How much TV do your homeschooled children watch?

Question

There seems to be a growing belief in this forum that homeschooled kids spend a large portion of their days watching TV or playing video games. If you homeschool your kids, please share how much time they spend on average each day or what their limits may be for a week.

For us, our kids are usually not allowed any TV, videos or video games during the week. They are usually allowed one video on the weekend and some video game playing time--30 minutes each Friday evening and then again on Saturday. So, they don't even actually watch any TV (cable) itself for the most part. There may be exceptions to the video rule if they've found an educational video at the library or because we've decided to be more lax for a given week.

Compare this to the 'average' American child who spends 3-4 hours a DAY watching TV.

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far! You are certainly dispelling the myth that homeschooled kids spend most of their time watching tv.

Douglas, I had hoped you would understand by now that most homeschooling parents take the raising of their children seriously and educate themselves as much as they can to provide the best.

Answer 1

Our time varies, but a general rule is there is no TV during the day at all. We do not have cable or satellite anymore (by choice) so it's really no big deal.
In the evening, we do have our favorite shows that we like to tape and watch when we have time, and we enjoy watching sports from time to time.
My youngest loves videogames, and my oldest loves texting, IM-ing, commenting and blogging, so we do have rules in place that they cannot use any of those items until all work is done.
When they are finished with their work, they are allowed free time between studies and dinner time (on those nights we are home) and they can use it how they wish: whether it be tv, videogames, talking on the phone, or going outside to take pictures, play street hockey, bike, play basketball...
they actually choose a variety of things, spending too much time in front of the tube never has been an issue around here.
Too much else going on, I guess

Answer 2

I was home schooled from 3rd Grade up, and I rarely watched TV, I didn't even have cable. I was allowed 1 hour per day on the computer or video games. My friends (who were mostly home schooled) had pretty similar limits as far as TV and video games, so we would just end up playing outside together anyway. The only exeptions were when I went over to one of my public schooled friend's houses, where their TV was on 24/7. So, yeah, from my experience homeschoolers really don't watch that much TV.

Answer 3

My daughter gets a total of 60 minutes on school days for TV and video games. She has 90 minutes of computer time, but at least half of that is spent researching the question of the day..usually something associated with our science or history lesson. She has to find three reputable sources to support her answer (and Wikipedia isn't allowed! That would be too easy). Weekends can vary according to her plans (she is usually at a friends for an overnight on Friday), family plans and things like the weather. We try to plan one family home DVD night a week .

Answer 4

I am homeschooled. I don't have a clue what a video game is and I watch a dvd once for two weeks and tv is never on except on weekends. I have no time to... I have so much school. I know another person though that is homeschooled and makes his own videogames. I know another who is addicted to videogames, history, and philosophy. But they are some of the brightest people I know.

Answer 5

My children watch a half an hour of news after breakfast to catch up on current events. All school work has to be done before any other television can be watched. My children get about an hour a day of regular programing that has to be approved by me and if there is nothing available then they can pick a movie from their collection. We have a once a week movie night. There is no television on Sundays though.

Answer 6

I agree with you, normal kids spend way to much time a day watching tv.I myself spend a couple hours in the evening watching tv,but thats with my parents. I watch tv in the mornings on the weekends,but during the week I can't watch tv in the mornings.I also play video games sometimes,but usually thats just once in a while.

Answer 7

My kids can have 1 hour of video games and 1 DVD per day. That is IF they complete all their school work and chores. And IF they have played outside (weather permitting) for at least an hour.

I do, however, include educational DVDs (such as The Magic School Bus, etc) in our curriculum from time to time. That is not included in their daily limit.

Answer 8

We don't have "set rules" for TV watching. It is usually none during the week, just because we do other things. My youngest, age 12, doesn't really like to watch TV, she would rather read and my oldest, age 17, is too busy to watch TV. The only thing I watch is "Antiques Road Show".

We also don't have set rules for computer time as they really don't have anything to do on the computer. We've never allowed their own email or time to just "surf" the Internet.

All in all, it's never been an issue here, I've never been begged for TV time or computer time....it's just never come up.

Answer 9

My children are not technically homeschooled because they are only three and one, but I am seriously considering it when the time comes. Anyway, years ago my husband was laid off and we had to cut all unnecessary expenditures...cable being one of the most expensive. Well we got so use to not having it that we never had it hooked back up. Now we are so appalled by what is on television...even the commercials...that we can't even consider letting the kids watch such filth and garbage.

I know many in this society like to taut the old adage that it's not what kids watch or listen to that matters, but the parenting. If media didn't have an affect on anyone (especially impressionable youth) then companies wouldn't spend MILLIONS upon MILLIONS on advertising. Everything that goes in has an affect...and not just on children. Those who like to watch questionable shows on tv, "read" the articles in porn magazines, listen to lyrics to much of the music today, and so on are searing their brains with images and thoughts they can't remove.

So I challenge everyone with children (or not) to really pay attention to what they are watching and listening too. Keep a notebook for a day, a week, or month. Write down everything you see or hear that really isn't something you would want your child (or future children) to see or hear. You will be amazed at what is inundating your children on a daily basis. Even the Disney Channel has little girls trying to act sexy. Why? What is the purpose of putting little girls in clothes that show their bellies and have them dance around like strippers do? It's not cute...it's all about sexuality. Is that necessary?

Anway, I would suggest that everyone take the tv programming out of the house. My girls watch dvd's that I purchase after I've watched them. We go to the library and check them out and then I view them to decide if it's age appropriate. You can see a big difference in the kids that watch children's programming on cable and those that only watch material picked out carefully by their parents. They will have to grow up soon enough...it's silly to push it.

My girls watch one dvd in the morning if we aren't doing something out of the house and they may watch one more in the evening when their father gets home, but that's up to him. My opinion is they are much better off if they don't watch too much media. I do believe studies will prove that point as well. I read not long ago that no child under the age of three should watch more than an hour a day of tv and no more than two when they are older.

Really I challenge everyone to make a real effort to view programming for an extended length of time. Look at it objectively and in honesty. Even cartoon channels are questionalbe these days. If more people took the time to really pay attention to the junk on tv and took a stand to cut it off, then maybe those that create the programming would make an effort to clean it up. It's not about censorship it's about supply and demand.

And no... of all the homeschooled children I know, tv is definitely not something allowed much at all. I firmly believe that children that attend public schools view double if not triple what a homeschool child views. Parents that work full-time often don't have time to spend with their kids and the tv acts as a babysitter and entertainer. If a parent works full-time, then they often only have two to three hours to prepare meals, clean house, take care of household chores, run errands, and so on before their children have to go to bed...it's just the nature of the beast. Television has become a babysitter in many homes.

Answer 10

I was homeschooled about 5 years ago because i had to have a Heart operation. I was homeschooled for about 6 monthes and I hardly ever watched T.V. And when I did it had stuff to do with school, or programms that I could learn soemthing from.