Top 10 Posts from our first year: #9 - I Just Fired the Babysitter!

(AND... I should probably re-visit this challenge soon.  :)

This past Monday started out like a normal Monday, and I wasn't looking for a challenge, but I got one! :)  I had been thinking about a personal friend's blog post about their decision to go without TV for a week and her encouraging reflections on it.  

We actually did the same thing about a year ago with wonderful success in getting our TV watching back under control, but we've let the guidelines we set in place slide a little since then.  The thought that keeps coming back to me is that I would be super annoyed at a babysitter who let my kids watch as much TV as I do.  One of the main reasons I stay home with them is to provide the best care I can for them, but our TV usage is at least 2-3 hours a day.  It doesn't FEEL like I'm allowing that much until I add it all up.  Ugh!

This picture is from a few months ago.  I was almost too embarrassed to include it.  See me reading, oblivious to the world around me, in the background?  Case in point.

I was doing my best to ignore the conviction I was feeling.  It was cleaning day.  Silas is fighting a cold.  Not today.  Maybe tomorrow.  Probably next week.  And then I opened my e-mail to find this.  Awesome...

So, I've taken the plunge.  We've been without TV since Monday and we're surviving!  We're going to finish out the week without it and hopefully re-introduce it in healthier portions next week.  

I really don't think TV is bad.  I even think it can be a good thing if I use self control when allowing it in our home.  The self-control issue seems to be my biggest enemy with all this.  So I taped these two verses to a blanket over the TV to help me remember why I'm doing this and the result I should be striving for.  (I made them into printables, if you want them.  Just click on the reference.)

Ephesians 5:15-16a - Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity... (Choosing the TV when things get hectic in my world is typically not the best way for me to make the most of every opportunity.)

Proverbs 25:16 - If you find honey, eat just enough-- too much of it, and you will vomit.  (I think I'll probably leave this on our TV stand after this week to remind me to use "portion control."  Too much of a good thing is a bad thing.)

Isaac noticed the honey pot right away.  So we read the verse and talked about it.  He then informed me that he didn't "wike" it.  

I had no idea at the time that Silas was planning to sabotage my brilliant TV disguise.  

If you have a baby who loves all things soft and you go back to your bedroom to fix your hair, this might be what you come back out to.  Our verses are just loosely taped to the actual TV frame now.  :)

It's actually been better than I expected, but I'm not gonna lie, I've wanted to turn it on at least 10 times a day.  We've played outside more and I've had to say "yes" more than I usually do to keep boredom from setting in and everyone from going insane.  We've also read a lot.  All good things.  They just take more energy.  But I like falling into bed at night knowing that we played hard and I was the attentive mom I should be instead of letting a "sitter" watch them for half the day. 

I'm not about to try to force my stress-inducing lesson on you, but if this struck a chord with you and you want to finish out the week with us, will you leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail?  Maybe we could pray for each other as we take a break from television and re-assess what role it should play in our homes.  Also, sometimes it's kind of nice to know there's someone else out there going a little nuts with you!  :)

If your family has some good guidelines in place that work for your family, will you share them with me?  Last time we tried one 30 min. show in the morning and one 30 min. show in the afternoon with a movie night once a week.  In theory it seems like plenty, if not more than enough television, but in practice... well, like I said, we've fallen off the bandwagon...  Maybe somebody has some better ideas?  I'd love to hear them!  Please leave a comment!