Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The TV Free Experiment

I can't believe we've done this.  It was totally all my idea, and I insisted so much that Scott had no choice but to go along with this, but I still can't believe we've done this.

We took the tv away.

I don't mean that we said we can not watch tv during the day.  I mean that we literally took the tv away.  It is resting peacefully in the basement storage room with a blanket wrapped around it.  It's like it's taking a little tv nap.  I'm a little envious, actually.  I wish I could be tucked in the storage room by myself with a blanket wrapped around me.  Seems quite peaceful.

At any rate, there is no longer a tv in our living room.  It was just getting to be too much.

Too much time spent in front of a screen instead of spending time together as a family.

Too much whining and tantrum throwing when I had to tell the boys that it was time to turn off the TV.

Too much of me using the TV as a babysitter so I could do things like pin things on my Pinterest boards or check my Facebook.

Too little use of imaginations.  Too little physical exertion. Too little getting anything done because we were so obsessed with what was on the screen.

The boys have been arguing and fighting and whining and just generally all-around no fun to be around, and I believe it's because we have just plunked them down in front of the TV instead of teaching them how to act around people.

We are on day two of this experiment, and so far it has gone somewhat smoothly.  On Sunday, we sat Ben down and told him that the TV was going to go away for a while because we were spending so much time watching it that it was hurting our family.  He wasn't happy, but he didn't throw a tantrum, so I consider that a successful talk.

Yesterday morning, as is their routine, both boys came downstairs and sat down with their thumbs in their mouths, demanding "boy shows".  I showed them we no longer had a TV.  They whined a little, but got over it quickly.   However, they were both incredibly moody all day long.

I guess we're going through TV detox this week.  The withdrawal symptoms will be rough, but I think we can do it.

Tell me we can do it. 

(p.s.  Spell check just told me that it's not tv- it's TV.  I think it looks funny all capitals, but I'll go with it.)