Kimberly Viducich

Hi,
I'm new on the list. I have been lurking for about a
week. I have a 4 year old daughter and a baby due in
June. I wanted to talk about tv. My daughter seems to
be watching alot of it lately. I see myself being a
pretty radical unschooler, but when it comes to tv I
start getting insecure and wanting to control it. I do
suggest we do other things like play games, read
etc.... Now that the weather is getting nicer we can
be outside more. There is no doubt that she would
rather be doing something outside. Unless I am willing
to get rid of the tv, which I don't think is the
answer (I have a few shows I am not willing to stop
watching) . It doesn''t seem to fit with our family to
control tv watching when we believe in unschooling in
every other aspect. I can't help but think if she
wasn't sitting in front of that tv she would be doing
something else. There is selfish aspect right now to
because I am 6 1/2 months pregnant and tired. Laying
on the couch sounds good alot of the time. I would
like to hear other families experiences with tv
watching and how other unschooling households do it. I
guess I want to know that my daughter isn't the only
one who watches alot of tv some days.
Thanks Kimberly



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In a message dated 3/13/03 8:51:14 PM, kvid@... writes:

<< I can't help but think if she
wasn't sitting in front of that tv she would be doing
something else. >>

But it wouldn't necessarily be something better.

If there's something she'd rather be doing, she'll do that!

If I weren't taking care of my kids and still living with my husband after
half my life, I'd be doing something else. But I made a decision to do what
I'm doing.

If she does something else from lack of choice, she can't choose that other
thing freely.

-=-I guess I want to know that my daughter isn't the only
one who watches alot of tv some days.-=-

Mine do sometimes. Sometimes not.

Today Holly has watched Simpsons (rerun), Friends (new), the boys and two
other teens just watched two hours of wrestling, and Keith watched it in his
own room (because the boys talk about the Raw Deal card game while they watch
it, and Keith doesn't know or care about the game). Now teen-boy-crowd has
gone upstairs to play something or other (card game). Holly is playing with
Barbies, but will watch Simpsons again at 10:00.

Otherwise, today, Holly and I got two dozen carnations to try to get twelve
good ones dyed green. They're starting to turn. She, Kirby and Marty went
to a Harry Potter tournament for three hours (Kirby won), then Kirby was at
karate for two hours...
TV was an option over that other stuff, and is an option now, but it's off.

Wait...

No, it's back on. Kirby is sorting cards and turned on Married With
Children, which he totally missed in its earlier incarnation.

Kirby's going to visit friends from his Anime club tonight and will probably
spend the night, so he's not in on the upstairs game, turns out.

Early today, Holly watched the remainder of a Mary Tyler Moore DVD so we
could return it to Netflix. It was good opportunity for conversation about
the women's movement, TV in the 1960s, and changing language.

Sandra

Mary

----- Original Message -----
From: Kimberly Viducich

<<I guess I want to know that my daughter isn't the only
one who watches alot of tv some days.>>

Your child isn't the only one that watches a lot of tv some days. But watch what she watches and listen to what she says. You will be surprised how much one can learn from "just watching tv." My kids learn all kinds of things about animals, history, geography, language, sports, and the list goes on. Things I know we haven't talked to them about and things I thought they wouldn't be interested in. Maybe they aren't really but the facts are there anyway. And all from cartoons. Which at their age right now is pretty much all they watch when they do, aside from the animal planet channel. Don't worry about. She'll be fine.

Mary B






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

Dawn Ackroyd

I have a 4 year old. Sometimes she watches TV all morning (that's about
the only time kid shows are on on our TV - we don't have cable) and
sometimes she isn't interested in it at all. I have a SIL who doesn't
allow her kids to watch TV. I haven't really regulated it. We have
enough stuff going on in our life and my daughter has a lot of interests
that pull her away from it often enough - so it doesn't really bother
me. It is interesting to compare my SILs children. There is one the same
age, but her language and vocabulary skills are definitely not as
developed. I really attribute much of the vocabulary and knowledge of
animals to the things my daughter has watched on shows like Zaboomafoo.
He can talk circles around me about animals, that's for sure!!

A funny story on that - one night she came into our room because she had
a nightmare. I asked her to tell me what her dream was about and she
said there was a blah blah blah (name of some animal I found out later).
I couldn't understand what she was talking about because I had never
heard of this thing (I didn't even know the word she was using was an
animal!) Finally dad pulled himself out of his groggy state and told me
what it was (he had watched the show with her). I have since heard her
refer to that animal a number of times. I thought it was pretty
interesting that she would have this dream and I had no clue what she
was talking about.

Sometimes kids are too smart for their dear old parents!



-----Original Message-----
From: Kimberly Viducich [mailto:kvid@...]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 8:49 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: New Member TV questions


Hi,
I'm new on the list. I have been lurking for about a
week. I have a 4 year old daughter and a baby due in
June. I wanted to talk about tv. My daughter seems to
be watching alot of it lately. I see myself being a
pretty radical unschooler, but when it comes to tv I
start getting insecure and wanting to control it. I do
suggest we do other things like play games, read
etc.... Now that the weather is getting nicer we can
be outside more. There is no doubt that she would
rather be doing something outside. Unless I am willing
to get rid of the tv, which I don't think is the
answer (I have a few shows I am not willing to stop
watching) . It doesn''t seem to fit with our family to
control tv watching when we believe in unschooling in
every other aspect. I can't help but think if she
wasn't sitting in front of that tv she would be doing
something else. There is selfish aspect right now to
because I am 6 1/2 months pregnant and tired. Laying
on the couch sounds good alot of the time. I would
like to hear other families experiences with tv
watching and how other unschooling households do it. I
guess I want to know that my daughter isn't the only
one who watches alot of tv some days.
Thanks Kimberly



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

Manon (Hotmail)

Hi Kimberley,

Welcome to the list. My ds is 2 1/2 and he went through a phase where he would watch hours of tv every day. I feel guilty too because it feels so good to lie on the couch with him and read and I feel like I should be trying to interest him in other stuff. Lately though, he is watching almost no tv and I found his vocabulary and imagination were really stimulated by that period of tv watching. I am sure he will go through phases like that often so my best advice is to enjoy it while it lasts because this too shall pass. I also try to concentrate on the positive that comes out of his tv watching.

Manon
----- Original Message -----
From: Kimberly Viducich
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 10:49 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: New Member TV questions


Hi,
I'm new on the list. I have been lurking for about a
week. I have a 4 year old daughter and a baby due in
June. I wanted to talk about tv. My daughter seems to
be watching alot of it lately. I see myself being a
pretty radical unschooler, but when it comes to tv I
start getting insecure and wanting to control it. I do
suggest we do other things like play games, read
etc.... Now that the weather is getting nicer we can
be outside more. There is no doubt that she would
rather be doing something outside. Unless I am willing
to get rid of the tv, which I don't think is the
answer (I have a few shows I am not willing to stop
watching) . It doesn''t seem to fit with our family to
control tv watching when we believe in unschooling in
every other aspect. I can't help but think if she
wasn't sitting in front of that tv she would be doing
something else. There is selfish aspect right now to
because I am 6 1/2 months pregnant and tired. Laying
on the couch sounds good alot of the time. I would
like to hear other families experiences with tv
watching and how other unschooling households do it. I
guess I want to know that my daughter isn't the only
one who watches alot of tv some days.
Thanks Kimberly



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

Kelli Traaseth

I used to be very restrictive on TV viewing. I now am seeing the benefits of letting them decide and monitor their own viewing.

**I can't help but think if she
wasn't sitting in front of that tv she would be doing
something else. **



When I would feel this way I would remind myself that I can't know what she is feeling or what she is always needing. I know at certain times I need to just sit on the computer and read and write and read and write. If my dh were to come and say "don't you think you have been on the computer enough?", how would that make me feel? (Which he used to question it and I've said this is my work! right? He gets it now!) Well, watching TV, playing, what-ever, is their work.



Just yesterday my dd, came running to me wanting me to come watch Powerpuff girls, pre-unschooling days we wouldn't have even had cable, but off I went. She informed me that this was the episode that she had learned about Susan B Anthony! I was blown away! And off we went into a discussion about women's rights.



Now if I would have said earlier, you better be doing X or Y, she would have missed that experience! Cool, huh?



So, yes, I'm sure there are lots of kids watching TV. And she'll be just fine!



Kelli








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

Deborah Lewis

***I would
like to hear other families experiences with tv
watching and how other unschooling households do it. I
guess I want to know that my daughter isn't the only
one who watches alot of tv some days.***

You mentioned weather being a factor but it's also possible that you
being tired a lot (understandably) is too.
It sounds to me like she's very smart, and found something to do that
doesn't require being out in the cold and doesn't extract too much energy
from her mom.

You don't have to control TV. She'll do something else when she wants
to.

My son has learned so much from TV. He's learned about good timing for
joke delivery, (oh, how we suffered!) different kinds of humor, drama,
action. He's seen the progression of special effects from a paper
spaceship "flying" on a clearly visible wire to the great scenes in
Firefly. (Where is that, by the way?)
He's seen the difference between what was scary in 1950 and what is scary
today (and what's just disgusting.) He can see, in one day, changes in
clothing styles in the past hundred (or two, or three or five hundred!)
years. Changes in language, hair styles, furniture, transportation,
social norms, political correctness, and I don't know what else. And
all that BEFORE you get to the "educational" channels.

When he was five and watching repeats of the original Star Trek and The
Next Generation he noticed and talked about how in the first series they
just plain killed any alien they didn't understand and in Next Generation
the found a way to live peacefully with "crystalline entities" and such.
That same five year old also learned and discovered he got a little
annoyed with the constant moral preaching of said shows. <g>

He knows as much about Japan's Constitution today as he does our own,
just by watching Godzilla movies.

You have one smart kid there who clearly knows the value of television!
<g>

Deb L

[email protected]

In a message dated 3/14/03 9:13:53 AM, ddzimlew@... writes:

<< He can see, in one day, changes in
clothing styles in the past hundred (or two, or three or five hundred!)
years. Changes in language, hair styles, furniture, transportation,
social norms, political correctness, and I don't know what else. >>

The new DVD of Amadeus is great, and I watched it on and off for a whole day
(not wanting the end) and watched the making-of commentary, and then Keith
wanted to watch it with me. They've added half an hour, and it took two
evenings.

None of the kids could be said to have watched it with us, but all of them
came through a few times and stood and watched. By references to Marie
Antoinette they had an idea of when it was. Marie Antoinette is a staple in
cartoon humor, and they know by costumes that it's 18th century (or at least
would know it was American-Revolutionish days, and could figure the century
in a few seconds if pressed to do so).

The guy who played the Emperor of Germany was the same one who played the
principal in Ferris Beuhler's Day Off, which came through here again last
month (DVD rental), so that was worth commentary from the kids. The opera
scenes were wonderful. The street scenes, coaches, foods...

Then I dug up the Disney Sing-Along where Tom Hulce, who played Amadeus, sang
"Out There," for the Hunchback of Notre Dame who had his voice. And the
performance of that song, the the same voice we just heard as Mozart, was a
good cherry on the top of that movie.

But we didn't make kids watch it. They saw as much as they wanted, but they
saw enough to learn at least a dozen little things, to connect information,
visuals, clues to other bits of information they have about theatre,
classical music, personal interactions, Catholicism, wigs, finances in the
1700s... and that's pretty good for a block of time when my husband and I
were "just" sitting in front of the TV telling the kids to get the phone or
answer the door because we were watching a movie.

Sandra

Backstrom kelli

I have to tell about our family's recent experience and don't get me wrong with this because I totally see the value of tv as an educational resource. However, we watch a ton of it and when we were talking about what to give up for lent this year my ten year old said, "Let's try the TV" My dh and I thought what a smart girl she was and how great this would be for our family and I have to say we have never spent so much goofy time together. We have burned through some great books, taken some nice walks and I have noticed personally that I am sooo much more relaxed not knowing if we are currently invading Iraq (although I do listen to NPR quite frequently still:) Just a little food for thought! Enjoy Kelli
Deborah Lewis <ddzimlew@...> wrote:
***I would
like to hear other families experiences with tv
watching and how other unschooling households do it. I
guess I want to know that my daughter isn't the only
one who watches alot of tv some days.***

You mentioned weather being a factor but it's also possible that you
being tired a lot (understandably) is too.
It sounds to me like she's very smart, and found something to do that
doesn't require being out in the cold and doesn't extract too much energy
from her mom.

You don't have to control TV. She'll do something else when she wants
to.

My son has learned so much from TV. He's learned about good timing for
joke delivery, (oh, how we suffered!) different kinds of humor, drama,
action. He's seen the progression of special effects from a paper
spaceship "flying" on a clearly visible wire to the great scenes in
Firefly. (Where is that, by the way?)
He's seen the difference between what was scary in 1950 and what is scary
today (and what's just disgusting.) He can see, in one day, changes in
clothing styles in the past hundred (or two, or three or five hundred!)
years. Changes in language, hair styles, furniture, transportation,
social norms, political correctness, and I don't know what else. And
all that BEFORE you get to the "educational" channels.

When he was five and watching repeats of the original Star Trek and The
Next Generation he noticed and talked about how in the first series they
just plain killed any alien they didn't understand and in Next Generation
the found a way to live peacefully with "crystalline entities" and such.
That same five year old also learned and discovered he got a little
annoyed with the constant moral preaching of said shows. <g>

He knows as much about Japan's Constitution today as he does our own,
just by watching Godzilla movies.

You have one smart kid there who clearly knows the value of television!
<g>

Deb L


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

Backstrom kelli

I love the spelling of your name;)
Kelli Traaseth <kellitraas@...> wrote:
I used to be very restrictive on TV viewing. I now am seeing the benefits of letting them decide and monitor their own viewing.

**I can't help but think if she
wasn't sitting in front of that tv she would be doing
something else. **



When I would feel this way I would remind myself that I can't know what she is feeling or what she is always needing. I know at certain times I need to just sit on the computer and read and write and read and write. If my dh were to come and say "don't you think you have been on the computer enough?", how would that make me feel? (Which he used to question it and I've said this is my work! right? He gets it now!) Well, watching TV, playing, what-ever, is their work.



Just yesterday my dd, came running to me wanting me to come watch Powerpuff girls, pre-unschooling days we wouldn't have even had cable, but off I went. She informed me that this was the episode that she had learned about Susan B Anthony! I was blown away! And off we went into a discussion about women's rights.



Now if I would have said earlier, you better be doing X or Y, she would have missed that experience! Cool, huh?



So, yes, I'm sure there are lots of kids watching TV. And she'll be just fine!



Kelli








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

Deborah Lewis

***...we have never spent so much goofy time together. We have burned
through some great books, taken some nice walks... ***

All these options are available when the TV is too!

We walk almost every morning, down by the river, and count ducks and
Killdeer and Kingfishers.
We read together every day.
Dylan plays cribbage or backgammon with his dad religiously every evening
and usually beats me at something once or twice a day as well.
We paint together, braid rugs, visit museums, art galleries, china shops,
toy stores, go on picnics, even when it's too cold to get out of the car.
We snowshoe, play piano, visit friends. The lady at the flower shop
gave us thirty helium balloons someone ordered and never picked up. We
brought them home and let them go in the living room and then sprawled on
the floor and shot rubber bands at them.

And anyone can turn on the TV any time day or night.
It's not an either/or situation.

But I'm glad you're having fun.<G>

Deb L

Connie Stillwell

Just to get this out of my system-I HATE POKEMON but I have a daughter who has learned about "classifying" and "setting goals" by watching it. She also isn't a very good speller, but if you ask her how to spell any of the Pokemon, she will spell it for you. lol

Connie


"My best teacher was my dog; the world is my classroom."---Jane Goodall


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 3/14/03 9:45:57 AM, kellibac@... writes:

<< We have burned through some great books, taken some nice walks and I have
noticed personally that I am sooo much more relaxed not knowing if we are
currently invading Iraq (although I do listen to NPR quite frequently still:)
Just a little food for thought! >>

Tell us how it goes at Eastertime. Maybe they'll have developed some
activity habits they'll want to keep, or maybe they'll say "Lent is over,
pass the remote!"

Maybe there are people who have become vegetarians after enjoying the heck
out of a meat-free lent. Traditionally, though, they eat a big bunch of ham
at Easter dinner.

Sandra

Sandra

Tia Leschke

and that's pretty good for a block of time when my husband and I
> were "just" sitting in front of the TV telling the kids to get the phone
or
> answer the door because we were watching a movie.

*Telling them*? <g>
Tia

Andrea

At 08:44 AM 3/14/03 -0800, Backstrom kelli <kellibac@...> wrote:
>I have noticed personally that I am sooo much more relaxed not knowing if
>we are currently invading Iraq

I don't understand this - why do you watch the news on tv if it bothers
you? I rarely watch tv news because it is too visual for me and too
upsetting. I listen to the radio, read the newspaper and read internet
sources, but tv newscasts are too intense.

Donna Andrea in Nova Scotia

[email protected]

In a message dated 3/14/03 11:52:40 AM, leschke@... writes:

<< *Telling them*? <g> >>

Yep. Like this:

"SOMEBODY ANSWER THE PHONE!"

or

"KIRBY, GET THE DOOR" (because I knew it was for him anyway, and at night my
ankle is fat and it takes me longer to hobble up the stairs to the door than
for any kids to run the full length of the house.

It wasn't an option. I wasn't going to hop up and leave Amadeus just to
answer the phone and say "Marty, it's for you!"

But sometimes they'll do the same for me. "Mom, I can't answer the phone;
this game doesn't pause." or "Mom, get the phone! I'm on the toilet."

Sandra

Dawn Ackroyd

What a wonderful list of things!! I can just imagine a bunch of kids
lying on the floor shooting helium balloons with elastics. Thanks for
the smile!

-----Original Message-----
From: Deborah Lewis [mailto:ddzimlew@...]
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 10:04 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: New Member TV questions


***...we have never spent so much goofy time together. We have burned
through some great books, taken some nice walks... ***

All these options are available when the TV is too!

We walk almost every morning, down by the river, and count ducks and
Killdeer and Kingfishers.
We read together every day.
Dylan plays cribbage or backgammon with his dad religiously every
evening
and usually beats me at something once or twice a day as well.
We paint together, braid rugs, visit museums, art galleries, china
shops,
toy stores, go on picnics, even when it's too cold to get out of the
car.
We snowshoe, play piano, visit friends. The lady at the flower shop
gave us thirty helium balloons someone ordered and never picked up. We
brought them home and let them go in the living room and then sprawled
on
the floor and shot rubber bands at them.

And anyone can turn on the TV any time day or night.
It's not an either/or situation.

But I'm glad you're having fun.<G>

Deb L





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

Kelli Traaseth

Connie Stillwell <mdcrabcakes2000@...> wrote:
**Just to get this out of my system-I HATE POKEMON but I have a daughter who has learned about "classifying" and "setting goals" by watching it. **

Yep, I can relate.

I really have a hard time with violence and fighting. Right now my son's favorite PS2 game and TV show is DragonballZ. They fight and they fight and they fight some more. I sit with him and try to see the interesting part to it. Why he would enjoy it, I'm going to talk with him more about it. Ask him to tell me more about it. I'm really trying to share this with him. He's also said that the show is funny. Which I have a hard time seeing.

I do see that he enjoys it when I watch him play or when I watch the show with him. Maybe this will just bring some connection or bonding time to us.

Kelli T.



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Betony Williamson

You said that you can't help thinking that you would
be doing more if you just got rid of the TV, but you
can't bring yourself to do it. All I can say to that
is DO! My parents chose when we were really young that
we were not going to have television in our house. My
life has been so much fuller becuase of that one small
choice. I do not deny that T.V. can be very
educational, but I have the same complaint with T.V.
as I do with public edu. It is too passive. Hours are
lost sitting on the couch in a trance. Instead you and
your children could be reading together, having
afternoon teas, sewing blankets, dancing outside,
biking to town, or just learning about each other.
With the help of the internet and NPR, none of the
positive aspects of television need to be lost. In
fact, in my opinion, the best possible set-up is not
to eliminate the T.V. completely - still have a VCR
and watch movies occasionally, but just eliminate the
television aspect. Think how much time you waste just
watching commercials for things you don't need! Life
is meant for living, not watching other people live.
Once your T.V. is gone, I promise you will not miss it
at all. Best of luck1
Betony

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In a message dated 3/21/03 11:13:16 AM Eastern Standard Time,
betonytw@... writes:

> Hours are
> lost sitting on the couch in a trance. Instead you and
> your children could be reading together, having
> afternoon teas, sewing blankets, dancing outside,
> biking to town, or just learning about each other.
> With the help of the internet and NPR, none of the
> positive aspects of television need to be lost.

It is a false assumption that having access to TV means you can't do these
other things. If given the choice, do you REALLY think that kids would
choose TV over interactive, fun stuff? If they did choose TV, then perhaps
those things are YOUR interests and not your childs. Find out what your
child likes to do, and enjoy it with them enthusiastically. My family does
all the things you listed plus tons more. I do resent that folks continue
to insinuate that not restricting TV means that is ALL children will do.
Lame.

Teresa


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In a message dated 3/21/03 9:13:13 AM, betonytw@... writes:

<< I have the same complaint with T.V.
as I do with public edu. It is too passive. Hours are
lost sitting on the couch in a trance. Instead you and
your children could be reading together, having
afternoon teas, sewing blankets, dancing outside,
biking to town, or just learning about each other. >>

With homeschooing you can do all those things and have TV too. Once school,
school prep and homework are out of the picture, there are a lot of hours in
a week.

My kids have never been involved in public education, so I don't know how
passively they might have accepted it, but I can tell you without the least
hesitation that they are not and have never been passive viewers of ANYTHING.
They sing. They comment. They recite. They look things up. They get
other movies referred to. They learn the games they see people playing.
They memorize comedic dialogs and recite them back and forth at the perfect
moment for them to frame an incident a hundred miles and a year away.

<<With the help of the internet and NPR, none of the
positive aspects of television need to be lost.>>

That doesn't follow at all for me.

And if you haven't had television, how can you feel qualified to speak to
what could be had or lost?

<<Think how much time you waste just
watching commercials for things you don't need! >>

None? My kids are usually doing something else at the same time they're
watching TV anyway, or they're up and about, or they have company.

Last night was the night Marty has people over to watch wrestling with him
for two hours, and then they play Raw Deal, a collectible card game based on
the crazed soap opera of pro wrestling. The game is really involved, as any
such games are, but when they're watching, they're doing as much commentary
and tying-in as the announcers are. They're really funny to hear, and
there's not a moment they're not actively engaged with each other
conversationally, and the humor and thought are really at a pretty high le
vel.

Holly was disappointed that the Simpsons wasn't on last night because of news
specials, but she watched Third Rock from the Sun while stringing beads for
something involving (I think) her My Little Pony collection.

Kirby didn't see any TV all day. He went with Holly to a Harry Potter
tournament, then two hours of karate, then had two friends over to help him
reorganize his closet (three hour job) and then went with them to play video
games and spend the night elsewhere.

Of these visiting friends, one is between the ages of Kirby and Marty, and
the others are 20 and older. Our house is a good place to be. Both parents
are home, there's food, there are tables and chairs galore, and my kids
attract people goodhearted enough to help them clean their rooms.

Not many families have as busy and rich a life as ours does. I spent
one-on-one time with all my kids yesterday--Kirby on the drive to karate,
with him giving me the update on his girlfriend, the schedule at work, me
reminding him driver's ed starts at 8:45 Saturday morning and does he want a
new notebook or would some old one of mine be fine. Mine, he said, or he
still thinks he has his. His one notebook he's had for five years. <g>

Today he works at 2:00 but the friends who took him home are taking him to
work. He'll be on time, too.

Through all this, the TV is on when the kids want it on, and off when they
don't. We have movies, DVDs, and last night when I went to the video store
to return Dennis the Menace and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I asked them all if
they wanted anything. They said no. I brought back About a Boy and Sweet
Home Alabama. I don't know who will watch them besides me. It doesn't
matter.

We have such a rich store and flow of input, so many people and activities,
that their choice is NEVER "tv or life."

Sandra

There is soch

Deborah Lewis

***We have such a rich store and flow of input, so many people and
activities,
that their choice is NEVER "tv or life."***

Well there you go.

I've never heard anyone say they had to get rid of the microwave or
they'd just stay home heating and reheating foods all day. Or, they had
to toss out the toity because folks were pooping to much. Or, "Bob, will
just frappe the day away and never do anything if I allowed a blender in
the house."

Good grief. Watch it if you want, don't if you don't.

If TV is the only thing that's interesting in a child's life, getting rid
of the TV won't give them, suddenly, without the help of parents, some
great opportunity to go do things. And if those opportunities exist in
the first place TV won't be the only interesting thing in a kid's life.

And, you know, let's face it, the world is going to keep right on
spinning if my child watches twenty hours of TV per week, or two. He
watches what he wants, and it's NEVER on all the time because he loves
going for walks and hikes and playing out in the sun or rain and digging
in the garden and countless other things that kids will do in their happy
lives.

Deb L

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In a message dated 3/21/03 5:36:56 PM, ddzimlew@... writes:

<< I've never heard anyone say they had to get rid of the microwave or
they'd just stay home heating and reheating foods all day. >>

But when we did get one, we sure ate a lot of baked potatoes for a while. <g>

<<Good grief. Watch it if you want, don't if you don't. >>

You're talking to the parents or to the theoretically free kids?
Because that "if you want" only applies within the assumption of freedom to
choose.

Sandra

Deborah Lewis

***But when we did get one, we sure ate a lot of baked potatoes for a
while. <g>***

De-ovening.

***You're talking to the parents or to the theoretically free kids?
Because that "if you want" only applies within the assumption of freedom
to
choose.***

I'm talking to everyone who won't listen. Probably not many parents who
believe TV is a drug or some form of government mind control will give
their kids freedom to watch or not watch.
But the assumption of freedom to choose may be the norm someday. At
least on an unschooling list.<g>

Deb L, unashamed idealist, microwaver, toity user, blender operator and
TV viewer.

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In a message dated 3/21/03 7:09:06 PM, ddzimlew@... writes:

<< Deb L, unashamed idealist, microwaver, toity user, blender operator and
TV viewer.>>

Perhaps I should put a TV in the bathroom. Right now we have only comics
taped inside the door, printed out internet pages, and some books and charts.
A color wheel. The only reason they're not watching TV in there is that
it's not an option.



-=-I'm talking to everyone who won't listen. -=-

I like that. <g>

Sandra

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In a message dated 3/22/2003 10:14:57 AM Eastern Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
> Perhaps I should put a TV in the bathroom. Right now we have only comics
> taped inside the door, printed out internet pages, and some books and
> charts.
> A color wheel. The only reason they're not watching TV in there is that
> it's not an option.
>

My husband's sister's husband's parents have one in their bathroom. I was
just about blown away the first time I saw it. Last year they added a VCR. I
have to giggle every time I visit! <G>

~Kelly


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In a message dated 3/22/03 9:24:55 AM, kbcdlovejo@... writes:

<< My husband's sister's husband's parents have one in their bathroom. I was
just about blown away the first time I saw it. Last year they added a VCR. I
have to giggle every time I visit! <G> >>

Well... Holly takes long, long baths so for her it would make sense, for
that.

And Marty takes long, long... reading breaks. So if he could pause his movie
after ten or fifteen minutes each day, in just a week or so he could watch a
whole movie.

Perhaps there could be medicinal videos. OOOH! In the bathrooms near
medical labs, a video of Niagra falls so it would be easier to pee !! YES!!
And for home use, if someone's constipated have a video that's all the
scariest shocker-moments of movies. For kids who aren't wiping well, get
that Bill Murray movie about the germs. "Scared Clean?" Osmosis Jones!

A whole new era of unschooling personal health and hygiene.

Sandra

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In a message dated 3/22/03 4:54:27 PM, SandraDodd@... writes:

<< Well... Holly takes long, long baths so for her it would make sense, for
that. >>

Is it possible that part (or all) of the reason she enjoys long long baths is
because of the peace, or quietness, or playing with toys, or whatever, that
it brings? Since she can already watch TV whenever she wants, wouldn't she be
doing that instead of a long long bath if she so desired? Or is it possible
she really wants a TV in there and she's just never asked?

<< a video of Niagra falls so it would be easier to pee ! >>

Is there a problem here we don't know about? :)

Lara.........

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In a message dated 3/22/03 1:35:03 PM, Laramike12@... writes:

<< Is there a problem here we don't know about? :) >>

Lots of people have a problem peeing for the doctor. Especially kids who
haven't done it before.

<<Is it possible that part (or all) of the reason she enjoys long long baths
is
because of the peace, or quietness, or playing with toys, or whatever, that
it brings? >>

Yes.
Mostly the water.

<<Since she can already watch TV whenever she wants, wouldn't she be
doing that instead of a long long bath if she so desired?>>

Sure.

<<Or is it possible
she really wants a TV in there and she's just never asked? >>

I doubt it. Her TV's small enough to put on the bathroom counter, and she's
never mentioned it. She does sometimes have a CD player in there.

Sandra