We did it. We finally did it. We put our TV away. It is hidden behind Kenneth's dress pants in our closet, and I am feeling really good right now. Why? Are we crazy? Yep, pretty much. But now, instead of snuggling on the couch for a half hour of cartoons (or more) in the morning, we read books. Instead of watching a movie while the Mama catches her breath, we make a nest with blankets on the floor and read books. Instead of watching a cartoon to transition from nap to awake, we read books. We read a lot of books before...but with the TV there, the temptation was just TOO great from when I needed instant entertainment for my kids. And I have noticed (already in their short 2 years) the consequences. Addie was picking up sarcastic behaviors (PBS isn't perfect guys), they were starting to build a routine off the TV, and I was losing my motivation to find more creative ways to entertain. I did't grow up with TV. My dad rented a VCR once when I was 8 years old so we could watch the Music Man. TV isn't evil...in fact, I am going to miss it in a lot of ways. It did make life a bit easier. But the bad was outweighing the good, so good-bye instant gratification....hello real life. Let's see how long this lasts!
16 comments:
Sarah,
Good for you! It's funny, we took down our TV this weekend too! Nikolas was getting too attached to it and I was totally using it to keep him occupied while i had other 'more important' things going on.....
So....welcome to live without TV!
"life" not "live" :)
wow sarah, i'm impressed as usual!! all your beautiful amazing artwork, your creative insights and verse, and now your even taking out the TV!! You are truly a wonder!! I would love to do the same thing, it was nice when we first moved in and thought we didn't have cable--we didn't watch TV for months! Now I don't ever turn on the tv but I will put in a movie and watch with him, or read MY book while he watches and that isn't good either!! Congrats and good luck!!
Love ya, Laura Linton
We took out the TV ten years ago (except to use it for videos) and we've never looked back! Now, I'm seriously thinking of putting it away as you have- good for you! Your children are lucky!
Sarah, don't scare me like that! I thought you were quitting something BIG like art, or LIFE!
;)
I would love to do get rid of our tv, but don't really see it working too well.
My case is a little different. My 5yr old daughter has Down Syndrome and just adores Barney and her other videos. She interacts with them doing their dances and is trying to make the same vocalizations as the children. But, she does own the tv and acts horrible if we try and watch "our" programs.
My husband is too addicted to vegging out in front of the TV to ever accept the idea of getting rid of it.
I never watch tv except for a movie before bedtime cuddling babies in our bed. My son doesn't really watch it either. He would rather play toys or read books.
Hurrah for you! I hope you enjoy your new-found time with your family!
Julie
way to go! We've NEVER had one, EVER! It is such a time waster, trap, etc.....we read books, do crafts, go for walks, bike rides, etc.....in fact, I don't know where I would even find the time to sit down and watch TV! Good for you!
Good on you! I look forward to hearing about how that goes for you and your family.
Something for me to think about....
um, ya, the thought never even crossed my mind. wow. I do agree w/you seeing how they turn into little vegetables. The computer will be a bigger temptation, I feel, as they get older.
Hi Sarah
No TV certainly does force you to think outside the box and use your imagination - those are positive things.
I am not a fan of putting in a DVD to entertain my little girl either. However, I do see some benefits to limited amounts of time watching some DVD's, especially if you talk with your child about what they are viewing. I know my little girl is just starting to copy some of the actions she sees on some of her DVD's and she loves to have a little dance to some of her favourite songs. Actually, we both love to listen to music (not necessarily watch performances on DVD's) and dance around together.
I think reading books, playing outside, gardening together, doing craft, listening to music and having a dance are obviously more interactive and would be my first preference any day.
Sarah, please keep us posted on how it's going and what you get up to instead of watching TV. I would be interested to know which books your children particularly enjoy.
I grew up without cable. We had a TV and watched movies on our VCR during the weekend as a family, but I did not miss not having television at all.
In art school I didn't have a TV. I used to have marathon sketch sessions with all of my friends, or we would ride our bikes to the beach or go create some random kind of goofyness to occupy our time. Those were the good ol' days.
Our family now has a lovely flat screen TV that my husband just had to have. Funny thing is we are both to busy or tired to watch anything. My 2 yr old likes to watch Blue's Clue's, but only sometimes. My 7 yr old would watch TV from sun up to sundown if we allowed it. She earns privlidges for good behavior, one of them is to watch her Hannah Montana episodes on the weekend. But we limit the time she watches on the weekend.
You will ask yourself a few weeks from now, "How did I ever find the time to watch TV"....I promise you won't miss it.
Wow, that's fantastic. I'm not to that point as of yet but would love to be there soon. As a child, I rarely remember watching any television at all...maybe the Muppet Show ONCE in a while but we were outside exploring or drawing, reading...it's easy to get in a rut these days. Thanks for the inspiration!
I take my hat off to you and wish my house would agree to removing our TV. I think I might drop a few hints and maybe have a trail period. Wish me luck!
PS. Love the blog, not dropped in before but certainly will be popping by daily now :)
Good for you. We got rid of our TV for a year once and it was lovely. When I was growing up my parents would make us turn off the TV for one month out of every year. We could pick which month so of course we always chose February. The first week was always torture, but then we started doing more things together as a family and the month always flew by.
I'm a BIG fan of no TV or should I say I am a fan of protecting my children and husband from violence, sexual content, swearing, and patronizing women. We still watch movies. I suggest Clearplay! It's a machine that you play your DVDs on and it edits them! It's about a $100
Post a Comment