Independet from TV-programme
Johanna
Hey,
I didn't have the time to read all of your posts about "Why it is
positive (or not) not to have a TV" (and I'm ashamed to say that I
only read the first of them). I just want to tell you our latest
experiences with non-restriction on TV: Our daughter (8) is not
watching any TV at all! Only videos she chooses, which we have on DVD
or which we rent from the video store. It took 11 months of patience,
though.
It all started almost a year ago, august 2007, when we let go of all
restrictions regarding TV (and just about everything). The first
months she (7 at the time) would watch TV practically all day (except
in the mornings, because of school – some of you know, I'm from
Germany and it's illegal to fully unschool, so she's there in the
mornings, though now in a "free" school with an unschooling
approach). She didn't want to do anything with us of the things we
offered, she always chose TV. She sent her friends away who wanted to
play with her, because she wanted to watch TV and not miss anything.
It was very hard to watch but also showed me, how big the damage
already was that I had done! This "addiction" was something *I* had
created!
Then we went over a period where she started watching less, but still
3-4 hours a day. But she didn't send her friends away anymore, and
everything else but TV was welcome. TV was only to pass the time in
between things or when she was bored. But she started to make her own
steps towards other activites she could pursue. Also, activities that
we offered were welcome again. We experience(d) complaints about her
friends coming over and only wanting to watch TV instead of playing
with her, because at home they aren't allowed to watch TV (same with
sweets ;-)).
But still, she was "restricted" to the times of the programme. She
felt attached to the times her series were shown and couldn't let it go.
Full freedom came only when we finally followed the advice of so many
unschoolers here. We don't have such a service as TiVo, but we found
a TV-"Stick" for the Computer (for Apple computers, called "The
Tube"). With this, she could record and watch later, and also record
and start watching just a bit later (time delayed), but still
recording in the background. Unfortunately, the programme isn't able
(yet?) to program a recording for later, so one always has to be
there to start the recording. But still - these two features alone
helped her to get absolutely independent from TV. Our TV is now
collecting dust in the cellar!
Now she doesn't even record anything (I had thought that she would
record a lot of things and then see that she couldn't watch so many
things and so on). She doesn't watch either, maybe once a week. Just
to *know* that she will never miss anything anymore gave her the
freedom to *choose* not to! Which she may have wanted all the time
anyway!
Today she watches 1-1,5 h a day, only videos *she* chooses at the
time *she wants*. Even if she went back to watch 5 hours a day, I'm
so relieved because now I know, it will then be *her choice* – not
the effects of having restricted it before, not because she is
dependet from the programme-makers – just because *she* freely
*chose it.
:-)
Greetings
Johanna
--
Unerzogen!
E-Mail: dialog@...
Webseite: www.unerzogen.de
Wiki: wiki.unerzogen.de/
Rockzipfel: rockzipfel.unerzogen.de/
rockzipfel@...
Mailingliste: de.groups.yahoo.com/group/unerzogen/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nach Pisa? Nach Leipzig!
European Democratic Education Conference
25. Juli bis 3. August 2008
www.eudec2008.org
I didn't have the time to read all of your posts about "Why it is
positive (or not) not to have a TV" (and I'm ashamed to say that I
only read the first of them). I just want to tell you our latest
experiences with non-restriction on TV: Our daughter (8) is not
watching any TV at all! Only videos she chooses, which we have on DVD
or which we rent from the video store. It took 11 months of patience,
though.
It all started almost a year ago, august 2007, when we let go of all
restrictions regarding TV (and just about everything). The first
months she (7 at the time) would watch TV practically all day (except
in the mornings, because of school – some of you know, I'm from
Germany and it's illegal to fully unschool, so she's there in the
mornings, though now in a "free" school with an unschooling
approach). She didn't want to do anything with us of the things we
offered, she always chose TV. She sent her friends away who wanted to
play with her, because she wanted to watch TV and not miss anything.
It was very hard to watch but also showed me, how big the damage
already was that I had done! This "addiction" was something *I* had
created!
Then we went over a period where she started watching less, but still
3-4 hours a day. But she didn't send her friends away anymore, and
everything else but TV was welcome. TV was only to pass the time in
between things or when she was bored. But she started to make her own
steps towards other activites she could pursue. Also, activities that
we offered were welcome again. We experience(d) complaints about her
friends coming over and only wanting to watch TV instead of playing
with her, because at home they aren't allowed to watch TV (same with
sweets ;-)).
But still, she was "restricted" to the times of the programme. She
felt attached to the times her series were shown and couldn't let it go.
Full freedom came only when we finally followed the advice of so many
unschoolers here. We don't have such a service as TiVo, but we found
a TV-"Stick" for the Computer (for Apple computers, called "The
Tube"). With this, she could record and watch later, and also record
and start watching just a bit later (time delayed), but still
recording in the background. Unfortunately, the programme isn't able
(yet?) to program a recording for later, so one always has to be
there to start the recording. But still - these two features alone
helped her to get absolutely independent from TV. Our TV is now
collecting dust in the cellar!
Now she doesn't even record anything (I had thought that she would
record a lot of things and then see that she couldn't watch so many
things and so on). She doesn't watch either, maybe once a week. Just
to *know* that she will never miss anything anymore gave her the
freedom to *choose* not to! Which she may have wanted all the time
anyway!
Today she watches 1-1,5 h a day, only videos *she* chooses at the
time *she wants*. Even if she went back to watch 5 hours a day, I'm
so relieved because now I know, it will then be *her choice* – not
the effects of having restricted it before, not because she is
dependet from the programme-makers – just because *she* freely
*chose it.
:-)
Greetings
Johanna
--
Unerzogen!
E-Mail: dialog@...
Webseite: www.unerzogen.de
Wiki: wiki.unerzogen.de/
Rockzipfel: rockzipfel.unerzogen.de/
rockzipfel@...
Mailingliste: de.groups.yahoo.com/group/unerzogen/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nach Pisa? Nach Leipzig!
European Democratic Education Conference
25. Juli bis 3. August 2008
www.eudec2008.org
diana jenner
On 7/30/07, Johanna <dialog@...> wrote:
I suspect that folks' opposition to television may, in part, be the
scheduling idea. I remember having to leave the park to get home in time for
X to begin, or the kids asking to be awakened for X and if they overslept,
they were inconsolable after missing their planned show. The VCR helped fill
the gap at that time.
My perspective had to change, too, though. When I began seeing their shows
as important as a playdate, for example, it increased my acceptance. Monday
nights (8-9pm, january thru may) were once known as "Mommy's date with
Kiefer" (actually, we still use that to describe 24!) which was held as a
sacred time for me to hang out with my favorite TV characters; I'd mommy
during commercials. Seeing SpongeBob/Simpsons/Family Guy through the same
lens made it so much easier for me to see their joy and participate in it.
I'd only talk to them during commercials, too, giving the same respect they
so happily gave to me.
Nowadays, however, with the DVR-type technology, cable channels on-demand,
and full episodes available on the internet -- it's a moot point. We're no
longer a "slave" to the television schedule as it happens. I can pause and
parent and come right back to my date :D We've got a multitude of shows
awaiting to be seen at the exact moment we're in the mood. The fast
forwarding of commercials (or the absence of them, as on the internet) has
also eliminated the complaints against advert manipulation.
--
~diana :)
xoxoxoxo
hannahbearski.blogspot.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>Thanks for sparking my background thoughts on this!
> But still, she was "restricted" to the times of the programme. She
> felt attached to the times her series were shown and couldn't let it go.
>
> Full freedom came only when we finally followed the advice of so many
> unschoolers here. We don't have such a service as TiVo, but we found
> a TV-"Stick" for the Computer (for Apple computers, called "The
> Tube"). With this, she could record and watch later, and also record
> and start watching just a bit later (time delayed), but still
> recording in the background. Unfortunately, the programme isn't able
> (yet?) to program a recording for later, so one always has to be
> there to start the recording. But still - these two features alone
> helped her to get absolutely independent from TV. Our TV is now
> collecting dust in the cellar!
>
> Now she doesn't even record anything (I had thought that she would
> record a lot of things and then see that she couldn't watch so many
> things and so on). She doesn't watch either, maybe once a week. Just
> to *know* that she will never miss anything anymore gave her the
> freedom to *choose* not to! Which she may have wanted all the time
> anyway!
>
> Today she watches 1-1,5 h a day, only videos *she* chooses at the
> time *she wants*. Even if she went back to watch 5 hours a day, I'm
> so relieved because now I know, it will then be *her choice* � not
> the effects of having restricted it before, not because she is
> dependet from the programme-makers � just because *she* freely
> *chose it.
>
>
I suspect that folks' opposition to television may, in part, be the
scheduling idea. I remember having to leave the park to get home in time for
X to begin, or the kids asking to be awakened for X and if they overslept,
they were inconsolable after missing their planned show. The VCR helped fill
the gap at that time.
My perspective had to change, too, though. When I began seeing their shows
as important as a playdate, for example, it increased my acceptance. Monday
nights (8-9pm, january thru may) were once known as "Mommy's date with
Kiefer" (actually, we still use that to describe 24!) which was held as a
sacred time for me to hang out with my favorite TV characters; I'd mommy
during commercials. Seeing SpongeBob/Simpsons/Family Guy through the same
lens made it so much easier for me to see their joy and participate in it.
I'd only talk to them during commercials, too, giving the same respect they
so happily gave to me.
Nowadays, however, with the DVR-type technology, cable channels on-demand,
and full episodes available on the internet -- it's a moot point. We're no
longer a "slave" to the television schedule as it happens. I can pause and
parent and come right back to my date :D We've got a multitude of shows
awaiting to be seen at the exact moment we're in the mood. The fast
forwarding of commercials (or the absence of them, as on the internet) has
also eliminated the complaints against advert manipulation.
--
~diana :)
xoxoxoxo
hannahbearski.blogspot.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]