That's pretty true, too. Still, whenever I visit my nephews, I'd rather be the "cool" uncle who gives them books and toys and whatever than being the guy who shows up from time to time and is bad because he doesn't bring the kids gifts.
I have missed this thread that brought to mind my childhood days. Since I can remember there was a television turned on all day long. My parents loved to watch it and therefore it wasn't strange I would be with them watching it all the time. I grew up with television being our main source of entertainment, displacing absolutely all except video games when they came into our lives in the late 1970s and until the end of the century. Probably games took control over TV through the whole 1990s. In my childhood days home there was only a one small, black & white TV set, but when my grandmother passed away and we moved to the house my mom still lives in, television was essential in each and every room of the house with the biggest of them in the living room to share family or guest time, but there was (is) also another in the dinner room, the kitchen, and in every bedroom and what used to be my studio. However there was something that killed TV... the every-day-worst program schedules that not even cable was able to contribute to finding something that was worth to watch, not to mention the large collection of Beta/VHS/DVD movies my parents collected through the time, making useless pay-per-view or any other "appealing" TV offer. Actually my mom rarely watches television but prefers Netflix and DVD collections from old TV-Series, while my sister is devoted to Netflix. I rarely watch YouTube, but have bookmarked some local TV channels with online presence because there are still 2-3 TV shows I like to watch, but I don't longer have a TV set.
I try to wait for the entire show to come out on DVD, (or Netflix). When I get into a show, waiting a week between episodes is like torture.
I am happy that I did not grow up with television playing a large portion of my life. I lived in a rural area where only one station came in clearly, and people didn't start getting televisions until the 1960s, so I never got in the habit of watching cartoons. One of my uncles was the first to have a television in our area but the reception was so poor that it was hard to tell the cowboys from Indians in a Western. As an older kid, there were a few shows that I enjoyed watching but very few that were important to me. Friday night television was something we looked forward to because we were allowed to stay up all night and watch television on Fridays. Plus, for some reason, the reception was better on Fridays. I am thinking that the FCC went home on weekends so stations would boost their power beyond what they were licensed for. One channel was on all night on Fridays, while everything normally went off the air at eleven. Mostly, there were horror movies on, and I'd end up falling asleep before too long anyhow, but it was in front of the television so it was fun. But I am glad that television, computers, smartphones, and other electronic devices were not a part of my childhood. We spent our time building forts in the woods, playing war with BB guns, where we actually shot at each other, the only rule being no aiming for the face. We swam in the creeks, the rivers and the lakes. We floated homemade rafts down the river. We went places with the Boy Scouts. Little League didn't involve so many rules and regulations. We made go-karts out of discarded washing machine motors. We rode bicycles, sometimes taking multiple day trips. We learned to drive the tractor, the truck, and the car at a very early age, and we didn't have police around to write tickets unless we drove on the highway. We learned to shoot guns at a very early age and were allowed to carry them around without adult supervision at age twelve. We camped in the woods without our parents even knowing where we were. We even built a shelter from natural materials once that we camped in for two days during a Michigan January. We made forts and tunnels in the hay mow, or in the snow during the winter. Yes, and sometimes we even had to help with the haying, clean the barn, milk the cows, or feed the horses. But, other than our own rooms, we seldom had to help clean the house because that was women's work and mom was the only woman in our family.
No kidding! I get to watch all the little ones in the family sit around and slowly gain weight, ignore everything around them, and never learn anything that they actually might need to know. I'm pretty sure I'm the youngest person in my family that can read a map. Or find a book in the library.
I lived without a television from 1995 to 1997 and I can't say that I missed it at all. I was living in East Africa and had a short-wave radio. I used to listen to BBC World Service and was quite happy with that. I'll only turn on a television when I want to watch something. A lot of people seem to turn on the TV as an automatic reaction - I've been in houses where there would be an empty room with the telly on.
around here we only have a tv on if we're in the room. But I always have it on when I'm alone. I need the background noise
I have legal custody of my 8 year old granddaughter but she has never been a child who would sit for hours in front of a TV. She loves to be out playing so it's never been a problem for us. I remember when my nephew was around 13. My sister worried because all he wanted to do was watch TV or play on the computer. They had endless arguments but she needn't have worried as he has turned out to be a well balanced, hardworking young man. He still loves his computer games but they don't take over his life. As for me, I like having a television and use it for background noise when I'm working on my computer. Would I miss it if it were gone? Maybe, but I know I would get used to it.
I like to have the kids outside doing something like riding their bikes or learning to garden. We have brand new bikes in our garage that do not get used. The thought of walking more than from the front door to the car is more than they want to hear. I think the kids should walk more and have times to turn their gadgets off.
It's funny we are talking about this, my sister and I just last night were talking about how TV has changed since we were kids. At that time we started with a black and white set. There were only three main channels, one independent and one religious. Now look at how many channels there are today. The thing is I think if any of us were to tell today's generation of kids this they might look at us strange. As for kids being entertained without TV this is something that those of us who grew up in our generation understand how to achieve. In my home only one TV at that time as well. So one of the thing I would do is go outside and play. For me the imagination was just as important and sometime I wonder if today's kids use their imaginations enough or go out to play enough.
@Pat Baker That's another modern problem. In addition to being addicted to television and video games, many children (and some adults) can't imagine walking out their front door to go somewhere, and not getting in their car to do so. When I was doing the last joint garage sale with my neighbors, it was at the other end of this street I live on. People kept asking if my car had broken down, because I was walking down the street instead of driving.
Thats what I use tv for. I can't sit still and watch a tv show or movie. I always need to be doing SOMETHING. I guess it keeps me from getting distracted by all the little, unexplained noises that go on. Its also the only real time my husband and I sit down in a room together for more than 10 minutes. He watches tv and I play on the computer while listening and talking about whats on.
I don't think I could stand sitting on a couch watching television. I do go to the movies once in a while, but only a few times a year. I do have the television on pretty much all the time, but I'm streaming movies through my Roku, and sometimes I have to start a movie over several times before I feel like I've seen enough of it to consider it to have been watched. When my attention turns to something else and I realize I don't know what's going on in the move, I just start it over, or bring it back to a point where I still knew what was going on.
When I do not want my grandson watching TV, I play board games with him. In fact, he would rather I play with him then watch TV. I also read to him or have him read to me. He likes to play the math games on the laptop he got from school that he also does home work assignments on. Caleb also likes either me or his Mom to sit outside while he plays. He is 8yrs old.
You've a busy household! Television is good to have on for the weather and news. When I was young and my Grandfather living we'd play games like Hanafuda. These are cherished memories I have now. My Mom liked to play Scrabble too. It's nice to have memories of growing up doing things together. Your family seems to have lots to do and a place to enjoy like the outdoors! How lucky you and your family is!