We're Going Unplugged

Jeff and I have been talking about this for some time and after reading this post on Unplug Your Kids and seeing a tv commercial today showing a child coming home from school and the parents being too "busy" for their kids we've decided that it's time: We are unplugging the tv for a week.

Unplugging the tv includes not watching videos and DVDs. We will allow some educational computer games for Will as they help him with his spelling and reading. With the tv going off, it's a good thing that I have my list of "Important Things to Do" on the right hand side of my blog! :)

I'm unplugging my self from the computer a bit also. I will allow myself to check my email/blog in the morning with my cup of coffee (as has become my morning wakeup ritual). I will then turn the computer OFF until 1:00PM when I will check it again before Will returns home from school. Then OFF it goes for the rest of the day until the next morning. During these two times I will also tend to my blog and give updates on how this "experiment" is progressing. The blogs will be short and sweet. My weakness with the computer is mindless surfing. It needs to stop.

So, what do I hope to gain from this? Honestly, a couple of things. First, I don't want to rot my kids brains out. Second, I want to spend more quality time with them. I zone out in front of the no-brain box myself. Thirdly, I want our family to interact more in the evening. Especially after Witt and Nathan are in bed. We have 1 hour alone with Will before bedtime. We don't need to be watching tv during that hour. We need to be reading or playing or whatever with him. Will has to take a back seat to the little ones a lot because they NEED more from us than he does (as he can take care of a lot of things himself - not because he needs us less). This is a good time for us to show him that his needs are important too, even if he just *needs* us to play trains. :)

And what happens after the week is up? I truly hope that we'll continue with the tv off. I hope I won't be so frazzled from having lost a part-time babysitter. If we do continue with it off, I don't think we'll do it forever, but instead use the tv as a treat. And even then, make it a family event with popcorn and the whole bit. I want a much more family centered family.

So, I think I've covered it all. Goals, Limitations, Rewards, Next Steps. We're ready. Tonight after explaining to the boys about what we're going to do, we are removing the DVDs and videos from eyesight and unplugging the no-brain box.