Before Nathan was born, Dave and I spent a lot of time talking about what we wanted for him. All parents do, of course, but a lot of our conversations centered on how to keep him active and healthy and smart and social in a society (and home) dominated by technology. I read A LOT as a child, teenager, young adult and am convinced that has a lot to do with my intelligence and success, (And no, I see no reason to be humble here. I'm doing pretty well for myself.) I also played outside and wandered the neighborhood with a pack of children, going backyard to backyard to climb trees and put on plays. TV makes you fat and stupid. Science has proven that. People who watch TV eat more and exercise less. Children who watch TV are more insensitive to violence and have smaller vocabularies. It truly is mindless entertainment. But it sure is fun.
These days Dave and I like to hike and swim and snorkel and explore, but we also have a Play Station and a Wii and like to watch baseball and a few TV shows. Before Nathan was born we thought we just wouldn't have the TV on when he was awake. This worked just fine when he was a newborn and slept all the time, but it has proved a little unrealistic now that he is older and awake so much more. We still don't get involved in any plot based entertainment when he is awake, but we like to watch some news or have a baseball game on while we putter around.
Over the last two days I have seen something that makes me a little ill. Nathan is mesmerized by the television. There I am blowing razzberries and making faces and he turns the other way to watch the confusion of color and motion that is playoff hockey. I suppose the attraction for him is conceptually no different from the music box on his playgym. It's not like he's actually rooting for the Pens. But still, it bothers me. It reminds me that balance is hard (says the girl who played DDR until she had stress fractures in her feet) and that Dave and I will have better luck setting an example than speaking a lesson. Though no normal child makes it through without a couple hours of "Bob the Builder" or "Thomas the Tank Engine", it's up to us to set limits and offer an alternative.
He's not going to build a treehouse on his own, but if we turn off the TV and go with him, magic can, and will, happen. For all of us.
!n nearly 10 years of marriage, we have never had TV. We do have XBox and a DVD player. I have found this way we have complete control over what goes into their minds and how much time they spend in front of the tube. My kids have never seen Sponge Bob and certainly never Hannah Montana or High School Musical, though Mckenna has been teased at school for that. I don't remember watching much TV as a kid, except early Sat. morning kid shows and Sesame Street. I too read all the time, and now seeing Mckenna read warms my heart! It's fantastic that you are already thinking this through--and yes, all babies stare at football and hockey, the colors and movement is fascinating!--and setting limits. Love it!
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