A Week Without Television

Oh, the horror! I don't know if any of you have this problem but our home seems to depend on the TV to function. And who's fault is that? Mine. But I realized how much of a problem the TV was and I decided that it would be worth the pain and trauma to try a simple experiment: No TV for one week. Some of you may think "Pfft. Whatever! Come to me when you've gone a whole year." To which I say: "Baby steps, dude. Baby steps."

This problem has been ongoing but it reached it's peak a few days ago when the Imp lost her mind because I wouldn't let her watch TV before she finished her homework. LOST. HER. MIND. I finally got completely fed up and decided to pull the plug on this horrible crutch. 

The idea was not well received.

At first Hubby was all for it. He's been joking (really only half-joking) for a while that he was thinking about putting a sledge hammer through the TV to stop the screaming fits. We put the plan into action: No TV, no movies and limited video game time and only on educational website like pbskids.org. This has been difficult on me because when I take the Imp to taekwondo I like to be able to stick the Bug in the car seat and sit in the car while she does her thing and he's watching a movie. Or when we first get home from school I'll turn on Thomas The Train to entertain the Bug while the Imp and I work on her homework. If I needed to get a chore done, cook dinner, work in the garden or make a phone call I would stick them both in front of the boob-tube. So upon hearing there would be no more said boob-tube for a week I was met with a rather put out crowd.

I got called every name in the book. Well, every name a 7 year old could conjure up. I was told I was mean; that I liked making her bored; that I just wanted her to suffer; that I wanted her to do nothing but homework forever. Ahh, yes. My plan was going so well. The Imp eventually calmed down for me and it's been pretty even...until today.

Folks, when you make a change this big you gotta have a plan. And I did! I had a plan! But I didn't have a plan for when I wasn't home. Oops. So, after work I got home to a chaotic house and a rather cranky Hubby. The conversation went like this:

Hubby: You didn't have a plan.
Me: Uhh...oops? *big grin*
Hubby: *glare*

So...now I have a better plan that involves what shall happen when I'm not here. And I have some pointers for you, folks. Seriously, there are so many other cool and fun things to do that don't involve the damn TV. One thing you'll discover when you turn off the tube is something you thought you already had but you really didn't have any idea you were missing: your kids. Without the Baby Sitter you just may have to spend more time with your family. I know, I know...how boring! Trust me, they don't want to spend time with you, either.  So, how do we alleviate the boredom of no TV?

Play cards! Maybe not strip poker,
but UNO is a big hit at our house.

Can't beat the classics, man. Thankfully
Sam has out-grown Candy Land. Tonight we
played Clue.

Rock out! Grab some air guitars or even
some real instruments or make-shift drums
and make some noise.

Color with your kids. Seriously,
when was the last time you
colored with crayons or played with
finger paint? It's still as
much fun as you remember. Dig in!

Plant some seeds and watch them grow.
Better yet, make them weed the garden.
They get to get dirty and destroy stuff!

It is the most fun you will have this summer.
go to Target or Walmart and buy some cheap
squirt guns-one for each member of the
family. Load 'em up, run 'em outside, and get
ready to get wet

Just let them play. Sometimes you just need to let kids be kids.
And that means you gotta butt-out. 

Yard golf! They sell these cheap-o
kits at any local shop or even drug
store. They even work great in the house
on not-so-great weather days.