Yes, that's right, the T.V. broke! We've been talking about this for a while now, and wanting to do it for years but could just never come up with the nerve. Well we officially pulled the plug.
Well, actually, Josh got a big pair of scissors and
cut the cord but we're saying that it broke because we used the thing to death. Truly, we are nowhere near couch potatoes. It's more a decision to go without something that, while entertaining, is mostly useless. That and Lincoln was obsessed with the Wii. He wanted to play it all the time. Oliver got to the point that he would point at that accursed black box and shout Wii-WII! That's when we knew that drastic measures needed to be taken or else our beautiful little boys would grow up to be lifeless slugs. So we killed it. And we're glad.
It's one of those things that you get worried about; like "when will we ever have 'alone' time?" Or "will our children be freakish social outcasts because they don't know what Guitar Hero is?" We're so over that. We actually read now. And play games. It's simply revolutionary.
In Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck decides that he is going to spend a year traveling across America in a camper/truck with only his French Poodle as a companion. As he is gathering his things to leave he notices that, while he expects people to think that he is slightly crazy, he instead finds a solemn longing that everyone shares. They all want to pack it up and join him on his adventure but they can't for one reason or another.
I think it's the same with the TV. Deep down, in the most altruistic and good-natured parts of our souls we all would love to take the boob-tube and toss it unceremoniously out the window. But we can't, for some reason, bring ourselves to do it. I mean, what are we going to do with all that time together? Read?
Well, yes. We read more. We also spend more time talking and playing games. And it has also brought about a shocking, and nearly instant, change in our oldest's attitude. Where before he would brood until we put Oliver down for his nap (the allotted time Lincoln could play the darn Wii for 30 minutes) and he would herumph around the house if we told him no. That's gone now. In it's place is a sweeter, more fun 4 year-old who plays Yahtzee and Life with his parents every day. Some days we go on long bike rides. Other days we go down to the canal and draw pictures of the boats and the lift bridge. We're getting him his own camera so he can take pictures of whatever he wants and help him post it on his own little blog. And he loves every second of it. It's true. TV rots your brain.
3 comments:
I agree with you 100%!!! Good job! I would love to do the same thing - - it is just a matter of getting everyone in the family on the same page.
Wow! Good for you! I don't think I could do it. Really, I have no desire to. I think the kids would do fine but I enjoy watching (or listening to while I crochet)a good movie in the evenings after the kidlets are in bed.
We instigated the no game cube in the summer rule when we bought the thing years ago. Once it's packed up they don't even ask. As far as I'm conserned that's the best of both worlds. In the winter it's a motivator for getting homework done and then gone in the summer when they should be outside playing.
I wish our T.V would die. We hardly watch television and for that I LOVE SUMMER! But really in the winter I don't watch much either. I feel so out of it when my friends are talking about the Dancing with the Stars and American Idol. The only show I ever watch, is Extreme Makeover Home Edition and I rarely catch that.
No, in all seriousness, what you said is so right. We have been contemplating getting a Wii and now I am not so sure. I can see Dallin wanting to play it and do nothing else. He already thinks I am mean because I don't let him watch movies all day.
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