Melora Hardin Keeps Daughters Busy Without TV

Juan Rico/Fame

Most young girls would move heaven and earth to meet Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron, but 7 ½-year-old Rory Melora Jackson and 4-year-old Piper Quincy Jackson recently had the opportunity to do just that and no special effort was needed. That’s because their mom, actress Melora Hardin, 41,  just so happens to be co-starring with the tween sensations in two upcoming films – 17 Again and Hannah Montana: The Movie. Unlike the majority of their peers, however, Rory and Piper had no real perspective on just how popular Miley and Zac really are. “To them they were just another actress and actor,” Melora tells Time Out New York Kids. “We don’t really have TV in our house; It was my husband’s decision to turn it off when our first daughter was born.”

“I’m sure there will come a day when they’re going to want TV, but for now they do other things — look at books, do a puzzle. They get to watch videos and movies on the weekend.”

The girls are content for now with their ballet class and music lessons, and they enjoy “doing shows for Mommy and Daddy,” Melora says. While she wouldn’t stop them from pursuing a career in show business, Melora says they’ll have to be persistent! “They would have to bug me as much as I bugged my parents,” she admits. “I’m thankful that I wasn’t famous at 15 and that I had my teenage years to myself.” Rory and Piper do have one film under their belts already, however — the film You, which Melora’s husband Gildart Jackson wrote and Melora herself directs. While Rory was a baby, the couple were lying in bed having “one of those blissful new-parent moments” when Melora daydreamed about the speech she’d someday give at Rory’s wedding. Gildart soon thereafter produced a script inspired by that dream.

“Originally, we thought we were going to raise money [to get it filmed]; then we decided to make it ourselves. It was a family affair, made about a family by a family: Our kids, my parents and our friends are all in it. We were scrambling eggs in our kitchen for the crew while getting our makeup done.”

The film was shot in 18 days, and spans 21 years in the life of a family. “Hopefully it will help people appreciate their loved ones that much more,” she adds.

Click below to read about how the family celebrated Christmas in New York.

Melora recently completed a three month turn in the Broadway revival of Chicago, and the experience was positive for the whole family. The girls were in New York with their mom for five weeks before returning to California for school, but not before taking in all the city has to offer – including a carriage ride through Central Park, ice skating at Rockefeller Center and visits to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the Metropolitan Museum and the Empire State Building. The Office star adds,

“They loved having Christmas in the city. Since we were staying in an apartment in midtown, we drew a chimney on a big piece of wrapping paper and hung it on the wall to make sure Santa could still come. And of course they loved making snow angels in fresh snow.”

17 Again hits theaters April 17th, while Hannah Montana: The Movie premieres today. Updates on You are available here.

Source: Time Out New York Kids

Comments

That’s cool that she’s decided to be TV free.

- B on April 11th, 2009

Kudos to Melora for being a tv-free household! I wonder if she’s the same with computers? Kids these days spend far too much time in front of the telly and computer, jmo. They don’t know what it is like to just “play” without rules or structured teams. I mean kids that have known nothing but being on teams with rules or having their lives scheduled down to bathroom breaks have no idea what to do when you tell them to just go out in the backyard and play. Makes me glad I grew up with the kind of parents I had. I have fond memories of playing street hockey with the neighbourhood kids and yelling “car!” then running to move the net whenever a car came down the streets. Ah, make me feel old now, hehe.

- eternalcanadian on April 11th, 2009

I don’t know who Melora Hardin is (and hence raised my eyebrow over her describing herself as “famous”!!), but it really annoys me when people like her, who have obviously made their living from being part of visual media, go on about how they don’t let their kids watch TV. Newsflash, lady – if we weren’t a universe of TV and DVD and movie watchers, you wouldn’t have a paycheque!

Madonna and Gwyneth have the same holier than thou attitude, and it annoys me just as much

- traxie on April 11th, 2009

Eternalcanadian, you don’t have to feel old for playing out in the neighborhood lol. I am 20 and I used to do that as well. I actually had a big mix of TV/video games and outdoor play. It just depended on the weather and I do think you can experience both and be a well adjusted child. But I agree that too much TV/video games is not good!
Some of my most fond memories of childhood are playing outside with the neighborhood kids. We’d round everyone up and play kick ball, baseball, hockey, tag, etc. I loved those times and I am definitely going to try and make sure my future children can experience them as well!

- Laura on April 11th, 2009

i agree with trixie. if you don’t want your kids spent too much time next to the tv it’s up to you to put down the limits but we’re on the 21st century and it’s difficult to picture life without t.v…. without computers? okay, they are much newer than tv and it’s possible to live without them but without tv? i’m sorry but is silly.

- camille on April 11th, 2009

Traxie–I was going to say the same thing. I think it is funny that Melora does not let her kids watch TV, but makes sure she introduces her kids to other actors, of course they are on “videos and movies” not just TV.

- LucyMarie on April 11th, 2009

I don’t understand why it’s silly to not own a TV set.We chose to get rid of it a few years back and are perfectly well without it. Radio, computers with an Internet connexion to select interesting things to download,library cards,theaters and outdoor activities keep our kids occupied and us well informed.
Never once a teacher told us our children weren’t adjusted or unable to make friends because they had not watched the last cartoons or series.
Same for us as adults.Most of our friends (yes,grown up people agree to talk to us and interact with althhough our house is Tv free) have TV and I don’t think it’s silly if it works for them. I don’t put them down or feel superior and I appreciate they don’t find me obnoxious. Actually our home has become a favorite when it comes to set a nice evening or a barbecue and everybody seems to appreciate the atmosphere where no one is dragged to the screen and isolated from the rest of us. On the contrary, I can understand that for some events people feel the need to gather around TV and I’m thankful of my friends and family to include me at those exceptional moments.But again I can’t imagine turning it on everyday or having it as a background noise. To each his own.

- cécile on April 11th, 2009

Traxie, Melora is mostly known for playing Jan on “The Office.” She’s also in the Hannah Montana movie and “17 Again.”

I also find it weird that people who make a living off of T.V. make it sounds like letting your child watch T.V. will ruin their childhood. It’s especially strange when you star in kids’ movies like she does. If we all thought the way she does, she wouldn’t be working very often.

Like Laura, I’m in my twenties and I grew up playing outside, doing puzzles, reading, and watching T.V. It is possible to have the best of both worlds.

- Sarah K. on April 11th, 2009

I agree with traxie. These days tv is the devil! I grew up with the television, and I learned quite a bit from tv. I loved author, bill nye, and all those science shows after school. Not everything on tv is junk especially for young children. I also went outside, read books, puzzles, all that stuff. Its just strange how parents these days, its like TV is the devil. Like there is not happy medium these days, kids are either over worked and over scheduled or they’re left to be parented by a box.

- Elle on April 11th, 2009

I totally agree, traxie. As someone who works on-air in radio, I always find it highly ironic when people who have no problem using the media to fund their entire livelihood (Melora, Madonna, William H. Macy, etc) go on to deem it unfit for their children. I grew up watching the typical kids TV shows (Sesame Street, Schoolhouse Rock) and not only turned out fine, but found that much of the content had become so engrained into me that it stayed with me throughout my life. I still remember taking an English test on conjunctions in 6th grade, and thanks to that stupid “Conjunction Junction” song I loved to make fun of, I aced the test. It also never prevented from riding my bike, shooting hoops in the yard, or sledding with my neighbors. So people looking to blame the media for the laziness of kids today need another scapegoat.

TV is always as useful and entertaining or harmful and negative as you make it, and as the parent, you have total control over what your kids do and don’t watch. Still, the choice to allow little to no TV is up to the parents-it’s the disingenuous attitude of some that makes me roll my eyes.

- Lauren on April 11th, 2009

I grew up with a balance! I was such a tomboy who loved to play outdoors in daytime until the streetlights came on and it was time to go inside! We played kickball,dodgeball,baskestball,played in our fort,swimming, you name it!( back in the 70′s) Than when i went inside i would watch a good movie with my family! Tv was never a babysitter for me! I enjoyed sesame street,electric company etc. Saturday morning cartoons were the best than it was off to go outside to play! My daughter is growing up in a time where it’s not safe to let your daughter play outside by herself so she has playdates with her friends! Back than it was so great to [playoutside and run around the block but you can’t do that now! My daughter loves the disney channel & nickelodeon and watches Tv when all her homework is done and than it’s bedtime! We spend weekends going places tec. Than she will come home & we watch an appropiate movie together! I wouldn’t never ban TV in my house! I like my movies & it’s fun to relax,eat popcorn & enjoy a funny time with my daughter! It definitely hasn’t rotted her brain she’s an honor student! I think in opinion to totally ban TV or movies is an extreme & using it for a babysitter is an extreme! A nice balance of outside activities,puzzles etc. and TV(movies) is great in my family!

- g!na on April 12th, 2009