We don’t watch an obscene amount of television, but we do watch cartoons before preschool and usually while I am making dinner. Yesterday we came in from the snow, which we have a lot
of right now, and cuddled up to watch a movie. When it was over, my
oldest immediately asked for another movie and I said, “No.” What
preceded was a top ten flip out of epic proportions. I looked at her
just loosing her mind, sobbing into the couch and thought, “Jesus, I
think I may have a problem here.” I remembered back to the days when I
was a little girl. We lived on a farm in rural Prince Edward Island
and only got 2 channels. Cartoons were a rare occurrence and a treat,
and we certainly didn’t stay inside on a sunny day to watch TV. I
thought about how disappointed my father would be to see my little girls
glued to a television for 2 or 3 hours every day and something snapped
inside.

“That’s it!” I said. I got down on the couch with her, took a deep breath and said, “Honey, I think you love television too much and I think we need a break.” My heart still breaks remembering her broken
red little face as it crumpled inside herself when she realized the
gravity of what I was saying.

So, that’s it. No television for one week. No cartoons before school, or if its too rainy to go outside. I told her we may cuddle up again to watch a movie all together, but if we do its only one for the
whole day. It is morning now, the girls have been up for an hour and no
tv.. My youngest doesn’t understand why she doesn’t get to watch Super Why
this morning, but forgot all about it about half an hour ago. It is
eerily quiet in the house, the girls are eating their breakfast without
me threatening to turn off the TV and I can actually hear myself think.
I thought it was going to be a nightmare, but maybe its going to be
okay.

I think I was also pushed to do this because I have been having way too much screen time lately as well. Blogging, writing, surfing, watching Six Feet Under or True Blood,
checking email, etc etc. I have laundry piling up, a new bookcase that
needs to be organized, and the girls playroom to set in order. I think
this is going to be good for all of us. I hope I can stick to my guns
and keep it up!