TV TIME

[alan]

Was talkin with my buddy and got on to this subject. Mainly gripping about kids in front of the telly!!

So i calculated durring a school day
before school 1.5
After school 1
after dinner 2

So yesterday 4.5 hours for DD.

before school 4
After school 2
after dinner 2.5

So 8.5 hours for DS. This included playing on a computer .

I am Happy with my dds time but DSs was totally amazed BUT it is winter and cold outside and dark early. I am feeling a bit guilty really and think i need to do more with him (granted this is just one day and obviously not all days are the same?)

Anyone else counted this?? so what dose every one think is a good amount???

[alan]

I put 5-8. Although i think 6 should be max

[misty]

I put 3-5. I did not count computer time though.

Shannon gets up early & spends about an hour on the computer, then an hour of TV.

After school she checks the internet for roughly a half hour & thengoes to her room & listens to her ipod, does homework, draws, etc.

After dinner she might watch an hr of TV & before bed another hour. O


Of course, once in awhile there are days when she seems planted in front of the TV, but they really aren't that often.

I've never felt the need to regulate her screen time, although I do monitor WHAT she's watching.

[katiekat]

I put as much as they like because both of my kids would choose to be outside playing over watching TV. They really only watch it when there is nothing else to do. When they were younger they both liked to watch movies but I cant remeber the last time either one of them has done that. Sean prefers to watch animal planet and the only thing Joe watches is ESPN. The TV has never been a big issue here.

[puzzled]

I voted 3-5 a day, but that is including video games...the boys don't really watch TV during the week..Jake prefers the computer (games) or playstation, and by the time Chase gets done with homework, he needs to be up and running around...so he usually plays something else, or goes outside if it is not too cold.

Tonight after his homework, Chase wanted to play cards, he could have had over 2 hours to watch TV, but he wanted to play gin rummy with mommy, so we did. We had a nice night.

I have always had the rule of no TV before school, it just slows everybody down....

[bugsmom]

I voted 1-3 hours per day. TV has never, ever, been an issue in our house. It just doesn't engage Josh enough. He'd rather be outside, playing a game, or listening to music. When he was little it drove me nuts...I couldn't get anything done. The only show he would watch when he was little was Mister Rogers. I knew the second it came on I could run and take a shower, jump out, clean the house, and any other odds an ends done in 30 mins. He still has a hard time sitting through a movie at the show.

He watches about a 1/2 and hour in the morning while eating breakfast, another 1/2 an hour with his dad at night (guy time), and maybe a little American Idol with me.

[lisacap]

I put 5-8 only because there wasn't a spot for 24 hours, we are very bad with the tv here, all three of them go to bed with the tv's on, including me and John, right now they are all in school but,,,,the living room, my bedroom and all 3 of their tv's are on with no one watching..Justin does watch tv while getting ready for school in my room, Mikayla on the couch and depending on how Christian's morning is going, he will either scream and yell or watch the sports channel....but I am the same way, so I can't blame them, if I am asleep and someone shuts off my tv, I automatically jump up and put it back on, my kids are all the same way, and they do watch tv in their beds until they fall asleep. But they don't watch after school, they aren't here enough to do that, but it is on all night...

[puzzled]

no sleep timers? On the weekends, the boys sometimes fall asleep while watching a movie on TV, but I make them set the sleep timers because I will hear their TVs on all night and it will keep me up.

[John]

TV before school . . . That's just WonkY ~ J/K ! (or am i ? hee.hee)

DW & I don't get home till 6 or 6.30, #1 son[13y/o] is the worst culprit, if it's not tV it's the OnLine Halo which we recintly got him for Christmas . . .

Off hand {to make a general statement} I'd say that tv by itself neither hurts NOR helps. If your a good student it's not going to hinder you, if your a poor student Not watching tv, by itself, will not help you.
What I'm NOT saying is, let your kids watch as much as they want. At certain ages kids will watch any and everything on tv and we as THE PARENTS do need to supervise that.
I don't really know if their is any EASY answer . . .

PS It REALLY helps if Both parents are on the SAME PAGE about this, uther wise it can become an exercise in futility... ACK !

[alan]

MY dw would let the yung uns watch anything they want man do i hate some of the cartoons just now like sponge bob what the hell is that ??