The Sweet Sound of Silence...

Well, I thought I would update you all on our TV-free zone. IT'S GREAT! We ACTUALLY spend time together as a family, enjoy our meals together, and TALK to each other. Okay, I exaggerate a little, we did those things before, but we do them a lot more now. The biggest bonus is the strange but welcome quiet. No background noise, no yelling, no muffled banter, no depressing newscasts, just conversation, and then quiet. I get up early and run, shower (sometimes :), and eat breakfast all before the kids are even awake. It's really great, but since I have already eaten, I usually pour the kids some Cheerios and McKinley turns on Curious George (or whatever is on at the moment) and zones into the tube while while I straighten the house (I know, if you have ever stopped by unannounced it doesn't look like I EVER straighten, but I promise I try, it's like pouring water in a sieve, you just keep trying :). This is what our breakfast table looks like now...NO more TV zombies!!! I love it! I still eat breakfast before they are awake, still pour them Cheerios that they eat while I straighten the house, but instead of TV they look at BOOKS! What a novel (hehe) idea! I pull out different books every morning and they spend their morning sharing books and pointing to the pictures rather than mindlessly watching television. That's not to say that there aren't benefits to educational television programs, but all in moderation, and we're not very good about the moderation part. Another bonus to the TV-free family room: less time spent in front of the TV equals less mess to clean up in the room. I rarely have toys to clean up in the family room, kitchen, or entry-way! Yea! However, I will say that the only 'negative' side-effect of the TV-free thing is that we have spent so much more 'quality' family time rather than TV time (games and books require more mom interaction than the TV, go figure :), that I have had less time for blogging - which explains my lack of posts since the Television Eulogy. Not that any of you have missed me, I won't kid myself into thinking that anybody's life revolves around my blog, but in case anyone cared (it's the people-pleaser in me) that was my attempt at an 'apology' :)