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For Lisa Gliener, an Edmonton mom of two, the answer has been a firm "No" for the past six years. "There is life after TV," quips Gliener, who stays home with Luke Robitaille, 5, and Jesse, 3. "There's lots of amazement, shock and disbelief when people hear about it. My kids and I just spend more time together." It's not that Gliener and her business broker husband, Gerry Robitaille, are anti-TV. "We love TV," says Gliener. "TV's not taboo. We don't think it's evil or a sin. One of the biggest reasons we don't have a TV is not the television content, but the advertising. My children don't know what's hot and what's not. They are not wanting to eat at McDonald's because television is showing them how exciting it is to eat out." There are times when being without a TV is hard, such as not being able to park the kids in front of the set while Gliener makes dinner, a common practice among moms. "It's been a good five years of challenging dinner hours," laughs the 42-year-old former publicist. 'Five hours a day' The family does get to see some screen action outside their television-free zone. While the boys don't clamour to watch programs when they visit friends in their west-end neighbourhood, they get to soak up a couple of hours of TV during weekly visits to their grandparents. That's a marked contrast to the average Canadian child who watches 23 hours of television a week -- some up to five hours a day, according to the Canadian Pediatric Society. "Too many kids are watching too much TV," says Calgary pediatrician Peter Nieman, who is on the society's advisory committee for healthy, active living. "The key word is balance. It's the mindless sitting in front of the TV for hours on end that is a concern." Research has repeatedly shown a link between an overdose of television and obesity. "It's a major contributing factor," adds Nieman. Active living guidelines suggest at least 30 minutes of action three to four times a week; more is better. "The minority of kids are getting that," says Nieman.
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WITHOUT a television
set to occupy her children, Luke, 5, and Jesse, 3, Lisa Gliener
has encouraged them in developing an interest in other activities,
such as reading and games. 
