the tvs are put away!!

[positivemom]

I just stuck one of the tv's in the basement and the other in the kids closet for occasional family movies. I am nervous about the next few days, but I am ready to start interacting with my kids and living with them instead of having an electronic babysitter. There have been times like during my pregnacies or when I had a nursing baby that I was just stuck and had no recourse but to switch on the tube, but with my youngest going on 2.5 years I have got to just make the break with the habit of the tv being on all day for the kids...


Please pray for me, I am really nervous about passing all the time there is in a day and keeping my kids occupied and just feeling like the minutes are creeping by and I just want some time to breath and be alone...this sounds selfish but I am just being honest ...Please pray for me....

:pray :pray :pray

[slingmamaof4]

:pray That is a big step. Good for you! :tu We do have a tv, but I limit the time the kids watch it. Enjoy the new found time with your children!!!! There may be a couple hard days while they have withdrawl, but if they have been watching a lot of tv and it is becoming a habit/addiction you have done the right thing. You may want to establish a family movie night once a week/every 2 weeks/once a month...whatever works for you and your family. To watch good family movies together as a family. Or not. We do watch movies together, but I think that reading a chapter book or series together is so great. I read my dd (4) between 1 and 3 chapters a night. We have read a few series already. I am getting her My Father's Dragon series for Christmas and my grandomother is getting her the complete set of Little House books. So those will be our next two series when we finish up the Judy Moody series we are reading right now. Should be done before Christmas and will just read a non-series chapter book to her to fill in the time. I remember as a child my family read at least one chapter a night and those are some of my best memories. And they do a lot to foster reading skills, vocabulary, and a geneal love for learning. My ds just and I mean just turned 2, so he is still too young for chapter books but read several books together a day. And we all play games, sing, eat, pray, and clean together. We watch little tv--usually just videos we own.

[Singingmom]

Oh, wow, cold turkey! I think that's a great idea! :tu I'm sure you have a few rough days ahead, but you will all figure out together how to fill your time. I can't wait to hear about the benefits to your family! :) I'll pray.

[Aerynne]

That is terrific. There will be an adjustment period, but I'm sure after that things will get much better!! Go outside a lot if you can. It will help.

[positivemom]

Keep praying please...but i have good news! It really has been nice today so far...my kids are making flags right now with there initial on them and sticking them in the mud in our backyard to claim their land...they thought of this on their own! I really enjoyed coloring with them..it was actually relaxing...the home is better today than it has been in days......more updates later.... :pray :pray :pray

[Aisling]

I like to find a few favorite radio talk stations or get cd recordings of books :) This keeps me from going crazy, but it's a lot more mobile than staring at the tv, KWIM? You can play dolls and listen to the radio at the same time, and your toddler will be none-the-wiser :giggle

:highfive Way to go, mama, and I am :pray for you!