When I decided to blog about my family's "unplugging" experience, I knew I'd have to be honest with all of you about the good days and the not-so-good ones. Unfortunately, today falls into the latter category. My oldest had a sleepover with a friend over the weekend. I'm not a fool, and I intentionally didn't say anything to her about TV. My husband and I decided to turn the TV off in our home, but I think it would be unrealistic to expect another family to unplug if my daughter is a guest in their home. I didn't want to be legalistic about TV-watching, and it's an opportunity for her to understand what moderation and self-control are.
I don't know exactly how much screen time she got, but I'm guessing it was in excess of 3 hours. She mentioned a movie and a couple of shows, and I'd guess that there is more to the story there. Combine that with about half the sleep she normally gets and a different diet, and there, my friends, is a recipe for a meltdown. Add to that an over-zealous toddler who got herself out of bed at 4:00 in the morning because she thought she had to go to the bathroom, and you have a pretty good snapshot of my day so far.
Even I want to turn on a mindless program to keep. them. quiet.
Emotions are overflowing here today. It seems to be getting a little better, but it hasn't been easy. I'm not used to getting a tearful response to a request to brush teeth and hair. Really? Maybe I'll be fortunate enough that they will nap.
One thing I have learned, though, is just how easy it is for my kids to be over-stimulated. Something tells me that I'm not alone here. This journey is going to have its uphill climbs. I knew that going into it, and each day gives me a new opportunity to teach my kids the best I can.
Here is hoping for a better (and smoother) day tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Our Unplugged Week
Hello friends,
I don't know how many of you are following our journey (you can let me know by leaving a comment or "following" the blog), but we've made it through our first unplugged week. While I wish I could paint a a beautiful word picture for you of compliant children that are relieved the TV isn't on, I can't. Both of them are still periodically asking to watch a show. My oldest has even volunteered to ride our exercise bike in hopes that she could have the TV on while she was pedaling. Nope. Not gonna happen.
It has not been as easy to stick to my decision as I thought. I've had moments of weakness. When my youngest came to me in tears because my oldest and her play date didn't want to play with her, my first thought was to let her watch a show as a "treat" -- a way to ease the sting of rejection. I battled in my head for a few minutes, then decided that some special reading time would be better for both of us.
I am seeing some benefits, though. My girls are playing with toys that haven't seen the light of day in ages. They are coloring and being creative. They are playing outside more often. Some of the edge is starting to leave my 9-year-old's voice. Even though I curbed what she watched on TV, I realized that even some of what I thought was "ok" was teaching her values that I don't want her to embrace. Quite honestly, many of the shows I've seen that are directed toward tweens and teens teach kids that they are smarter than their parents. They also (in a subtle way) teach kids that a little bit of deception is ok, and that communication is meant to be conducted with catchy one-liners that hurt more than you intend. Even if the kids are caught by their parents, the scenario is always wrapped up in a neat little bow in less than 25 minutes. That isn't how life works, and that isn't what I want my kids to learn. I want to have respectful children that understand people are precious -- all people, not just the pretty ones or the ones with the most stuff.
Are we missing out on some good educational programs over the summer? Probably. But my kids are getting to experience some pretty amazing stuff. Since they know the TV isn't waiting for them at home, they seem to be "getting into" the experiences a little more instead of trying to "get through" them to get home and zone out. My oldest is reading books and remembering what she reads instead of trying to zip through "X" pages so that she can watch a TV program. All in all, I think my family is going to come out on the good side of an unplugged summer.
I don't know how many of you are following our journey (you can let me know by leaving a comment or "following" the blog), but we've made it through our first unplugged week. While I wish I could paint a a beautiful word picture for you of compliant children that are relieved the TV isn't on, I can't. Both of them are still periodically asking to watch a show. My oldest has even volunteered to ride our exercise bike in hopes that she could have the TV on while she was pedaling. Nope. Not gonna happen.
It has not been as easy to stick to my decision as I thought. I've had moments of weakness. When my youngest came to me in tears because my oldest and her play date didn't want to play with her, my first thought was to let her watch a show as a "treat" -- a way to ease the sting of rejection. I battled in my head for a few minutes, then decided that some special reading time would be better for both of us.
I am seeing some benefits, though. My girls are playing with toys that haven't seen the light of day in ages. They are coloring and being creative. They are playing outside more often. Some of the edge is starting to leave my 9-year-old's voice. Even though I curbed what she watched on TV, I realized that even some of what I thought was "ok" was teaching her values that I don't want her to embrace. Quite honestly, many of the shows I've seen that are directed toward tweens and teens teach kids that they are smarter than their parents. They also (in a subtle way) teach kids that a little bit of deception is ok, and that communication is meant to be conducted with catchy one-liners that hurt more than you intend. Even if the kids are caught by their parents, the scenario is always wrapped up in a neat little bow in less than 25 minutes. That isn't how life works, and that isn't what I want my kids to learn. I want to have respectful children that understand people are precious -- all people, not just the pretty ones or the ones with the most stuff.
Are we missing out on some good educational programs over the summer? Probably. But my kids are getting to experience some pretty amazing stuff. Since they know the TV isn't waiting for them at home, they seem to be "getting into" the experiences a little more instead of trying to "get through" them to get home and zone out. My oldest is reading books and remembering what she reads instead of trying to zip through "X" pages so that she can watch a TV program. All in all, I think my family is going to come out on the good side of an unplugged summer.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Another Rainy Day
And we continue to remain unplugged. My secret weapon today was Darling Sitter #1 (DS1 for short). DS1 has been around our home for over a year, and the girls LOVE her. When she isn't away at school, I love having her over. She is great with the girls; they will do just about anything to have DS1 over. It happens that DS1 was planning to take my girls to a really cool park today. That didn't happen thanks to a cool and rainy day. Instead, I pulled out an old "tent" that had been a favorite of my older daughter. It looks like a castle. Sounds like the afternoon was more than filled with creative fun without electronic assistance.
Not only that, but my older girl is finding out that books can be fun. I may be repeating myself, but it's quite the change around here. I'm usually nagging her to read. Now I'm telling her to put the book down and finish something else. I only hope that this behavior sticks around. Instead of her telling me that she can't remember what she just read, she's sharing details spontaneously. If nothing else, my (slightly) frustrated child (when it comes to school work) is discovering that she can read something and remember it. We've know it all along. The only person that needed convincing was her.
We're looking forward to a weekend of playing, gardening, and hanging out as a family. The weather should cooperate with us this weekend!
Not only that, but my older girl is finding out that books can be fun. I may be repeating myself, but it's quite the change around here. I'm usually nagging her to read. Now I'm telling her to put the book down and finish something else. I only hope that this behavior sticks around. Instead of her telling me that she can't remember what she just read, she's sharing details spontaneously. If nothing else, my (slightly) frustrated child (when it comes to school work) is discovering that she can read something and remember it. We've know it all along. The only person that needed convincing was her.
We're looking forward to a weekend of playing, gardening, and hanging out as a family. The weather should cooperate with us this weekend!
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