We don't have a TV in our house.
Not one.
We've not had one since Phoebe was about 3yrs and every morning before going downstiars she would ask 'What's on telly?' ... Nothing unusual about that, but we decided to return the rental TV and see how life was without it.
Once you've stopped watching the trailers it seems that it's absolutely fine. We actually have time to do other things, and have enjoyed this happy state until now.
We don't think we've deprived the children, they have supervised access to DVDs and some internet sites. They don't have pressure from commercials aimed at provoking pester power towards the parents. We as parents think that the lack of visual stimulation of a violent cartoon nature (very hard to monitor) has made for better behaved, less excitable, nicer children. So far so good. The children also see TV at other people's houses and at grandparents.
Now.
This is a unique year.
The diamond jubilee and the olympics.
Both historical events. Both huge events. Both televised.
I'd like to watch it. I'd like our children to watch it. It's going to be part of their memories of growing up, and I think they should be able to have these special memories.... but but but.
What then???
Can you get a TV licence for 2 months? I'll have to look into that. If not we'll have to have strict rules about what they can and can't watch, and there will be the commercial element/influences that will be hard to avoid. Tom's already a pester pain. He's got an argos catalogue and is constantly looking at the lego that he's not got, the tech-decks he's not got, the bakugan he's not got, the transformers he's not got.... I could go on.
So. Apart from saying 'no' which is what I do most of the time, how do you help a 6yr old to see the value of playing with the toys he has, and not always wishing for the next one....? Or is this a common problem, and is 'no' the only answer?
On a lighter note, we've a second nest of Robins.... can't remember if I mentioned them here, they're nesting in Roly's dog towels on the shelving. We've counter 6 beaks now, and they're starting to look awkward in the nestas they're getting too big for the space available...
back to Wolf Hall, page 400, 250 to go... ttfn. Kat
Not one.
We've not had one since Phoebe was about 3yrs and every morning before going downstiars she would ask 'What's on telly?' ... Nothing unusual about that, but we decided to return the rental TV and see how life was without it.
Once you've stopped watching the trailers it seems that it's absolutely fine. We actually have time to do other things, and have enjoyed this happy state until now.
We don't think we've deprived the children, they have supervised access to DVDs and some internet sites. They don't have pressure from commercials aimed at provoking pester power towards the parents. We as parents think that the lack of visual stimulation of a violent cartoon nature (very hard to monitor) has made for better behaved, less excitable, nicer children. So far so good. The children also see TV at other people's houses and at grandparents.
Now.
This is a unique year.
The diamond jubilee and the olympics.
Both historical events. Both huge events. Both televised.
I'd like to watch it. I'd like our children to watch it. It's going to be part of their memories of growing up, and I think they should be able to have these special memories.... but but but.
What then???
Can you get a TV licence for 2 months? I'll have to look into that. If not we'll have to have strict rules about what they can and can't watch, and there will be the commercial element/influences that will be hard to avoid. Tom's already a pester pain. He's got an argos catalogue and is constantly looking at the lego that he's not got, the tech-decks he's not got, the bakugan he's not got, the transformers he's not got.... I could go on.
So. Apart from saying 'no' which is what I do most of the time, how do you help a 6yr old to see the value of playing with the toys he has, and not always wishing for the next one....? Or is this a common problem, and is 'no' the only answer?
On a lighter note, we've a second nest of Robins.... can't remember if I mentioned them here, they're nesting in Roly's dog towels on the shelving. We've counter 6 beaks now, and they're starting to look awkward in the nestas they're getting too big for the space available...
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| from my kitchen window ... |
I've got a three year old and this is just a common problem I think...and not just for toddlers. :)
ReplyDeleteI do it. Books are a perfect example. 50 unread books but I still haunt books stores because I might find a book that I can rationalize buying...good price, might not find it again, etc...51 unread books. It's the novelty of something new...the initial burst of excitement you can't get from even a favorite old toy.
I don't even think the advertisers are to blame...except that they're playing on human nature.
Now that I think about it, I'm gonna say yes next time my Boy and we're gonna talk about it and time how long it takes before he's on to something else he doesn't have...save him from the fate his daddy has suffered.
He'll probably stick his tongue out at me. :)