We knew this was coming, Lorien's school pushed TV-turn-off week almost as hard and the annual fund raiser. She was sent home with "warning" fliers Friday after school. And after a high intensity school wide assembly Lorien was enticed (by a ticket for free ice cream), persuaded (by the fifth graders who elected to keep the TV off for a month) and committed (by a signed contract) to not watch TV for a whole week!
We started the week off cool and happy. Lorien went off to school for hours of TV-free enrichment and at home the little kids played with out asking for the TV once! When Lorien came home all the kids played outside and for FHE we made collages with pictures of the fun things we would do instead of watching TV.
Tuesday also went well, until I realized the house was trashed from my Sunday-day-of-rest and a Monday of playing with the kids so they wouldn't turn on the TV. Clare got to watch a Baby Einstein on the laptop, Wyatt played some games on the computer and I got the dishes done! When Lorien came home she led the way to the trampoline and kept everyone happy for as long as she could...about fifteen minutes.
Wednesday was a day of activity, we managed to build a pretty cool obstacle course for the kids to ride their bikes through. Clare and Wyatt spent some time playing with their cousins while I went to a painting class (A much needed break for me and them!). We even met friends at our favorite park for a few hours. To top this day of amazement off I sat in my disgustingly dirty house and dreamed about the day when my Mothers-helper would come back from her week long vacation and save me from the out of control mess surrounding me.
On Thursday the wheels had fallen off my "no TV" wagon. While the children seemed to be thriving with out the boob-tube, I decided that TV isn't for children, it is for stay at home Mom's who want to take a shower once a day. Even with out my daily shower, I was feeling pretty smug. Only two more days to go and my kids would turn back into the television-watching, Momma-ignoring zombies I had worked so hard to raise. Then Lorien informed me that a week is seven days, not five. Ta-da, we'd be going with out TV for another four days! In hopes of getting some time to accomplish one or two chores I agreed to baby sit Evan and Andrew for a few hours. Of course, by babysit without my Mother's-helper I mean locking all the kids outside with a box of coco-puffs. No, no, that was only the first part of the afternoon...after that we made a mean marble drop.
After school we did an activity the kids had been asking to do for months. We filled an empty soda bottle with sand and tied it upside down from the roof. When we took the cap off the bottle and gave it a push the falling sand made designs on paper below.
Where did I get this nifty idea you ask? Why, from TV of course. Yep, we watched some kids from Germany do this on an episode of Teletubies.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday were a total blur. I know we made it to Lorien's softball game but beyond that I only remember wishing we could turn on the TV...
At last Monday April 28th arrived, our sentence was over and I sang aloud: "Ding-dong the TV witch is dead!!" Oh Television how I have missed you. I've realized through this looooong week that thankfully my children are only TV zombies because I make them so. With the exception of Clare, the kids didn't really ask for TV all week long. We filled the time with wicked fun and creative activities and I ignored all of my "home maker" responsibilities that didn't involve my cutie-patutie-kidd-o's. Over all it was a satisfying experience I am happy to leave behind.
4 comments:
I am inspired by you, Audrey's school did not say a word about TV turnoff week, and I was happy everyday that I could turn it on. I feel like you, the kids are fine with or without it, but I need it! TV is the best mothers helper, or do you mean you have a real mothers helper? Anyway, you are awesome Cassie.
Leslee
Television is my "mother's helper". It swoops in for 30 minute chunks here and there while I make a meal, take a shower or do some clean up around the house. A real mother's helper wouldn't get off so easily. I'd have that saintly person finger paining and playing trains while I took a nap!
are you telling me you missed "The Bachelor" last week. Poor soul. Oh wait, you can watch it online!
See, now, why can't I come up with interesting ideas and then implement them? I find out about them after the kids are in bed. I decide "tomorrow, I'm going to be a great mom and do all those cool things with my kids." At night, I ask Heavenly Father to help me remember to do those things the next day and be a fun mom, and then I get up, take Joel to school, and spend the rest of the day running errands, making lunch/dinner, and looking forward to bedtime again. ugh! I need help.
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