Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site terak.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!noao!terak!suze From: suze@terak.UUCP (Suzanne Barnett) Newsgroups: net.kids Subject: Re: kids without TV Message-ID: <675@terak.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 17:32:25 EDT Article-I.D.: terak.675 Posted: Wed Aug 14 17:32:25 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 07:14:49 EDT References: <212@mhuxn.UUCP> Organization: Calcomp Display Products Division, Scottsdale, AZ, USA Lines: 61 > I would guess that the first problem you would run into in raising kids > without a TV in the house is that you would have a great deal of trouble > hiring teenaged baby sitters for the occasional night out. Once they find > out you don't have a TV to help them pass the time, I doubt they'll be back. > > Susan Slusky > mhuxn!segs > -- Hear, Hear!! We don't have a TV. When my stepkids visit for the summer, they have to adjust to this. We don't forbid them to watch when they have the opportunity, but we do discourage it. Two years ago I was available to watch them. We had them enrolled for swimming lessons and several community center classes. We frequently went to the library. There was little indication that they missed TV. We played a lot of games and read. The last two weeks they were with us we borrowed their grandparents' TV and atari. It is interesting to note that they played Pac-Man a LOT, but seldom watched TV shows. Last summer (1984) just the older kids (9 and 13) were with us. We had them in an all day program at the Boys' and Girls' Club. They rarely mentioned missing TV, though all their friends thought it odd that we didn't have one. Once when they wanted to watch a particular show we borrowed a portable from their grandparents so they could. (We kept it a week, but felt they were watching too much and returned it.) This summer all four (5, 6, 10 and 14) were with us. The 10 year old brought her TV with her. Once again, we didn't forbid, but rather discouraged their watching it. In the evenings we were usually too busy for them to watch. However, during the day they watched lots of game shows and a couple of soap operas. Fortunately, we had them signed up for a lot of classes at the community center, so a lot of their time was spent in more useful activities. We feel they would have watched a lot less if their nanny hadn't been a soap opera addict. The first week only two of the kids (and not the TV) were with us. It seemed like every day they went to the nanny's house to watch the soap operas! We were not pleased. While she never said anything to us, she did complain about our lack of a TV to the kids. To say the least, we won't hire her again. And our interview will include questions on whether or not a prospective babysitter/nanny can live without a TV. We won't forbid Robyn to bring her TV, but won't suggest and, if asked, will discourage it. We also found that a 20 year old is too young to supervise a 14 year old, the ages are too close; they were too much "friends" and the youngest two didn't get the extra attention we felt they should have. -- Suzanne Barnett uucp: ...{decvax,hao,ihnp4,seismo}!noao!terak!suze phone: 602 998 4800 us mail: Terak Corporation, 14151 N 76th street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260