How much TV is too much

[Brandlynn]

I have a 19 and a half month old, and when I am gone to school my husband always has the TV going. I hate the thing and wish that he would let me take it to the dumpster and throw it away. But, he won't. Right now, he is awake with me at 4:53 am. he couldn't sleep either, but the TV is off and he is playing by himself with an empty coke bottle and he thinks it is the greatest toy in the history of toys. But I am afraid he is watching too much. That is what my husbands parents did to him, though, so tv is all he has ever known. don't get me wrong, my husband is a great daddy to Shadrach, so i don't want to hurt his feelings. I just wish that there was a way to explain my logic to him about it without being hateful and going to the extent of throwing it out totally. Does any one have any suggestions?

 

[ChildByGrace]

Personally I think my ds watches too much tv-he's 3 and will watch an average of 1hr a week. That hour is pretty much when he's at my in-laws where I have no control over what they do with him. Although I watch tv myself I don't see any benefits in watching tv for little kids. He will amuse himself with his toys.

Maybe try to say to your dh that if ds does x, y or z for 30min then they can watch tv for 15min.

Does dh like the tv on for background noise? If so suggest that he puts the radio or cd player on instead. That is what I generally do if I feel the need for noise but don't want the tv on.

 

[Brandlynn]

My hubby LOVES racket. If it were up to him, he would have on the tv, a cd in the cd player, the dishwasher, the washer the dryer, and his guitar, all while having the windows raised and hearing the train go by about a couple blocks from us.

 

[Spiritmace]

I think the general concensus is if a person watches enough TV to make sparkling spots appear in front of their eyes and their head hurts when they're doing anything else, then that is "too much" TV. Anything else really is down to opinion.

Oh, and if your husband likes noise so much, buy him an mp3 player this Christmas. Just a thought!

 

[Brandlynn]

OOOOH. Good Idea. I just might do that. When I get the money, that is.

 

[Michael Snow]

If you click on my name here, then go to my "homepage" [right click or you will lose this page],
I have an article there, "Your Child and Your TV" [jsut scroll down a bit to find it]

Elisabeth Elliot used it once for the format of her radio program.

 

[timothyroann]

I turn off the TV unless we are sitting down watching it. The children get shows turned to sit down and watch. No playing while the tv is on. I see people all the time turning on the tv and leaving it on all day and the kids don't even watch it but get upset if it is turned off.

 

[ImperialPhantom]

You have the computer, he has the TV. We all have our own media poison. You can't "make" him stop watching TV.

 

[fishfish]

'break' the tv and get a hire one that is the type with a coin meter on it,youd be supprised how little tv folk watch if they have to pay! i got rid of our tv long ago after being in court for not having a tv license ,now my kids wath a dvd perhaps 3-4 times a week,they are good readers now too.