TV SchmeeVee

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So we did something somewhat unusal in this day and age: we gave up a tv.

(Note that I said "a tv", and not "tv" (in general).)

No, we made a strategic decision. And it's working out really well so far.

We bought some furniture for the new house; a package deal that included a "free" 32 in LCD tv. However, we decided to return one of the pieces, which meant money back, but also having to forgo the tv.

Originally, we had planned to put the big tv in the great room.

But in the delirium lucidity of sitting in the great room at about 1am the other morning after finishing some housework, Mom-E and I decided we didn't even want a tv in the great room.

The main tv in the house is in our bonus/play room on the second floor.

What we've found is that after their "morning coffee", aka about 2 cartoons--Wow Wow Wubbzy lately, for those of you who need to get the theme song stuck in your head--that the boys sorta "forget" about tv the rest of the day.

In part that's because they love to play in the screened back porch, and in their "new" back yard.

We realized that if we had a tv in the great room downstairs, they'd be way more tempted to want to watch it.

So rather than making a trip back upstairs to watch tv, their more content to just play...

...and run laps around the ottoman in the great room.

But it's wonderful because they're playing and running.

And it's nice to just sit on the porch and play with them, or watch them play outside, or kill stinging insects that sneak into the porch, or just listen to the cacophony of laughter, without the tv blaring in the background.

Don't get me wrong, I like to watch an occasional show (both times in my life that I've had a hour to just sit down :) and I love movies. Movies can be a wonderful way to spend time together as a family.

But in the era of tv, dvd, blu-ray, iPod, iPhone, iPad, email, etc., technology can be a "black hole" that sucks kids away from just running and playing and frolicking and using their imaginations.

And I don't even need to get into all of the reports about how too much tv promotes a sedentary lifestyle with all kinds of bad health-related consequences.

It's nice to be free of this distraction, and it's funny how not once since we've moved have the boys asked why there isn't a tv downstairs.

I guess they're too busy playing.

Well, I gotta go for now. Looks like there is a two car pile-up on the "track" around our ottoman, and the "pit crew" is needed.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E