Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

Holmes — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:54:07 GMT

Well, I can't say our house is totally TV free, but we got rid of our cable a while back, so the only TV we're watching is what we get from Netflix. With me in grad school, my wife running a business at home, and a toddler, we didn't really have time to be popping on the tube anyway, so we're not missing it in the least. Giving up internet though, now THAT would be a challenge.

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

Sam — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:15:01 GMT

Our TV died before the baby was born. We never replaced it. We now use Netflix and a projector, and get to watch movies, TV series, and documentaries, regularly at home. Easy, free popcorn, and no babysitter needed.

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

Jordan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:48:32 GMT

No problem here. We did it for over a year and it had a wonderful effect on our son (we didn't watch much to begin with, but he was quite the little beggar when we let him watch half an hour a day - it was totally not worth the "break" to have him whining for it the rest of the time!). Now that our kids are a little older, it's getting limited use for rented DVDs. I highly encourage people to try it; I think it's easier than it sounds. But, oh, yeah: no internets? Forget about it.

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

mum — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:33:27 GMT

Man, My family has been TV free for years! I haven't had one since college. I actually start to feel sort of crazy when I am in a place with a TV: The pacing of TV shows, the pace of commercials, the fact that the volume changes between commercials and episodes, and, dear God, the news! I feel like such a chump when I watch commercials and corporate news!

We go to movies and once a month or when someone is sick we rent DVD's. It's great. We spend a lot of time outside or working on things (yard, music, and painting).

An added bonus is my kid doesn't mimic annoying characters like Sponge Bob or beg me for Power Rangers and junk food.

But I agree with Cryitout, my husband and I might go nuts without the internet.

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

Lilee — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:54:11 GMT

Totally doable - there's no new Grey's this week!

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

cryitout — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:55:10 GMT

I think you're onto something Adelheid. When Dana was in law school, we didn't have a TV -- and we seemed to get by just fine somehow. But take away the internets? I think we'd go crazy.

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

bbbgmom — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:38:22 GMT

I go weeks without turning on the television. I go days (perhaps full weeks) without any exposure to T.V. My husband is "addicted" to a couple of shows, but often he gets his down time watching the taped shows on the VCR while I take the kids out on some kind of adventure... like to the library! My children (ages 8, 6 and 1) probably watch an average of a half hour of television per week. I don't feel like we are missing anything. Then again when the kids are in bed I get plenty of screen time on the computer reading the NYTimes online and Babble. :)

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

Adelheid — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:00:17 GMT

No problem, I had my TV service cut off when I had my baby 8 months ago. I occasionally watch a rented movie or season of a TV show (on my time, without commercials). The real question is, could I go a week without the internets? Not without some serious twitching.

re: Can You Be a TV-Free Family? Just a Week?

RachelZ — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:33:40 GMT

We could be a TV-free family for a week if it weren't the end of the freaking season and all the shows are less bad than usual! Try the first week of August when there's nothing on except Skating With Celebrities and we're outside ANYWAY. In the spring, with the wacky and unpredictable weather, you'll have to kill me to get me to turn my TV off. Mah shows are on!

The funny thing is, I don't watch TV at all during the day - I turn it on at 6 for the news (but then it stays on until at least 10:30 thanks to The Husband).