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From: hopp@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ted Hopp)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Dumb question about tv
Message-ID: <139@nbs-amrf.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Feb-86 17:49:12 EST
Article-I.D.: nbs-amrf.139
Posted: Sat Feb  8 17:49:12 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Feb-86 07:26:04 EST
References: <330@watdragon.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: National Bureau of Standards
Lines: 48

> I will be a parent in a few weeks and would like to ask the following
> question:
> 
> Neither my wife nor I watch much regular television besides the news.  Given
> a free night, we would visit, see a movie, watch sports, etc., etc., etc.
> 
> On the other hand, I don't think either of us are vehemently opposed to tv.
> 
> I've thought recently that once there is a baby, it will be harder to get
> out for entertainment, maybe it would be pleasant to have a colour
> television and cable for a better selection of movies and sports.
> 
> As we are students, this represents a big expenditure.  Especially I would
> like to hear from people with similar views about tv.

When our son was born two years ago, we had a tv that only got uhf; the
vhf tuner was busted.  I wondered then, as you are now, what my viewing
habits would be once I became a parent.  I figured I'd get the tv
repaired when I found I was missing it.  Well, it still is busted,
although I'm thinking of getting it fixed so Aaron can watch Sesame
Street and other shows he likes.

In two years of parenthood, I never felt that watching tv was what I
really wanted to do.  It is still a source of wonder, how full my
evenings are just being a parent.  After Aaron goes to sleep, there
isn't much of the evening left for us parents to talk about things
(what happened that day, plans for the house, etc.) before we want to
head off to sleep ourselves.  I don't feel any desire at all to spend
time at the tube.  To tell the truth, I think it more likely that I
would have fixed the tv by now if we hadn't become parents.

As for things to do for entertainment, you will probably be able to
visit as much as you would like.  For the first few months, you might
also be able to go to movies, depending on how good a sleeper your child
is.  (This stops as soon as your kid matures enough to be aware of the
movie.  I remember going to see Ghost Busters with Aaron in arms.  He
slept through the whole thing until the scene where the Pillsbury Dough
Boy climbs the building.  Someone in the theatre woke him up with a loud
guffaw, and he was upset at not being in bed.  We left to avoid being
rude.)

Anyway, it will take only a small amount of creativity to completely
fill your evenings after you become parents.  I would recommend that
you save your money and not bother with a new tv.

-- 

Ted Hopp	{seismo,umcp-cs}!nbs-amrf!hopp