Beginning Our Journey

Sep. 9, 2009

The Dreaded TV Challenge... Care to join me?

TV is my lifeline. My Super Hero. Oh how I love the magical box that brings me peace and comfort. From morning until night. ... Our friends live in there.  It is like my mommy super powers. Nursing the baby - TV ON! Getting one kids in the bath while the other is drying - TV ON! Packing Daddy's Lunch - TV ON! From when my daughter was a baby - in her bouncer watching Baby Einstein bringing me peace while I cook dinner (Admit it, you have done it too!)  to the present time. It has been the background noise of our lives. We are a family who has tvs on even if no one is watching them. And frankly - it has worked. My daughter is fine. She is not over weight. She is smart. She will go outside. She does not act out or is not afraid of monsters. Now seriously though - we limit! My kids do not watch Monsters Inc. or even Sponge Bob. No offense if you do because - look I am admitting my TV addiction here people! But do we really need to point out that there could be monsters in the closet if they do not think of it on their own? And Sponge Bob - personal choice, just not for my kids. Don't like the tone of that show. Just MY opinion. Do not freak running if someone has it around the kids. We just enjoyed a really fun party this weekend with that as the theme. No big deal. But back to my point... My daughter is fine. .... never a need to change. When someone mentioned limiting tv, or "Turn your tv off for a week challenges" I would cringe and run the other way. Why would anyone do that?!?! Then along came my sons... oh my oh my... Perhaps I can blame it on my Tristan's Dexamethasone which side effects include - mood changes, anger, and hallucinating. But he is only on that 5 days a month and it seems to effect him only 2 weeks. Then it is out of his system for the rest of the month. So what makes my son so different? Why does he always call names (sure poopyhead is not so bad but still) or go right to punching when he does not like something? Just the nature of a little boy? Probably. But this kid needs to get out his energy. And he seems to be the one in front of the tv or on the wii all day. So while I usually RUN when someone mentions a TV Challenge... today I am making my own. Being a homeschooler we are in danger more of being swallowed by the TV black hole. Public School and Private School children are not around a tv for the most of the day, thus the temptation is gone. Their days are structured and scheduled. Being a mom of an infant - my days are chaos! Even trying a schedule, Wyatt interrupts it! So I do not blame myself for my home. I am not making excuses. I am just deciding to try something different. So here it is... What you have been reading for! My Super Dooper TV Challenge! (I feel so important - I am making a challenge.) I am going to give my kids coupons. Here they are so if you want to join me you can print some off yourself. One for Tv, one for Wii. I am going to print these out on card stock. Then I am going to give them one a day for each. And if they do something really nice they can earn one more their choice video or tv. If they do something bad - they get a coupon taken away.  They also have the option of saving coupons up. If they do not watch it one day they can save it for later. At the end of the week they can cash them in if they have some left for 50 cents a piece. That way if they want to earn some money for a new toy... :) Double goodness. I think I am going to have Movie night though.  A designated special time where the kids have popcorn and a movie once a week. Because that is longer and can be special. Here is an icon if you want to link to this post on your blog. This is going to take a lot of planning on my part though. I think the challenge is going to be more for me then the kids! Because I have to have things for them to do since their minds do not wrap around what to play with. Even though our home is filled with toys, games, art supplies. There is no lack of what. They just have to be trained to think of something on their own. So I think the first week or so I will have to give them lots of suggestions. This will also add to my to do list of teaching them to put things away as soon as they are finished so we do not have a disaster on our hands. Once again - super hero TV has made that simple for me as there is no mess to clean up. But this is a skill they need to learn anyways. So run the other way if you want to. Or Join me in my TV and Video Game Challenge. Tweek it to work for your own family. Do not feel ashamed or bullied into anything that does not work for your family. No Pressure. But if you want to join me - Misery loves company - then be sure to leave me a comment linking to your page so I can cheer you on!

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