I'm going on strike. Nope, I quit. No, that's not right either. My electronics are fired. Yep, fired.
Frankly, I've had it. I wake up in the morning when Bryton does (on days I don't work), I make sure his tray is ready for his food, I turn the tv on, and I go in his room and get him up. We then go on about our day. The tv barking at us the entire time.
For those of you who are readers of my blog you know that we've been having an interesting climbing stint with Bryton. It's on all of the furniture he can get on really, but most popularly was the tv stand. The sad part was that my initial thought was, "I hope he isn't trying to compete with it for our attention." Here he is:
It's ridiculous, really, how much our television is on.
So today I fired my television. Not permanently, of course, but for two hours of our morning. I just didn't turn it on. You know what I realized? The play time that B and I usually have was 100 times more fulfilling. I noticed 1,000 new things about him since the television was competing for my attention. I found out that he knows what "sit down" means. He doesn't always obey it, but he knows it. I didn't teach him that... it's just something he's picked up.
You know what else I did? I cleaned the whole house! Okay, that's a slight exaggeration. I didn't clean the bathroom and the kitchen is already clean, but I cleaned and reorganized the living / dining room, our bedroom, and Bryton's! In a morning! That normally would have taken me forever! It was difficult, and I was worn out, but it can be done!
I'm not anti-television, but I am pro-family, and I think the television pulls us apart sometimes. You know, I'm not even that interested in what's on most of the time. I love the Today show (which I gave up this morning for B... and liked it), The Biggest Loser, Parenting, and occasionally The Bachelor. Anything else, I can take it or leave it. Personally, I'd rather be doing something together as a family in the evenings as opposed to being stuck in front of that stupid tv. I'm glad we only have the cheap cable package. It makes it less interesting. Unfortunately it still steals our time!
So I'm taking action. From now on, limited (1/2 hour or so) television from the time B wakes in the morning until his nap. TV is free during his nap time, partially because I have so much to do during that time that I don't watch it much anyway (like keep up on my blogging). When Aaron gets home, well, we're obviously going to have to discuss that together, but I'd love to see us spend the time up until Bryton's nearing bedtime (until 7:00? He goes to bed around 8.) together as a family, not in front of the tv.
It's so much easier in the summer: walks uptown with B in his wagon, going to the park, driving to the custard stand, playing outside, etc. Bryton isn't exactly at "boardgame" age yet, but we aren't that far off, so that'd be a great alternative to watching television once he gets a little older. Maybe we could color together, or bake cookies. Who knows, but I know this: Our electronic dependencies to television, cell phones, and computers, have got to stop. It is killing our families.
-Alicia
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