Screen Time
Danielle Conger
Being in front of a screen IS time together for us. Granted my kids are younger but some of the best moments are when we're curled up with each other, talking about the movie we're watching or laughing at a show.
Dawn (in NS)
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Absolutely! We had the best night on Friday. A really great night of family bonding in front of the TV, watching a cartoon DVD.
Dh made pizza (long story, but an elimination diet turns this into a major treat), and everyone was so excited. My 5 yo had been perched atop the kitchen table (looking a lot like Gollum) working on legos for a couple of hours before dh got home. She'd also worked a couple of puzzles, so the table was not looking promising for dinner. It had been a while since we'd picnic-ed in our bedroom to watch a DVD, so I suggested that. Dh was all for it, and so were the kids.
We watched Batman Beyond, which is *very* dark and really cool. Totally different than the Batman dh and I grew up with. Dh was really into it, and the kids were so incredibly happy. It was just one of those perfect moments. I couldn't help thinking about the conversations here recommending actually *watching* the shows your kids like. We've been watching stuff together like this, playing computer games together a lot lately. It's been lots of fun, and I haven't seen it pulling us apart in any way. Just the opposite, it's giving us common ground and shared experience--just like people here keep saying it will.
--danielle
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Dawn (in NS)
======================================================================
Absolutely! We had the best night on Friday. A really great night of family bonding in front of the TV, watching a cartoon DVD.
Dh made pizza (long story, but an elimination diet turns this into a major treat), and everyone was so excited. My 5 yo had been perched atop the kitchen table (looking a lot like Gollum) working on legos for a couple of hours before dh got home. She'd also worked a couple of puzzles, so the table was not looking promising for dinner. It had been a while since we'd picnic-ed in our bedroom to watch a DVD, so I suggested that. Dh was all for it, and so were the kids.
We watched Batman Beyond, which is *very* dark and really cool. Totally different than the Batman dh and I grew up with. Dh was really into it, and the kids were so incredibly happy. It was just one of those perfect moments. I couldn't help thinking about the conversations here recommending actually *watching* the shows your kids like. We've been watching stuff together like this, playing computer games together a lot lately. It's been lots of fun, and I haven't seen it pulling us apart in any way. Just the opposite, it's giving us common ground and shared experience--just like people here keep saying it will.
--danielle
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Melissa
--- In [email protected], "Danielle Conger"
<danielle.conger@c...> wrote:
<<We watched Batman Beyond, which is *very* dark and really cool.
Totally different than the Batman dh and I grew up with.>>
I saw this while flipping through the other day and, before I knew
it I had watched for an hour! I was surprised how much I actually
enjoyed watching it. :)
<<I couldn't help thinking about the conversations here recommending
actually *watching* the shows your kids like. We've been watching
stuff together like this, playing computer games together a lot
lately. It's been lots of fun, and I haven't seen it pulling us
apart in any way. Just the opposite, it's giving us common ground
and shared experience--just like people here keep saying it will.>>
I sit with my DD in the morning while she watches cartoons. It's
great, she climbs up on my lap with her blanket and we snuggle (I
love it). It's great snuggle time together before she gets drawn
away by her toys, books, dog, ect. And, surprisingly enough, I like
the cartoons that she watches! :)
Melissa
<danielle.conger@c...> wrote:
<<We watched Batman Beyond, which is *very* dark and really cool.
Totally different than the Batman dh and I grew up with.>>
I saw this while flipping through the other day and, before I knew
it I had watched for an hour! I was surprised how much I actually
enjoyed watching it. :)
<<I couldn't help thinking about the conversations here recommending
actually *watching* the shows your kids like. We've been watching
stuff together like this, playing computer games together a lot
lately. It's been lots of fun, and I haven't seen it pulling us
apart in any way. Just the opposite, it's giving us common ground
and shared experience--just like people here keep saying it will.>>
I sit with my DD in the morning while she watches cartoons. It's
great, she climbs up on my lap with her blanket and we snuggle (I
love it). It's great snuggle time together before she gets drawn
away by her toys, books, dog, ect. And, surprisingly enough, I like
the cartoons that she watches! :)
Melissa
Have a Nice Day!
I knew there was a difference between the proportion of tv watching when comparing unschooled and traditional schooled kids. For traditional schooled kids it takes up a larger percentage of their free time.
But I had never thought about the difference in the role tv plays. I knew that my kids learned from tv, but I hadn't thought about it too deeply.
My kids, when we had cable watched it all the time. It made me uncomfortable. And we couldn't afford cable anymore, so we got rid of it. My kids do more stuff, but they still watch tv on the channels we can get.
They complain though about their public school friend who can't even carry on a conversation on the phone because she is so sucked into the tv.
I do have a question though. What about the studies that discuss brain function during tv viewing?
Do you think there would be a difference there too?
Kristen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
But I had never thought about the difference in the role tv plays. I knew that my kids learned from tv, but I hadn't thought about it too deeply.
My kids, when we had cable watched it all the time. It made me uncomfortable. And we couldn't afford cable anymore, so we got rid of it. My kids do more stuff, but they still watch tv on the channels we can get.
They complain though about their public school friend who can't even carry on a conversation on the phone because she is so sucked into the tv.
I do have a question though. What about the studies that discuss brain function during tv viewing?
Do you think there would be a difference there too?
Kristen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 2/8/2004 1:31:30 PM Eastern Standard Time,
litlrooh@... writes:
I do have a question though. What about the studies that discuss brain
function during tv viewing?<<<<
If you want to "bring" that specific study here (give us a link), we might be
able to break it down for you. Or show you a different way to interpret it
from an unschooling POV.
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
litlrooh@... writes:
I do have a question though. What about the studies that discuss brain
function during tv viewing?<<<<
If you want to "bring" that specific study here (give us a link), we might be
able to break it down for you. Or show you a different way to interpret it
from an unschooling POV.
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 2/8/04 11:31:39 AM, litlrooh@... writes:
<< For traditional schooled kids it takes up a larger percentage of their
free time. >>
"Free time" is a funny term, though. In school terms, it means time left
over after school and school-assigned homework. To use the word "free" for the
reward/personal time after school takes its big bite is sad. But there's
truth to it.
An unschooled child is "free" all the time.
Kirby closed the gaming store late last night, and I was a little worried
that he would be there alone, but a man had stayed to help him clean. Turns out
he's a homeschooling dad but didn't know Kirby was homeschooled and when
Kirby got home he told me all about a conversation they had. The dad was feeling
bad that mostly his kids' group plays. It's quite a mixed group of kids, six
to 17 or so, and Kirby told him he thought that was the very best thing for
all of them.
Kirby is "free" even when he's at work. He's free not to be there, free to
be there whether he's working or not. He freely accepted that job and freely
continues to go.
One of the things he reported from the conversation was he had been asked why
he'd been homeschooled, for religious reasons or what. Kirby said he told
him, "I've always had the option to go to school, but chose to stay home."
In such a case, all his life has been free time, but some of the best
learning has happened while he was watching TV.
We bought the DVD of The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged, by the
Reduced Shakespeare Company. After watching it a few times here, in various
combos of people, we loaned it to another homeschooling family. One of them was
here last night and they were talking and laughing about their shared
experience with that. I asked the other kid if he had seen Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are Dead; he hadn't. They went and watched the question game scene, and
then they went ice skating.
Choices, free choices, and lots of learning.
Sandra
<< For traditional schooled kids it takes up a larger percentage of their
free time. >>
"Free time" is a funny term, though. In school terms, it means time left
over after school and school-assigned homework. To use the word "free" for the
reward/personal time after school takes its big bite is sad. But there's
truth to it.
An unschooled child is "free" all the time.
Kirby closed the gaming store late last night, and I was a little worried
that he would be there alone, but a man had stayed to help him clean. Turns out
he's a homeschooling dad but didn't know Kirby was homeschooled and when
Kirby got home he told me all about a conversation they had. The dad was feeling
bad that mostly his kids' group plays. It's quite a mixed group of kids, six
to 17 or so, and Kirby told him he thought that was the very best thing for
all of them.
Kirby is "free" even when he's at work. He's free not to be there, free to
be there whether he's working or not. He freely accepted that job and freely
continues to go.
One of the things he reported from the conversation was he had been asked why
he'd been homeschooled, for religious reasons or what. Kirby said he told
him, "I've always had the option to go to school, but chose to stay home."
In such a case, all his life has been free time, but some of the best
learning has happened while he was watching TV.
We bought the DVD of The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged, by the
Reduced Shakespeare Company. After watching it a few times here, in various
combos of people, we loaned it to another homeschooling family. One of them was
here last night and they were talking and laughing about their shared
experience with that. I asked the other kid if he had seen Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are Dead; he hadn't. They went and watched the question game scene, and
then they went ice skating.
Choices, free choices, and lots of learning.
Sandra
J. Stauffer
<<<<What about the studies that discuss brain function during tv
viewing?>>>>
I suppose you mean the studies about the wave pattern being similar to when
you are asleep, etc.. So what? The assumption is that those brain wave
patterns are somehow bad or evil or passive. Those are also the patterns
people get when they meditate, do yoga, daydream.....states that have lots
of "aha" moments even with little to no external stimuli.
Think of your dreams. Even asleep, your mind is constantly working, making
connections (ok, perhaps weird ones), etc..
The studies have faulty assumptions built in.
Julie S.
viewing?>>>>
I suppose you mean the studies about the wave pattern being similar to when
you are asleep, etc.. So what? The assumption is that those brain wave
patterns are somehow bad or evil or passive. Those are also the patterns
people get when they meditate, do yoga, daydream.....states that have lots
of "aha" moments even with little to no external stimuli.
Think of your dreams. Even asleep, your mind is constantly working, making
connections (ok, perhaps weird ones), etc..
The studies have faulty assumptions built in.
Julie S.