We got rid of the tv last month. Technically, it was a 6-week no tv trial but Craig and I both knew that once he went through the trouble of disconnecting everything and taking it downstairs, it wasn’t coming back.
It’s removal has been a long time coming. I knew I didn’t want Lucy watching tv and for over a year, I was really really good about not having it on when she was awake. She knew what it was since it is on for my mom a lot at her house but she never really seemed to notice or care. But then this spring she got sick and I got sick and out of desperation, I picked up a baby signing time dvd from the library. She loved it. It got me through that week but a little part of my soul died. Okay, that’s a little melodramatic but I really hated her watching it.
It isn’t that baby signing time is so bad. In fact, if I had to pick an “ideal” baby television show, that would be it. Its not flashy or annoying, just 4-5 sweet songs with babies signing about pets or snacks or feelings. But I saw how mesmerized she was by it. She didn’t learn any new signs from it, or interact with me when I would try and show her that our kitty was sitting next to us just like the kitty on the screen, she just stared out into space, like a little zombie. I finally got better and the dvd went back but she was persistent. For weeks she would ask for it (by signing baby and dancing) everytime she saw a tv.
Over the summer I read two different Waldorf books. I’m not a Waldorfian but I did find myself agreeing with many of their opinions on media. And I realized, this is probably the easiest it will ever be because only 2 of the 3 of us is really used to a world with a tv. So if we wanted to do it, now is the time. So we did!
Turns out, it was a lot like getting rid of our microwave. It took a long time to decide to do it and I worried about how hard it would be (on me, not Lucy) but once it was done, it was an easy adjustment. Every once in a while I crash onto the couch after I get Lucy to sleep and finish the last laundry'/dishes and I instinctively reach for the remote before I realize it isn’t there. Then I pick up a book or a project or – here’s a crazy idea – I go to bed and actually get some sleep!
We can still watch stuff on the laptop. We had a date night and curled up on the couch with “The Grace Card” from redbox and once Psych starts up again, we’ll find time for that as well. And I still let Lucy watch baby signing time clips on youtube on certain occasions (such as nail clippings or temperature taking). But since we only have one computer, it really has to be a joint decision to sit down and watch a show instead of just watching because we aren’t creative enough to think of something else to do.
The trial has come to an end and last Saturday the cable man came and disconnected us so tv-free we are for at least the foreseeable future. Now I just have to find a way to fill my ginormous armoire.
What about you? Have you ever thought about ditching the boob tube or have you already? Or maybe your addicted and you like it that way?
Jason and I have both been television-less since before we got married. The bottom line is that we can't afford it, but also I don't like the aesthetics of having a big black screen in the room. Since Zuzu came along, I hate the zombie baby reaction when she sees a show. She'll sit and watch Grover dance, but she won't get up and dance along. I also noticed that while the show might buy my 20 minutes of silence from her, her behavior afterwards is much worse. It's better to feed her, let her take a nap, or help her play a new game if she's bored. I watch Psych and a few other shows through Hulu (now that Netflix jumped crazy) and order BBC dramas through Netflix. When the kids get much older, we want to have a screen of some sort to watch classic family movies on Friday nights, so we aren't against media, just want it very controlled.
ReplyDeleteI had a professor at SFA that anytime he felt the TV had taken over his family's life, he would take the TV outside and shoot it. He then made jewelry out of the remains.
ReplyDeleteAR - Yes, that's it. If she would sign/dance along, maybe I would feel different.
ReplyDeleteJaclyn - That's intense. And a little scary.
I voted no.
ReplyDelete