This week is National Turn off the TV week. I love this idea, it comes at a good time for our family this year. I have shamefully been using the TV as an electronic babysitter way too much lately. I use to have an unspoken rule of 1 hour of TV a day in our house. These days we are well beyond that. So last night, I announced in my very excited mommy voice, "This week is Turn Off the TV week!" There were spontaneous tears. "What does that mean"?" Sarah asked, completely horrified. I explained that this was a week set aside to do things together as a family instead of watching TV. I told her we were going to play board games, start planting our veggie garden, have dinner at the park … she kept crying.
Personally, TV is not a big deal in my life. I can truly live without it and not miss it. For the past two years I have not watched TV from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Of course the TV is on, because the kids watch it, but I don't sit down to watch my own shows. I have loved how it has freed up my summer evenings to write, read, work in the yard, and actually talk with Pete. I think it has been a really good thing for me each year. I'll admit by September I am ready to watch a new season of mindless reality TV, but for me that is what balance is all about, not letting any one thing take over my whole life.
This year, I have had it in my mind that I would like the whole family to unplug the TV on Memorial Day and leave it off until September. Pete is not too keen on this idea. He is my technology boy. I guess we will see how this week goes and go on from there. Hopefully Sarah and Emily will enjoy having time to do some different things this week, and the tears will not be a daily occurrence.
Any one up for joining me? I am going to post some evening activities throughout the week to hopefully encourage/inspire you to turn of the tube this week as well.
