the one-eyed babysitter

I have a problem.



My kids have been watching too much tv. And by "too much tv," I mean way too much tv.

I find them slack-jawed and glassy-eyed on the couch watching the likes of Spongebob Squarepants or some other equally nauseating animated character. And then there are the "teenager shows" that send my girls into fits of giggles over some obnoxious teen who has done or said something that only a 7 year old and 4 year old would find funny.

It's not their fault. It's mine. It's a crutch I use to keep them entertained (and still) while I get things done or have some all-important "me time." The excuses in my head range from, "I just need to get the upstairs bathrooms cleaned and then I will turn it off." Or, "I have to give Ethan something to do while I'm in the shower." And the saddest of all, "She is tired and just needs some time to veg out in front of the tv." I'm pathetic.

I have never been one to have the tv in the background all day long. So, turning it on and changing the channel to one of the kid ones is a deliberate act. I pick one of the above excuses, then the show is over and I go to turn the tv off and the kids say, "No! No! I want to watch the next show!" And I shrug my shoulders, leave the tv on and go about my business. Did I mention that I'm pathetic?

And as long as I am no longer kidding myself, it is no coincidence that I have been overwhelmed lately with all that has to be done after school lets out. Avery has 20 minutes of math and spelling homework, 20 minutes of reading homework, plus at least 30 minutes of piano practice. Nevermind playing outside, having a snack and occasionally having a friend over to play. Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm pretty sure that eliminating tv would free up a lot of time for those things. And, just maybe I might not be so overwhelmed by them.

So, this past weekend, I made up my mind to drastically reduce the amount of time my kids spend in front of the tv. I chose not to tell them about my decision in the hopes of avoiding the inevitable arguments and drama. At first, the kids were especially obnoxious, dumping out all of the toys in the playroom and making all sorts of noise. They had to re-learn how to play with their toys and I had to re-learn (still learning) how to manage them. But, by Sunday night things were looking better. After school we have spent tons of time outside playing and riding bikes. Ethan and I went to the library and checked out some new books to read. And, most amazing of all, my girls have started playing Barbies together!

I am exhausted, my house is filthy but my kids are better for it...