Joe and I decided to get rid of our TV service on Tuesday, which in our town means no televison, not even with an antenna. Once the kids finished their schoolwork, all they wanted to do was watch TV. For the most part I limited their screen time to one hour a day, but let's face it, when a mom needs a break, it's so easy to give in to more time. I was also tired of the fact that it killed their creativity. I was tired of being asked "Mom, what can I do?" followed by any suggestion of mine being immediately dismissed. It was time to say goodbye to the babysitter and let them figure out how to create their own fun.
I don't watch much television, but I do have one television addiction--American Idol. So it hurt a little to disconnect the service on Tuesday, which is the day American Idol airs. LUCKILY, many of my fellow American Idol fans post the performances and judging on YouTube almost immediately after the contestants perform, which means I still get to see what I want to see without all the fluff. It's a win-win situation.
So goodbye, dear television. Thank you for the entertainment you provided us during the NCAA B-ball tournament and other college sporting events, American Idol, and the many Nick Jr. and Boomerang cartoons my children enjoy. I wish I could say that you will be missed, but alas, I have to admit that I'm rather excited about our new future without you.
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Yaaay! We've gotten cable 3 times in our marriage - twice for the world cup, and once for a college football season. It's always been tough to cancel it after the events, but our lives always improve immeasurably afterwards. The difference in the kids is night and day. Also, thanks to Tamsin's slingbox, I can still see the occasional sporting event I want to see anyway. I think you'll be happy you pulled the plug.
I would never be able to get rid of my TV. It is honestly a hobby like reading or sewing to me. I remember when Mom cut our TV to like two hours a week I almost died. I can appreciate your decision though. Here's hoping to more imagination time for you guys!
It would be hard for me to turn off our cable. Not that it is a big part of our lives, but we do enjoy a few shows every week including American Idol. Sounds like a good idea that I will have to keep in mind if we end up having it on too much this summer.
Good for you! I have been toying with the idea for a few months now. It has been such a surprisingly difficult decision to make though! I'm still debating.....
Go Alison! You're amazing.
ps. sorry I forgot to mail the forms for day camp...I'll mail them next week and Joe can bring them to committee mtg.
Our TV is about a million years old and the buttons are held on by tape. It came that way when a member of the 1st ward gave it to us, in Spokane. If we jiggle the antenna just right we get PBS kids and a few other random channels. I LOVE my PBS kids. It really helps the kids with reading and math. However, when everything goes digital, we will lose our channels that we do get. After that -- only movies for us! That is ok for us though, we are not TV watchers, but we LOVE and cherish our movies! :-) Gotta go and "unplug" Daniel now.;-) wink!
Mari :-)
First the TV, then the wii, then DVD's, then the internet, then...books?
I actually really enjoy TV, but anything can be used excessively, even good things. And when that happens it's time to pull on the reigns and say "Whoa!". That's what was happening in our house and trying to enforce time limits was stressing me out. So, to answer my husband's question, if we can't play Wii or watch movies in moderation, then we'll have to say "Bye-Bye" to those for a while too. As for books, as long as they have their other school work done, I don't care if our kids read all day long. The greatest minds were educated by good books, not by TV and video games.
Yahoo! Good for you guys. It was the best decision we ever made. It makes Friday's (the day they get to watch a movie) very exciting and muchly anticipated.
okay, i agree, the t.v. makes it so hard to be creative with our time, let us know how it works out. =)
We rarely watch TV anymore, and our kids only watch movies, and only about 2 times a week. We've never had cable, and never plan to get it, and we love all the time we have to spend talking or playing or reading books. TV was a crutch we didn't realize we were using until we stopped watching it...
Every time when I lay awake frustrated with life, I come up with the solution: move the TV in the garage. I seriously think all my problems would be solved without it and I REALLY want to get rid of it.. I just never have the balls to do it. It's really hard homeschooling when there is a "favorite program" coming on every hour!
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