ambersand

The tv is driving me bananas!!! My two, especially the 5yo, will sit glued to it. I'm torn between letting them watch and maybe they will get over it, or turning it off and letting them find other things to do. Our 9yo will sometimes leave the tv after a while and go outside or in his room, but the 5yo is stuck. I don't get in to watching much but I like having all those animal, nature, history, & science stuff available. The guys used to watch that stuff but have gone totally over to the cartoon channel and won't even look to see what is on the other channels. Before we had the sat dish, we would load up on books and climb in my bed and read. Now they don't seem to want to read because they will miss something on tv even if they don't know what is on. Last night I couldn't take it... I turned it off. The 9yo went to his room, listened to music, played a little hand-held electronic game, and didn't complain after the initial groans when I
turned the tv off. The 5yo spent an hour+ cutting out pictures from a mail order catalog that he wants to order from today, and then had me read and review his choices (nothing too expensive or dangerous), and narrowed down his list to his final choices.

I'm really tempted to turn it off for awhile, but that "tv turn off week" for everyone is just another thing to get schoolies and their parents to look towards something or someone else to "blame" for their lack of educational achievement other than the system.

ambersand

[email protected]

It helps for parents to watch TV with kids, in my experience. You would
probably find some great stuff to talk about, even from cartoons. I don't
mean watch EVERYTHING they watch, but some.

Another thing to consider is to tape the things they say they most want to
see, and let them watch the tape . You can rewind that way and discuss, and
see the good parts repeatedly.

Then, knowing their show is being recorded, they can play and goof around
with less panick about missing something.

We've recorded stuff for the kids that they never even bothered to watch
later. But they felt secure that they weren't missing anything. More power
for kids that way.

Sandra

Vaughnde Edwards

Sometimes I just simply say NO tv today...go find something else to do. So far this morning, Naomi hasn't had it on once...she's outside helping some kindergarden teachers at the park with a group of kids. She loves kids. She's having a blast pushing them on the swings. Good for her!! I guess we are fortunate in that we live right next to the park ...its almost outside our front door and Naomi had gone rollerblading, came back in and put on her shoes and told me where she was going. I think its great. Its almost time for our walk this morning...its a beautiful day outside today.

Vaughnde Lee
Missoula, Montana
http://www.stampinbookworm.eboard.com

-----Original Message-----
From: ambersand <ambersand@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 3:49 AM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: TV turn off


The tv is driving me bananas!!! My two, especially the 5yo, will sit glued to it. I'm torn between letting them watch and maybe they will get over it, or turning it off and letting them find other things to do. Our 9yo will sometimes leave the tv after a while and go outside or in his room, but the 5yo is stuck. I don't get in to watching much but I like having all those animal, nature, history, & science stuff available. The guys used to watch that stuff but have gone totally over to the cartoon channel and won't even look to see what is on the other channels. Before we had the sat dish, we would load up on books and climb in my bed and read. Now they don't seem to want to read because they will miss something on tv even if they don't know what is on. Last night I couldn't take it... I turned it off. The 9yo went to his room, listened to music, played a little hand-held electronic game, and didn't complain after the initial groans when I
turned the tv off. The 5yo spent an hour+ cutting out pictures from a mail order catalog that he wants to order from today, and then had me read and review his choices (nothing too expensive or dangerous), and narrowed down his list to his final choices.

I'm really tempted to turn it off for awhile, but that "tv turn off week" for everyone is just another thing to get schoolies and their parents to look towards something or someone else to "blame" for their lack of educational achievement other than the system.

ambersand



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