Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy don't let their kids watch TV

William H. Macy told OK! Magazine that he and wife Felicity Huffman don’t let their daughters, Sophia, 6, and Georgia, 4, watch TV.  He said, "We made a rule that our kids can’t watch videos or telecision until they can read."  When asked if he thinks television is damaging, he said, "There is wonderful, educational stuff on video.  Our issue is that television itself is too powerful.  That image is too overwhelming for a little kid.  I think the longer we let their minds cook, the better."

They feel their kids don’t really miss out on anything compared to their TV-watching peers because "there’s a book for every video out there, and they’ve memorized them.  They can go toe-to-toe with any kid about Finding Nemo or Toy Story."

He also said that his kids are actually turned off by TV.  They have said, "TV!  Ew!" to which William says, "Wait a minute, TV is how I earn my living.  TV is very important to Papa."

William provides the voice on the new Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abomidable Snowman children’s DVD, which is based on the series of books we loved as kids.  It’s slightly ironic that though both of their parents make their living from television, but they won’t let them watch it.  (Certainly, they shouldn’t watch their mom’s show!)  Then again, my mother was a dental assistant, and believe me, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch her work.

By the way, Madonna has also said that she didn’t allow Lourdes and Rocco to watch TV either!

Do you let your children watch TV?  Why or why not?

Source: OK! Magazine, September 11, 2006 issue

Comments

Michelle on September 7th, 2006

I let my kids watch tv. They play out with friends, read, go swimming, but also watch tv and play on video games.

I see nothing wrong with people letting their kids watch tv as long as it is in moderation.

How can their kids be turned off by tv when they havent had the experience of watching it, sounds to me as if they have been influential in this! He is 56 and she is 44, I personally think that older parents are more stricter than younger ones.

anon on September 7th, 2006

I do let my kids(teens now)watch TV, but I wish maybe I had limited it when they were younger. TV is very addicting and a bad habit when watched too much, which my whole family does!

melody on September 7th, 2006

Rosie and Kelli O’Donnell’s children do not watch TV either, though they did see Rosie’s first day on The View. She has discussed the reasons for not allowing TV (or computers either) in her blog.

Katte on September 7th, 2006

GOOD FOR THEM!
I liked that he acknowledged that there are some good things, but it is that the power of TV is too powerful.
Too many kids spend hours watching innapropriate things, or playing innapropriate video games.
Sounds like they are very consciencious parents.

momof2inNJ on September 7th, 2006

We only let our kids (5 & 3) watch NON-animated tv. We like them to see only real life people (or puppets).

Ame on September 7th, 2006

I think TV is fine as long as you monitor what is watched. We let our son watch a popular cartoon until there was an episode that glorified lying. Using the television as a family time thing is one thing versus using it as an electronic babysitter. I support any parent that has the consideration to be actively involved in their child’s interests and activities.

Marina on September 7th, 2006

I allow my children to watch tv on the weekends. I let them veg out after a week of hard studying. If the studying isn’t up to par they lose tv over the weekend. I monitor all movies that are viewed. I think my children think I am to involved in their lives.

M on September 7th, 2006

Being that I am an “average” American mom trying to juggle kids, home life, work, etc… and cannot afford the luxury of hiring nannies, maids, cooks, etc… To answer your question as to if I allow my children to watch TV?— the answer is— Hell Yes!

yogadaisy on September 7th, 2006

Hmm, well I’m an “average” Mom of three small children and we do not watch tv in our home at all. I am disturbed by studies that show television promotes passive learning as opposed to active learning in our brains. I prefer my children to engage in creative and imaginative play when we are home either with me, eachother or alone.

I applaud anyone who doesn’t rely on television!

Lola on September 7th, 2006

I think way too many people use tv and video games etc as a cheap babysitting service. I am certainly not the type of person to be over strict with my children, but I do not believe that electronic ‘entertainment’ can or should take the place of quality time with parents, or valuable time spent doing other things. However, I understand the value of it, and do not stop my children from watching all together. I think there has to be a good balance,

Lorus on September 7th, 2006

My daughter wasn’t really interested in TV until she was about 3. She’d glance at it for a minute or two but walk away to play. Now that she’s almost siz we’ve been cable free for almost 2 years. She’ll watch a DVD once in awhile but since it’s summertime she’d rather play outside for hours on end each day.
When she started to watch TV at the age of 3 I noticed a huge change in her behaviour. Quite a few times I took the TV away for weeks at a time and noticed a huge improvement.

mimi on September 7th, 2006

The only tv watching that goes on in our home is Baby Einstein and bilingual baby. Our oldest is 6 and is kept busy all day.

Naughty Cal on September 7th, 2006

When I have kids, I will let them watch TV. There is nothing wrong with TV itself, as long as it is in moderation.

Melody-what has Rosie said about TV and computers as to why she won’t let her kids use them?

Katte-what would constitute an “inappropriate” video game or TV show? As long as the kid knows the difference between right and wrong and fantasy and reality, it shouldn’t affect him. I highly recommend the book “Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super-Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence” by Gerard Jones. It shows how violent media can actually be good for kids by helping them develop a fantasy self and master their feelings of rage and fear in a fantasy setting.

momof2inNJ-just wondering, what is wrong with your kids seeing animation? Fantasy is very important to young kids,and watching real people won’t always stimulate their creative aspects at that age.

yaosa on September 7th, 2006

It is true that most of what is on tv is junk and not appropriate for children but I think there is a danger for children to become tv junkies later in life if they are not properly exposed to it and shown how to watch tv. TV is a tool, like any other and it has to be used in a way which doesn’t create addiction and attachment. If parents can watch tv with their childlren as an activity together and show them how to judge what is good and what is not and what they like and don’t like then they are empowering the child and being taught how to control and manipulate the machine instead of being manipulated. I have 2 young children (4 and 7 years) and I closely monitor what they see. When they see something which is negative I explain to them why it is negative and consequently they come to me and tell me when they don’t like something they see. I think the most important thing about tv which is the same with reading is creating dialogue with your children and helping them to see what is useful and educational and what is garbage. If your children only read and aren’t encouraged to discuss what they read then it can be as non-stimulating as tv and they can also be exposed to the same inappropriateness as on tv. Words can be more explicit than images.

charsmom on September 7th, 2006

We let our daughter watch a cartoon video once in a while, but no regular TV. All the violence on TV cartoons and the bombardment of commercials are too much for little kids in my opinion!

melanie on September 7th, 2006

I really hate most of the kids shows that are on tv. The kids seem so selfish and bratty and mouthy. It seems like the kids are always manipulating their parents and the siblings are downright mean to each other. I guess it makes kids laugh, but it really bothers me. We do allow tv, but not just anything. Animal Planet is awesome and they also love to watch sports with their dad. But shows like Spongbob and lots of others are nixed.

tealou on September 7th, 2006

I want to know what is inherently wrong with being a TV junkie?

I am an achiever and am a TV junkie. We have a good balance between everything and have a big screen TV.

To be honest, I think people put too much pressure on their kids to “achieve” and go to extremes, like blocking TV out completely, rather than teaching their children to BE an active audience.

Teaching your kids to be critical, even cynical towards the media is one of the best skills you can equip them with. And if you think you can escape it, you simply cannot.

If anything I believe that some people are creating sheltered, overprotected and naive kids who grow up to watch Bill O’Reilly and believe it

joy on September 7th, 2006

funny how Rosie O doesn’t let her kids watch TV yet she’s a TV-holic!

I watch kids and I allow them to watch tv quite frankly bc to me I see how educated some shows are for children. We watch Dora (teaches spanish) Sesame Street (#’s and alphabets) and Wiggles for just plain fun and entertainment. Some shows I find to be over the top and don’t make sense like the Doodlebops, Telletubbies, and those BooBah’s. But many shows are quite educational. We watch tv in the morning for a bit and then sometimes after nap but not too much and we watch it together.

When I have kids I will def. let them watch it. I will monitor what it is they are watching and limit the amount they watch but I’d be crazy to sit there and say that educational programs don’t help them to learn!

SY on September 7th, 2006

We let our boys (5.5 years and 3 years) watch limited TV. We always monitor the programs they are viewing and they only are allowed a set amount of time…they are given a choice of their programs and know that they can only have 1 hour per day at most, depending on who is sick, etc. We tend to believe in the everything in moderation. The older likes to google science facts, but he ALWAYS has adult supervision when on the computer. I don’t think TV has hurt my kids as the oldest was just tested for private school and tested at the 5th grade reading/comprehension level (I’m not bragging–just saying it hasn’t hurt him) and he’s on a swim team in the summer, goes to camp and has martial arts in the winter. We try to keep the physical prusuits available for him as he loves to just sit and read. As I said, moderation!

Lizzy on September 7th, 2006

When I have my kids they will be allowed to watch TV. I stayed with my grandmother as a toddler and we watched a lot of television. When I started school I was very far ahead of my peers and even skipped 2nd grade. I don’t think TV made me smarter, but it didn’t hurt.

annabelle on September 7th, 2006

Our boys are 12 and 9 and yes, they watch TV. However, we are hawks when it comes to programming. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “But EVERYBODY ELSE gets to watch (fill in the blank)”. We also do not own a PS2 or any plug-in-the-TV game system. We do have a gameboy — but that is used mostly just on long car trips. There again — only non-violent games. They grow up fast enough, let them be kids while they are.

Both my husband and I used to work in local TV — and our kids were in lots of commercials when they were little — it was great fun!

By the way, my Mom was a dental assistant too — and nope, I wouldn’t want to watch that!

Naughty Cal on September 8th, 2006

Part of being a kid is testing your ability to handle violent material and integrate it into your fantasies. I strongly recommend you read this article:

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2000/06/violent_media.html

annie on September 8th, 2006

Television has never been a focus in my family. My kids (7, 5 and 19 months) just aren’t interested in it. The telly in their playroom is only hooked up for DVDs, because of course they’re very into all of the big kids films and Harry Potter is a big thing. We’re a young family and and are usually on the go, so it hasn’t been an issue thus far. We’re usually out in the garden, with our friends and their children running around with ours, and of course the normal kiddie things like football (soccer) practice, which my two oldest kids love. They do actually watch football on television when we all do. But they never sit around watching regular programmes, which is just the way it happened. We never really thought about it, to be honest.

Johanna on September 8th, 2006

I always find it annoying when celebrities talk about their kids not watching t.v. — not because I don’t agree that kids watch too much t.v., but because celebrities mostly don’t raise their own kids, so to hear them taking this virtuous tone about their kids’ habits, when it’s really the nanny who has to come up with all the other learning activities for the kids, is irksome.

M on September 8th, 2006

THANK YOU JOHANNA!

AJ on September 8th, 2006

I agree too Johanna. This is my first post, but I feel very strongly about this. In an ideal world, my child wouldn’t watch TV either. But even if these celebrities are hands on parents, you know they don’t scrub their own toilets. And you just can’t pick up a baby when you’re in the middle of scrubbing a toilet.