Comments on: Turn off the TV and Improve Married Life

By: Stacie@HobbitDoor

Stacie@HobbitDoor — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:06:42 +0000

We turned off cable before our daughter was born 15 months ago. We have drastically cut down on the amount of TV watching we do. Netflix did pick up our TV time a bit at first but now we’ve backed off that too. We’ve never had a TV in our bedroom intentionally and don’t plan on our kids having them either.

We need to get better about our computer time now (as my husband and I sit here each engrossed in our own laptops). :) This is an admitted weakness for both of us (oh, and our Blackberries). :)

By: martin

martin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:17:10 +0000

We banned the TV two years ago. What happened? The World Wide Web took its place. My wife is moving out. The Improvement of our Married Life failed. But I don’t miss the TV…

By: Kristy

Kristy — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:02:19 +0000

My family has been without cable for 6 months now (we do have an antenna to catch an occasional sporting event) and I cannot even express how great it has been. We read, play games, walk, draw, talk more…it goes on and on. My kids do not even miss it. In fact, they enjoy being the “only ones in their classes who don’t watch television”. You are so right on when you said that watching t.v. is like watching other people (pretend) to live life…it is so much better out there living it!

By: Stephanie - Home with the Kids

Stephanie - Home with the Kids — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:22:11 +0000

Great points. I’ve often used taking away TV privileges for my kids when they misbehave. They’re often better behaved and more creative without it. Just now, in fact, my oldest hardly watches it because she’s so eager to play outside after school. So nice to not have TV shows be a top priority.

By: Jess

Jess — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:31:22 +0000

When my hubby and I moved into our first house 2.5yrs ago we left the cable behind. We have always hated commercials so it was not hard. We do love our movies though! We still watch too many movies….this article was great…it sounds just like us. I am going to propose a t.v break to the hubby…thanks.

By: Mel

Mel — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:44:57 +0000

Yes! This notion of “watching others live life instead of living your own” has been plaguing me for awhile. Why am I watching other people do the things that I want to do??? Good reminder to get off the couch and start living.

By: scattered mind

scattered mind — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:07:02 +0000

I’ve never owned a television. My parents didn’t get one until I moved out. Although I hated not having one as a child – having no common ground with my TV-show-saturated peers felt pretty lonely – I am very glad for the deprivation as I reflect on what it saved me from. My threshold for mindless passivity is so low that I can’t sit for more than twenty minutes in front of a television. I play music, hike, run, read, write, visit friends and play with my son. Life is too good and too short to be doing anything less.

By: Brandi

Brandi — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:50:50 +0000

When my son was about to be born, I told my husband that I didn’t want him addicted to TV like we were. So we canceled cable. We still have a big TV in the living room, but it’s saved for after he’s asleep, when there’s something (like the Olympics) special on or for an occasional movie. We even stopped watching TV in the bedroom.

I still wrestle with the idea that we still have too much TV. I try to listen to music more, but sometimes turning on the TV is easier. Maybe cold turkey is the way to go…

By: Orlando wedding photographers

Orlando wedding photographers — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:50:17 +0000

we have so much fun cuddling watching tv but if there is an event on that we dont like we are going to start hanging in the hammock outside and talking

By: Vince

Vince — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:27:47 +0000

I’m 30 years old and my wife and I have lived the past 6 years without TV. We still like to watch Lost and 24, so we will watch those online. (I have a computer hooked up to our 50″ plasma.) But what I’ve found is that this really forces you to prioritize your TV. You watch the shows you love but only those. Whereas before, I would often flip on the TV and just watch whatever was on.

The one downside is missing live sporting events…but local bars are usually showing those and it’s a nice chance to get out into the real world.