I have to tell you as a single parent of 3 kids I get a chuckle out of hearing single parents of 1 kid complain about their hectic life. And I'm sure that the single parent of 6 kids (you know the one - she's in her 2nd year of law school) finds my laments equally funny. It's all perspective right?
I'm forever experimenting with various time & responsibility configurations. Trying to achieve the elusive balance of staying pretty much caught up and having time to play, bond and communicate and still get 6 or 7 hrs of sleep. Hey, I aim high.
In this most recent iteration of how to create more hours in the day I've gone really far afield.
I turned off the TV.
It began innocently enough. I have long known that clicking on the TV actually creates an electron vacuum which sucks all but the most basic neurological functions from the human body. This artificial paralysis is even more pronounced in our offspring. I often marvel at how a young mind can devise a multi part plan, move and stack two rooms of furniture then scale the teetering structure to reach the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard just to retrieve the stale dinner mint left over from last thanksgiving. But under the influence of television this same creative genius is utterly incapable of even the slightest voluntary actions.
We started by leaving the TV off for the entire 1st week of school. It was a challenge. Overcoming the habitual pattern of clicking on the idiot box for background noise took some effort. But, with 3 kids trying to talk and do homework and pass information the extra voices of the TV proved to be a diabolical influence when we returned to our old ways in the 2nd week of school. It occurred to me that our home had increased levels of harmony and attentiveness when the TV was NOT on. Could this be possible?
We continued the experiment in week 3. Here it became evident that the strain was taking a toll. I repeatedly found each of my children in their bedrooms clutching a TV remote, heads lolled to one side in near catatonia watching Sponge Bob and Patrick with the volume nearly off. Confiscating the remote was sufficient at first. Only in week 4 did they stoop to using their fingers to work the control buttons. At this point I was forced to employee tough love. I removed the TV's from their rooms. The temptation was simply too great for their little minds. The pitiful wails could be heard for blocks. But, I had no choice. It was for my own good.
We had to find a substitute. Cold turkey was a cruel master. Here parental inspiration struck me like a bolt of lightning. "Read" I said. Their little faces went blank as they scoured the memory neurons for the meaning of the word.
Books? they said in unison. "Yes please" I answered. It was fitful at first. Now a few weeks into the routine, reading is what they do for the precious hour or so we have unscheduled each evening.
The big payoff (if I had to pick one) is peace. We have quietitude and thinkability about the house. For the last few nights they've taken turns reading to me. I manage to nod off listening to the little voices go on about Lewis & Clark and McQueen the car. I know for some parents this is all boring, "like duh wake up and smell the literacy" but for me this has been an epiphany of aha.
I've won a victory. Taken back another portion of our lives previously occupied by popular culture. I feel liberated.
Do you have a similar experience? Tell us about it.
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