?TV Free Summer?

[SweepingBeauty]

Has anyone tried this? How did it work for you?

I am wanting to get my kids off the TV :smile9: buzz and wanting to hear ideas of other things we can do this summer.

[daskds]

My kids get very limited TV.

We use it after they get home from school (some days!) just to get them to sit still before dinner and kind of unwind. Maybe 15 - 30 minutes if we are lucky and they just rest for a little while. This works about 2 - 3 days a week. It works sometimes but I agree that today sometimes kids do get too much TV.

[phathui5]

Summer seems like the perfect season to nix the TV because they can spend so much time outside. Bike riding, playground visiting, fort building, sandbox digging, gardening, swinging, rollerblading, basketball.....

[jenninshelby]

HAHA!! Good for you that will do it.. Not happening in my house.. :laugh:

[Siobhan]

When I was about 12 I spent the summer in West Virginia with relatives. It was a summer olympics year, so we were allowed to watch that, and only that. My cousins and I had the most awesome summer ever! Do it!

[Trix]

I can't stand to be in a house where the TV is the center of the home and never turned off. I never really watch any TV shows myself, apart from some Brit shows I get from a friend. We recently got rid of cable, tired of the insane cost that just keeps going up. The adjustment was very fast. Most days my son doesn't watch any TV at all. I do miss not having Animal Planet and Discovery Channel for him, wish we could just get those two. But he's fine without any of it. I'd happily get rid of every TV in the house, wouldn't bother me a bit.

[kathy55439]

my husband did it once he got mad at the cable company so thier was 4 kids and no tv and no mom(before i came along and after thier mom left) ... just dad and 4 kids... they spent a lot more tiem outside or at friends watching tv ha ha I sometimes wish he would do it again... i can come home sometimes and never see one of the kids they eat beofre i get home and i eat leftovers. the kids have computers and internet in there rooms so they have little reason to come out of there rooms.....

[happysmileylady]

I find the best way to limit tv is to not limit it. By that I mean that we don't have rules about tv in our house, but we plan activities and stuff to do and often there are days where the tv is never turned on, even by me. Today was an exception because it was rainy and yucky, but tomorrow for example (assuming the weather cooperates) she has a softball game in the morning, my DH is taking her out for some daddy/daughter time in the afternoon and the three of us will be playing monopoly in the evening.

Also I have discovered that we watch less tv now that we bought a dvr. The reason is that I sent the dvr to record the season of shows we want and then we watch it whenever we aren't doing something else. Not only does this free up that time that the show is regularly on, but then we aren't sucked into the couch watching the next three shows:lol: And, we are fast forwarding through commercials which saves 10 to 20 minutes for each hour long show. For example, we love American Inventor. Today, since it was rainy and yucky, we watched that, it took 45 minutes instead of an hour and we were able to spend Thursday doing something else (which in this case was cleaning rather than activity, but you get the idea:D )

[Ron C]

Has anyone tried this? How did it work for you?

I am wanting to get my kids off the TV :smile9: buzz and wanting to hear ideas of other things we can do this summer.

We have no commercial TV in our house. So I know it can be done.

We do have videos he can watch but mainly he likes NG, PBS, and Discovery channel. No video games ether, although he does have a leapsteer.

Since my wife and I don't watch TV he spends most of his time in the living room (if he's not outside) with us playing. He's gotten into puzzles lately and loves to read.

[Nikol]

How old are your kids?

[Ron C]

How old are your kids?

Since your post is under mine I am not sure if you asking me or the OP?

If it's me then I have one boy who is 6.

[jeanmarie]

When my kids were small, they had tv in the morning until 9 or 9:30 am, then they were out all day or at the pool until they fell down from exhaustion. I needed the break until 9 or so to get a few things done (pack the pool bag, cooler, do a little laundry). They usually just played while the tv was on, they weren't glued to it, so I didn't worry too much. Now they go in spurts for TV, they are so busy with organized activities I am usually happy to have family TV night.

[Nikol]

Since your post is under mine I am not sure if you asking me or the OP?

If it's me then I have one boy who is 6.

Sorry, I was asking the OP. It would help us suggest some age-appropriate activites. I am impressed, however, with what you're doing. It's a nice balance. http://bestsmileys.com/thumbs/7.gif

[happysmileylady]

I am usually happy to have family TV night.Maybe slightly off topic but I think this is a big factor in tv time. Often when my daughter and I watch tv, it's together. There's much less of a "time disappearence" when you watch as a family. Meaning you are less likely to just plunck in front of the tv and get sucked into whatever is on when you know your kids are watching it with you

[SweepingBeauty]

My offspring are 9 and 6.

They watch PBS a lot, but it is reruns in the summer and I don't want them to watch all those kiddie shows they have seen before.
We have videos that I have to approve in order for them to watch.

We do not have cable, but they do see a little commercial TV on Saturday mornings (maybe 1 hr)

I want them to have a more active summer, some outdoor activities, crafts, more chore involvement, and also improve their math skills.

It does get hot quickly here (from 9 to 9) so a lot of indoor activity is warranted. And with gas so costly we won't be going to far off from home.

[smileysal]

My TV is on from moment my kids wake up until the go to bed. The 4 year old has to have it on. Even if it's on the weather channel he wants it on. Usually, he isn't sitting there watching it but playing with his toys instead. My 15 yr old ds has to be either watching TV, playing a video game or on the computer. If not he doesnt know what do with himself. The cable is real expensive now and if I am brave I am going to have it disconnected before the next bill cycle. I know the kids will be upset at first but I honestly think they will have a better summer without.

[Nikol]

TV-free activities:

Grow herbs or other plants on the windowsill.
Read aloud
Scrapbook or organize a pictue album
Make homemade greeting cards
Bake cookies for the neighbor
Start a big jigsaw puzzle
Board games
Catch lightening bugs
Water guns/balloons
Study Sign Language
Ice cubes on the trampoline
Play in the Sprinkler
Count up all the loose change in the house
Camp in the yard or Living Room
Learn to play a musical instrument
Set up a birdfeeder and study what comes
Listen to music
Play educational computer games
Get a pet or teach a pet new tricks
Sleepover with friends
flashlight tag
wash the car
make homemade ice cream
Listen to books on tape/CD
Supplemental School workbooks
Build an indoor blanket fort
Scavenger Hunt

Out and About:
Library
Museum
Picnic
Nature Walk
Local art/music/dance class
Local martial arts class
Volunteer together
BBQ
Zoo
Attend local concert
star gazing
Play at the park
visit local historical sites
Geocaching or Letterboxing
Nature Center


Here's a fun book for boys and their dads (or very brave moms) (http://backyard-ballistics.com/)

Good Read-Alouds:
The Narnia Chronicles by C.S Lewis
The Secret Garden by Burnett
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Silverstein
My Side of the Mountain by JC George
Little House on the Prarie series
Summer of the Monkeys by Rawls
Understood Betsy

[BlueIrishEyes]

Adding to the above book list: The Trolley Car Family and The Shoe Series books by Noel Streatfeild,

Also, a lot of communties have summer theater youth programs for all ages, day camps that are fairly inexpensive and if there is a college/university nearby, they almost always have summer sports camps and if you are a day camper, not that pricey.

As far as a TV free summer, I might encourage as many other activities that I could. TV is part of summer relaxation and vacation. This is their time after 9 months of school with countless hours of class, homework and projects dictated by someone else. If TV or computer is their idea of a great summer, then I would not elminate it completely from the daily schedule. :cool2:

[Hhhyyyddd]

I think the intention is great.
I also think that banning TV just creates forbidden fruit and gives the TV more power than it would have otherwise. The kids that can't watch TV at home are the ones who come over and want to stare at mine like zombies. I've never placed time limits on TV and 2 of my 3 kids would rather do ANYTHING than watch TV.

[Ron C]

I think the intention is great.
I also think that banning TV just creates forbidden fruit and gives the TV more power than it would have otherwise. The kids that can't watch TV at home are the ones who come over and want to stare at mine like zombies. I've never placed time limits on TV and 2 of my 3 kids would rather do ANYTHING than watch TV.

You are so right. When have had our sons friends over we can tell what they are not aloud to do at home. One boy we had over wanted to watch the TV all day. Our son played with toys most of the time while his little friend sat in front of the TV the whole time. We have never limited it but then we do not have cable so our son only watches videos and not a lot of those. His friends mom said something to us the next time he came over. She told my wife she didn't want him watching so much TV. :laugh:

We had another boy come over and he wanted to play war and guns the whole time he was at our house. Come to find out he is not allowed to play war or with guns at home. Now he's not been aloud to come over to our house anymore :worry: His Mom thinks our son wanted to play and our son wasn't even interested in playing his games.

[Ron C]

Great List Nikol!

[Nikol]

Great List Nikol!
:bow:

We actually did two of these today. This morning (1 AMish) we were stargazing and saw our first globular cluster (M13)! And this afternoon we took a class at our Nature Center and learned about local wild plants that we can eat. Violet leaves are actually quite tasty. Who knew? :laugh: