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No-TV
Families
Could your family go an entire week
without television? Would you even want to?
Meet three Atlanta families who turned a
week without TV – into a permanent
lifestyle.
 The
Arnold Family
/
Atlanta
John; Nancy; Sean, 15, and Casey, 13
What are the restrictions on TV?
The Arnolds do not watch television during
the week, but there is limited and approved
viewing on weekends.
How long has TV been limited?
They turned off the TV 12 years ago, when
Sean was 3. The family has always enjoyed
watching selected videos and DVDs and
catching certain sporting events on TV.
Why limit TV?
After reading
numerous parenting books, the Arnolds agreed
that children need to move, touch, smell and
interact instead of sitting in front of
screens.
Were both parents equally invested in the
decision?
Both parents were very
much in agreement about the television
restrictions. The family keeps up with
current events through talk radio, the
Internet and newspapers.
Pros: Not wasting time or
energy on things of no value. They have more
time to enjoy each other fully, and there
aren’t negative or superficial distractions
sneaking in through the TV. Both children
are accomplished musicians, students and
athletes, and the family has time to really
communicate with each other.
Cons: The family can’t really
name any, except perhaps missing some
current events news. But if it’s important
enough, they know they’ll hear about it some
other way.
How was the change introduced?
Even at age 3, Sean needed to be weaned from
television viewing. Initially, they told him
the TV set was broken. After about a week,
Sean quit asking to watch television and
started entertaining himself. He was allowed
to watch about 30 minutes of a video such as
Barney every day. From the beginning, Casey
was excellent at playing for extended
periods of time by herself.
How have the kids handled it?
Since Casey didn’t grow up with TV, she
doesn’t show much interest in it, even on
weekends. Both teens spend their time on
homework, chores, playing games with mom and
dad, church activities, organized sports,
reading and playing piano and other
instruments.
The Stout Family
/ Sharpsburg
Will; Amy; Jordan, 12, Harrison, 4,
and Reagan, 11 months
What are the restrictions on TV?
The Stouts own one television set, but
it’s not hooked up to cable or satellite.
It’s only used to watch occasional videos.
How long has TV been limited?
The family turned off the TV three years
ago, when Jordan was 9.
Why limit TV?
At first, the Stouts opted out of cable
or satellite because Will’s job moved them
around a lot and they didn’t want to have
the expenses of deposits and monthly
payments. But when Jordan was 9, both
parents could see that she would get sucked
into shows and commercials, sometimes not
even responding when they spoke to her. The
programs she watched were often
inappropriate for her as well as for
Harrison, who was almost 2 at the time.
Pros: The
Stouts say they feel more constructive as a
family since turning off the TV. They say
they wonder how they’d ever find time to
watch anything anyway since they have so
many other things to do – together. Not to
mention the fact that they save money on
cable bills and on not having to buy all the
merchandise spawned from popular TV shows.
Cons: Amy
says the only negative was the time she lost
a TV trivia game at her MOPS Club meeting.
“People do think we’re freaks, I guess, but
we don’t mind that.”
Were both parents equally invested in
the decision?
Both parents were on board with the
decision, but, admittedly, it was harder for
Will to break his TV habit. He realized that
he, too, would get sucked in and would end
up wasting an entire evening – time he could
never get back. He also didn’t like that his
viewing habits upset Amy, who wanted him to
pay attention to her and the kids.
How was the change introduced?
The Stouts turned off the TV, cold
turkey.
How have the kids handled it?
Initially Jordan rebelled and would go
to a neighbor’s house to catch a show. But
now she fills her free time with art
classes, homework, limited Internet surfing,
and playing with and caring for her two
younger siblings. Neither Harrison nor
Reagan know much about television since it’s
not around.
 The
Kakaty Family / Marietta
John; Michelle; Allison, 17 months;
second child is
due in July
What are the restrictions on TV?
The Kakatys watch one one-hour show per week
and limit Allison to less than 30 minutes at
a sitting, maybe three times a week, if
that.
How long has TV been limited?
Michelle didn’t own a television until she
and John married. The purchase was quite a
compromise, and the couple never has used it
much.
Why limit TV?
Growing up, Michelle’s family played board
games every night, so TV never became a way
of life for her. Once married, she and John
decided together that there were other
things they would rather do with their
lives.
Pros: The
family has time to foster hobbies, and they
enjoy not having negative influences in
their home. Michelle says it’s also a
blessing not to “need” things advertised on
TV, which goes for Allison, too.
Cons:
Sometimes the Kakatys feel left out of
conversations in social situations, but they
feel that’s a small price to pay for being
truly “together” – not merely “side by
side.”
Were both parents equally invested in
the decision?
John is very supportive of the TV ban. The
Kakatys try to come up with creative things
to do as a couple and with their daughter
when together.
How has their daughter handled it?
Even at 17 months, Allison sometimes asks to
watch “lala,” her nickname for Elmo.
Michelle says she takes that as her cue that
Allison is bored and needs her attention;
she then redirects her energy into something
more active. Michelle structures Allison’s
day around education, life skills and
spiritual development. Mornings find the two
on the go to playgroups, the gym or church.
Allison entertains herself well and gives
mom time after meals to straighten up.
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1: When Is Enough Enough?