Comments on: The Idiot Box Substituted

By: DDmom

DDmom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:35:40 +0000

@utbtkids, You know B, he registered a domain to do just this long time back, must be about a year back. But with someone who gets 10 awesome ideas in a day, there is only so much you can do

10% royalty sure done

By: DDmom

DDmom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:30:15 +0000

@whatsinaname, I can understand the need of TV for in-laws. Regarding facebook, the biggest culprit is invitation to be friends by friends-friends, whom she might not know. One option could be to make her ask you before accepting any facebook invitation, or simply have her username/password until she is old enough and thick skinned to handle trolling. What i have noticed with my nephew is that they seem to be in some sort of peer pressure to have as-many friends. Some sort of internal competition, I have x friends, how many do you have kinds. Silly and sad, but they end up accepting invitation from any tom dick and harry. I have spotted some age inappropriate photos in his friends profile and that was one reason, we got him out. The deal is he can use facebook, but only with supervision.

By: DDmom

DDmom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:23:28 +0000

@Abha, That might be what we would end up with. A TV with no cable connection

By: DDmom

DDmom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:22:09 +0000

@CA, Agreed, TV is definitely safer than computers, as long you have control over the remote As I replied to poppy’s comment, in our case, I am not sure having TV will reduce computer-time.
Let’s see for how much longer we can sustain this no-tv show..

By: DDmom

DDmom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:19:36 +0000

@Poppy, No doubt on the fact that TV is much safer than the internet. I can at the least hear what they are watching and don’t have sit behind them all the time watching which site they are navigating to.
But, the dilemma here is that having the TV might not necessarily reduce their exposure to computers. D gets about 1/2 hour of computer-time, and so far she mostly goes to pbskids – science kids and the likes. I was surprised when one day she said, lets make apple sauce and a chocolate cake. I learn’t it on pbskids. So far so good.
Also, will they feel left out when their friends chatter about some TV character, is that even a matter of concern? Why think so far ahead, if she does, the vocal her will sure raise it

By: DDmom

DDmom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:08:34 +0000

@MNIAMMA, See, that’s what I am not sure of. Being able to restrict the timings, especially that now we have our 13 year old sports junkie nephew with us. Each of us wanting to watch half an hour of our favorite programme will end up in 3 hours of TV

By: utbtkids

utbtkids — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:16:10 +0000

I blogged abt this at http://utbtkids.com/2008/07/11/ourtube/ and http://utbtkids.com/2008/07/13/ourtube-contd/

The key word is ‘moderation’. Looks like you are moderating it, but given the nature of your work, I am not surprised that they are nore attuned to the net.

No biggie, cool it. May be you guys can design some kind of super duper parental control s/w where all contacts to your child’s internet social networking is moderated by you Think abt it, I am sure it will be a great hit and I am nice person, I will settle for just 10% royalty.

By: whatsinaname

whatsinaname — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:50:57 +0000

Well frankly, I think everything has plus and minus. Like Poppy says, I too believe TV is safer than net.
The point is you cannot stop the peer pressure. It all depends on the kids how much they give into it. My younger daughter is 12 and only some 2 weeks back, I gave in to her demand to get her facebook profile done; her argument that “all” of her friends are on facebook. But I am keeping an eye on the activities.
But how much of an “eye” can be kept on them? All we can do is give them good values and warn them about the big bad world and the safety measures. Rest is not under our control

Atleast you have an option “not to have TV”. With my inlaws staying with us, I cant imagine life without SUN TV

By: Abha

Abha — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:02:50 +0000

well we have a TV, but no cable connection. we have a DVD player and about 300 DVDs of our fav and not so fav movies. sometimes we dont watch anything for days together and on others few hours in a row. Now Cubby insists on “Mowgi dekhenge” “elephant dekhenge” or “nemo dekhenge” and we give in every now and then.

he is still too young for computers so that is left for another day!

cheers!

By: CA

CA — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:25:18 +0000

I have to agree with Poppy … TV is much safer than internet. I am sure you are monitoring everything your daughter does on the computers …
In our house, Cantaloupe who is all of 5 now is allowed about an hour of TV every day and this I am not very happy about. She is allowed only PBS station and I argue with BP almost everyday about allowing her almost an hour of TV time.
She knows very little about computers so far (starfall, paint, potatoguy) and I am in no hurry to introduce her to the same …
I think its wonderful that you guys are not so much TV crazy.

By: Poppy

Poppy — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:33:43 +0000

Interesting this ! Now that my girl is growing up and using words like ‘Let it load’ ‘Download pannu’, ‘Click Ok’ etc

I think the TV is waaaay safer than the internet. Even with the violence and the ads. But screen time (which includes TV and Computer) must be restricted. How much total screen time does D do? Mine does half hour of TV plus 15-20 minutes occasionally one of those applications on Computer (starfall or just painting on MS Paint, thanks for the barney link!)

By: MNIAMMA

MNIAMMA — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:37:48 +0000

It was a big question at our home too DDMOm “To buy or not to buy the IB”. We finally gave in and bought it last weekend though watching time is very restricted. About 1/2 to 1 hour a day. D is really amazing – ’signup, my page, thingee’ showing sure fire signs of a whizkid