In the weeks after Isabel’s arrival, Karl and I stopped watching TV. It wasn’t planned; in fact, we were really pleased originally that the cottage had such an awesome aerial compared to the old flat. It just seemed so… low priority.
I’d vowed not to let Isabel be babysat by the TV anyway, so I was happy to switch off for sake. To fill the noise gap, we started listening to the radio. We discovered a quality local radio station; some of the DJs of which being frequent twitter users it was nice to be able to connect online to something we were using often.
Considering Karl and I used to be hooked on shows like House MD, CSI (all 3), Law and Order, etc I was surprised by how quickly we forgot about them. Once you’ve missed a few shows… once you’re behind on the storyline, it’s easy to dismiss the idea of sitting down and catching up. Within a few weeks you’re that far behind it doesn’t make sense to just randomly start watching again anyway.
These days we barely have time to scratch our own butts let alone sit in front of the box. We watch the occasional show online through services like the BBC iPlayer and 4OD, but even then there are things we’ve said we’d watch and haven’t.
In terms of my desire to bring up Isabel without the TV, I do think it’s paid off. She is so uninterested in TV that even if we go somewhere and there’s cartoons or whatever on, she pays them no attention. She loves to read and can already recall loads of words from her favourite stories.
As Izz gets older I’ve started being more flexible… I let her watch 10 minutes of youtube videos of an evening as we’re cooking tea. Nursery rhymes, animal sounds etc. Even these struggle to hold her attention like a book does.
All in all, I don’t think there’s much “coping” involved. We’re not missing the TV, or the time it sucks from you.
24 Apr at 2:30 pm
I don’t watch very much TV these days either. Ever since I went away for 9 months and we weren’t allowed TV in the house, I just lost interest, I guess.
I watch Glee. And I watch a tonne of movies. And every once in a while, I will marathon a particularly good DVD box set. And at 2am, when there isn’t much better to do, I will definitely put on something from Netflix. Other than that, I don’t really “set out” to watch TV. Usually it’s just used as background noise (like when people leave the weather channel on for the cats so they don’t get lonely? I’m kind of like that).
When I move out, hopefully within the next few months, I don’t plan on buying a TV (I just gave away the small one in my room after having not touched it in nearly a year… it didn’t have cable anyway), my iMac should take care of most of my entertainment needs. :)
24 Apr at 2:48 pm
When I moved for university I dreaded not having a TV. I’m not a big fan of any TV show but I like to have the noise and movement whilst I’m doing other things. I don’t miss it half as much as I thought I would, but it would be nice to be able to just switch on a TV and get condensed news updates rather than trawling through online news, or to be able to get background noise without having to turn on my computer early in the morning.
I think limiting Isabels TV time is a wonderful thing. Far too many of my early memories revolve around sitting watching Tellytubbies!
24 Apr at 4:26 pm
I grew up in a world where tv was only for the favoured few but do remember watching Watch with Mother each dinnertime. I loved the old classics such as Bill and Ben, The Woodentops and Andy Pandy. I still distinctly remember watching the very first episode of Dr Who way back when in black and white and Top of the Pops too but sadly tv in general seems to be such garbage these days I often wonder why we bother paying for both Sky and the tv license. We like CSI, House etc, but as far as UK programs go… telly is not worth the time or effort.
Although none of you were dumped in front of the telly I did let you all watch Sesame Street simply because I like the bright colours and the counting songs also appealed to me as a parent brining up tiny tots.
I have seen some of the so called ‘educational telly’ that is on screens nowadays and to be honest a good 99% of it is such puerile crud that I fail to see how any toddler could gain anything from it other than to learn how not to speak correctly.
24 Apr at 4:37 pm
When we moved into our new apartment two years ago, we didn’t have a working TV with us. We only got one when Tim’s parents bought us one last Christmas. We then had an antenna problem so we would only be bothered to fix it up to watch TV very occasionally.
And I frankly don’t miss it at all. I don’t miss the shows you had to fit your schedule around to watch and the endless ads. These days I wait for a season of whatever I’m interested in watching to be finished before watching it at my own pace. I get my entertainment from reading on the internet, playing games, talking with friends and doing other things rather than just sitting in front of the TV, channel surfing. And I prefer it this way.
24 Apr at 6:37 pm
@Mumblies: really? You do not enjoy the British tv? We quite prefer it here, across the channel :P My parents and I watch quite a lot of BBC (those are the only channels we get) and I greatly prefer it to the public channels we have over here (Dutch television sucks, because apart from a select few, Dutch people can’t act).
I babysit a little boy, and although he doesn’t watch tv a lot, he will always be distracted by youtube videos of fire trucks. Of any kind of car really, and it’s really handy to distract him with when his parents leave :P
24 Apr at 9:30 pm
We’re quite similar. I only really watch Coronation Street these days and so the telly is mainly used to play video games. The few times we’ve tried letting Sam watch Cbeebies it’s never held her interest for more than a few seconds, she also much prefers being read to or studying picture books.
24 Apr at 10:22 pm
I haven’t watched TV in over 5 years. When I came into my new apartment, I told the landlord to take the TV with him because it was taking up space.
I wish I could keep it that way once I move in with my boyfriend, but he’s not really in on it :/
25 Apr at 2:55 pm
“All in all, I don’t think there’s much “coping” involved. We’re not missing the TV, or the time it sucks from you.”
I agree with your point,I grew up with tv , but was only for my favorite films。
25 Apr at 9:15 pm
I just don’t watch TV, except for the occasional show on Hulu. However, my parents and my brother all watch a lot of TV, and I always wish that they’d use that time for something else.
On that note, let’s hope that Isabel doesn’t grow to be a couch potato!
28 Apr at 12:58 pm
We let our son (9 months) be babysat by the TV quite frequently. But then the TV over here (UK) is pretty high quality (Cbeebies!) and I really don’t feel guilty about it. And it’s a lifesaver when you need to do something and keep the baby entertained on their own for 20 minutes…
28 Apr at 1:34 pm
I am from the UK & I don’t think I’d class Cbeebies as high quality, but to each his/her own I guess.
29 Apr at 4:17 am
Yeah, after babies TV kind of hit a back burner for us. There’s only one or two shows we actually keep up on (House for Andrew and Bones for me), but even that’s usually when we have some down time and we watch a few episodes from the DVR.
I’m glad to hear not letting her veg out to TV has paid off. We don’t let Claire watch TV, don’t even have it on when she’s awake actually. Not only do I not like all of the kids around us who sit and watch hours a day, kids programming is kind of creepy. I’d rather Claire have fun running around and playing with toys and reading books.
30 Apr at 6:35 pm
@Jem – Zingzillas, In the Night Garden, Waybulloo I’d say are all excellent. Then there are a host of others (Rasta Mouse, Tinga Tales, Big Barn Farm etc) that are all pretty good. In my opinion!
10 May at 9:05 pm
we cut our cable after my maternity leave. it was so weird at first, as you mentioned, but after a while i really don’t miss it. we watch movies when jude is in bed and that’s about it. (though we do let him watch top gear. he makes very realistic car noises)
at one point i would have been gung-ho about going 100% no tv, but these days i don’t mind letting him watch a smidge of blues clues here and there. he really likes it and they do baby sign language. it’s at least mildly educational.