scientists from the University of Siena found that
children
experience a soothing, painkilling effect by watching cartoons. So
perhaps,
a little entertainment TV can be a source of relief to kids who are
stressed
or are in pain.-=-

And if they're not in pain or stressed, they might experience joy from
watching cartoons! Perhaps elation or euphoria!

Kids who are ashamed of watching TV, or are doing it on the sly, or
have the feeling they should be doing homework instead will never
reach elation or euphoria about it.

Sandra

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Sandra Dodd

This question was addressed to Mary, but that's not the way the list
should work. With way over a thousand readers, write to the
discussion, not to individuals.

-=- And, if I'm too sick with migraine headaches, then I'd have to let
him to watch all morning while i play with my baby. I'd start to do a
few activities with them from PBS or Sprout after their nap time in
afternoon time. I think it's okay.-=-

TV should be about the child, though, not about how the mom feels.
Let it be an option for him if he wants to watch it.

Don't depend on the TV for activities, either, though it's a good
resource.
Here's a collection of lots of things to do with young children:
http://sandradodd.com/youngchildren

-=-I have tried to invite a few friends with their children to join
with us to do something in the mornings, but their children sleep
(babies/toddlers/preschoolers) LATE in the mornings! the parents allow
their children to watch too much tv and sleep in real late like at
10pm, 11pm, or midnight. I feel it's not fun to invite them because i
would end up being disappointed doing alone with my sons in the
mornings.-=-

Invite them for lunch maybe.
If you're sure you know how much "too much TV" is and how much is too
much sleep, unschooling might be more difficult for you than for others.

-=-I beleive it's from the society and so many young children sleep in
late and wake up late or have to get up early morning and they act
grumpy - no energy to play. -=-

If they're grumpy, they're probably not acting grumpy. They're
actually grumpy. The clock doesn't matter to babies. Society doesn't
matter to babies. Nor to toddlers. Nor to three or four year olds.

http://sandradodd.com/sleeping
http://sandradodd.com/tv

Sandra

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k

>>>TV is a medium providing varying degrees of access to experiences not physically present<<<

Connected to that are some other benefits:

*** a child being affirmed in their choice to observe when something
might be too dangerous for their current personal involvement

*** repetition that isn't boring (if it's a chosen activity) which
un/intentionally increases learning in a area of interest

~Katherine

Sandra Dodd

-=-Having visitors allows all sorts of values I don't necessarily
endorse into
my home, but I'm not going to stop having friends round, even if they
smack
their children and tell them they mustn't watch TV.-=-

You would let them smack their children in your home, in front of your
children?

I wouldn't.
There's some point at which (for me, not everyone) a friendship ends
over mistreatment.

I wouldn't let an adult friend smack a spouse in my home either.

Sandra

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Sandra Dodd

-=-1. Watching TV correlates with poor health, weight gain, and low
energy levels.-=-

Right, what several peoples say. School is more sitting than TV is.

Also, correlation isn't causation.
Hospitals correlate with death, but that doesn't mean (necessarily)
that it's the hospital that causes the death.
Anti-depressents correlate with suicide, but BIG DUH! !! Pretty much
only suicidal people take them!

If a kid is sickly or weak, TV might be the best possible thing for him.
If a kid is chubby and the other kids are being hateful about it and
picking on him, the safest, happiest place for him might be lost in a
TV show.

Sandra

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Gwen Montoya

My husband grew up in a tiny little town in New Mexico. When he was growing
up, his town didn't even have a grocery store. They drove over an hour just
to get groceries. His parents are good people, but they aren't adventurous
or especially curious in the way that he is. TV exposed him to things he
never would have seen otherwise. One of my favorite things about him is how
much he knows about different things....I can be sure that of 100 topics, he
knows at least a little something about at least 95 of them.

He didn't fit in where he grew up, TV showed him there were other places
besides his town.

He doesn't read like I do & I don't watch documentaries like he does. I've
noticed, over the years, that there are some topics I'm more comfortable
reading about first and then exploring more with a TV show/movie later. It
works the other way too.

Gwen

On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 9:41 AM, Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:

>
>
> -=-- Kids who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers
> tend
> to watch more informative and educational shows when they get older.
> They
> use TV effectively as a complement to school learning. On the other
> hand,
> kids who watch more entertainment program watch fewer informative
> programs
> as they get older (Macbeth, 1996).-=-
>
> So kids have real preferences and personalities and don't need to (or
> maybe can't even if they wanted to) learn them from school.
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Robin Bentley

> I have tried to invite a few friends with their children to join
> with us to do something in the mornings, but their children sleep
> (babies/toddlers/preschoolers) LATE in the mornings! the parents
> allow their children to watch too much tv and sleep in real late
> like at 10pm, 11pm, or midnight. I feel it's not fun to invite them
> because i would end up being disappointed doing alone with my sons
> in the mornings.

My daughter's natural rhythm was to go to sleep around 11 or 12 and
sleep until 10 a.m. from the time she was born. It had nothing to do
with TV watching. Perhaps that's true of your friends' children, too.
>
> I beleive it's from the society and so many young children sleep in
> late and wake up late or have to get up early morning and they act
> grumpy - no energy to play.

Many of our homeschooling/unschooling friends enjoyed relaxed
mornings. If they had multiple kids, each one would wake up at a
slightly different time (maybe babies first, older kids later or vice
versa). As a group, we never, ever scheduled anything before noon.
That seemed to work really well for everyone. We'd have a few hours
together, which was often enough for little ones who'd nap in the
afternoon. As kids got older, we'd spend the day together.

I'm not sure I get this point, though: society causes young children
to sleep in late, wake up late or (conversely) have to get up in the
early morning, so they're grumpy.

Some people are grumpy no matter what time they get up! Food, drinks,
cuddles, talking about dreams, so many things can help.

Robin B.

keetry

== My husband grew up in a tiny little town in New Mexico. <snip> TV exposed him to things he
> never would have seen otherwise. One of my favorite things about him is how
> much he knows about different things....I can be sure that of 100 topics, he
> knows at least a little something about at least 95 of them.
>
> He didn't fit in where he grew up, TV showed him there were other places
> besides his town.==

I love to watch documentaries and TV shows about real events. I have learned so much more from those than I did in 16+ years of school. We recently had to cancel our extra cable because of finances so that now we only have the local broadcast channels. We have lost a major resource for learning. My 19yo recently discovered Hulu. He says you can watch almost any TV show episode, even the current ones. I need to get him to show me how to use it.

My 6yo has brought up discussions about DNA, composting (which I've just recently started trying), and a ton of other interesting subjects that I can't remember right now. I didn't bring them up. He heard about them from the TV.

Alysia

keetry

> You would let them smack their children in your home, in front of your
> children?
>
> I wouldn't.
> There's some point at which (for me, not everyone) a friendship ends
> over mistreatment.
>
> I wouldn't let an adult friend smack a spouse in my home either.

Seriously! I wouldn't allow an adult to smack a child in my home. I'd bet you that those same adults would flip if my very big 19 year old smacked one of his very little brothers. Why would the rules change just because the bigger person is the parent? That makes it even worse, in my opinion.

Alysia

k

Oh wouldn't it be something if the Cowardly Clicker drove down the
street and all the televisions inexplicably went off. XD

~Katherine




On 4/20/10, Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
> -=-Every TV I've ever had has come with an on/off switch.-=-
>
> For a while (maybe still) someone was selling a clicker that would
> turn off any public TV. People could use it from their pockets in a
> cowardly fashion.
>
> I've stayed in an airport 24 hours. I've sat at motor vehicles two
> hours. I've been in doctors' offices worried and afraid and in pain,
> needing a distraction. I've been at department stores and just
> enjoyed the heck out of seeing some beautiful documentary showing on
> 100 large and small screens all at once.
>
> And some people think TV is so evil that they would be doing the whole
> earth a favor by turning it off.
>
> It would be like running through snatching magazines and books and
> newspapers out of people's hands and throwing them on some Farenheit
> 451 fire. Only in that case the people know who did it and would
> probably pummel him or call security. With those pocket clickers, the
> cowards weren't caught.
>
> Sandra
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

k

>>>Kids who are ashamed of watching TV, or are doing it on the sly, or
have the feeling they should be doing homework instead will never
reach elation or euphoria about it.<<<

Right. Or for some, they watch only after a long hard day or week at
work. Maybe that's the sanction guys get for letting loose and
*really* having a blast watching football (or some other televised
sport). Tiger Woods! ;) Golfing. I heard some who were getting all
indignant about it (heehee... oops did I say that?). They were getting
into it.

~Katherine

Bernadette Lynn

On 20 April 2010 18:51, Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:

> -=-Having visitors allows all sorts of values I don't necessarily
> endorse into
> my home, but I'm not going to stop having friends round, even if they
> smack
> their children and tell them they mustn't watch TV.-=-
>
> You would let them smack their children in your home, in front of your
> children?
> ==========
>

I put that badly. What I meant to convey in my original post was that unless
we keep our children from meeting people, they will encounter values we
don't agree with. All it takes is for someone to say "I'll wallop you if you
do that again" - even if we never see those particular people again. Every
person who comes to visit - or who we visit, for that matter - brings a new
set of ideas and values and very often a dislike of some of our ideas. They
don't always come up in conversation, sometimes they do.

TV isn't the only or the worst place children are exposed to values we don't
endorse.

Bernadette.
--
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/U15459


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