Well, we passed the two month point without TV last week. While I can’t say that it is the easiest thing I’ve ever done, neither is it the hardest. (Once you’ve had a baby everything else pales in comparison.) It seems once school started at the end of August we got a lot busier; third graders have more homework, Ben started back to martial arts, Julia takes one ballet class a week, we’re trying to participate in the O.P.T. (Overcoming Poverty Together) dinners at our church most weeks. At times, I wonder when we had time to watch any TV. I don’t miss it much unless I’m really tired and I would just like to sit and veg. The kids have stopped asking about it though they do look forward to watching a movie together most weekends. (A couple of weeks ago it was “My Fair Lady” and I’ve been hearing the songs, particularly “Wouldn’t It Be Lovely?” and “With a Little Bit of Luck” for days. Better than “High School Musical” I guess.) While they are not asking about it at home, Ben and Julia are definitely still thinking about TV.
We were on the way to see the dentist Tuesday for the kids’ six month check up and I was talking to Julia about what to expect since she was a little nervous. I was telling her that she would get a new toothbrush and prizes at the end of the appointment and Ben said that the prizes weren’t the best thing about the dentist. “What is the best thing?” I asked. “The best thing about going to the dentist is that they are not fasting from TV and we can watch cartoons on the ceiling while we are there.” (They go to a pediatric dentist that has flat screen TV’s above the exam chairs.) They then engaged in a long discussion about what they were going to ask to watch.
While Ben and Julia clearly still think about TV, they are spending more time at home doing creative things like art projects, lego creations, imaginative play, etc. I can’t say that I’m doing any art projects but I am writing more for this blog and for NexusJesus. A post I wrote for this blog, Being a Good Steward of the Earth, is going to appear on TheOoze a website for folks engaged in conversation about the emerging church with a national readership next week. We are all reading more which feels good because it means we are thinking more. I can’t say our house is any cleaner or we are finishing up all those unfinished projects that are lying around but I can say that I believe we are all seeing spiritual benefit from this exercise.
One of the most challenging things for David and I has been the extra effort that is required to parent children who are not parked in front of the TV. We came to realize recently that we are probably experiencing increased stress from that dynamic but I think we are getting a handle on it now. We (the kids, too) are all practicing asking for time out when we feel stressed or tense with one another.
I know fasting from TV is not for everyone…but we’re learning a lot in the process. We’ll let you know how it goes as the days get shorter, the weather colder and the winter sets in.
I am looking forward to your article next week. I think it will create great interaction in the comments area. Thanks for sharing your voice with TheOOZE community…
Spencer
Thanks Spencer. I appreciated hearing you at the cohorts gathering in Chicago this summer. Your advice about not ‘building the tower’ was especially appropriate.