Turn the TV off

I know kids love to watch TV. Big kids and little kids. Even grown up kids (adults). But somehow, watching stuff on TV has become a bigger focus in our lives than doing stuff in our own lives !! You know – that ain’t livin’. We need to turn the TV off. And we need to teach our kids to turn the TV off.


I just came back from a weekend getaway with my 14 year old son. We co-holidayed with a girlfriend of mine and her 14 year old son. Recipe for fun  - right ? We stayed in a gorgeous bush cottage hide-away near a gorgeous beach, not far from a gorgeous little seaside town. There was heaps to do – bush walk, beach, rock climbing & exploring, bicycling, games (pool & ping pong) tennis, boardgames !! – and that was just at the cottage! In town, we had the option of canoeing up & down the river, dodging kangaroos on the golf course, enjoying the cafes, little shops, walkways, skatepark etc. etc . etc.


I was looking forward to a weekend of relaxing, having fun, ‘doing’ things, etc. but in fact the TV was turned on at first light in the morning, basically on at any point we were in the cottage, and every evening we watched a dvd !! And when we did play boardgames, the TV was left on (to compete with us for attention and focus. (I was outvoted and conceded to these things only out of politeness).


Yuck!! When did we get so that kids (and some adults) have to have a screen on at all times? What is the message we are sending them, we when can’t be firm enough in our guidance as to say “we are having a television free weekend away”. Hello – haven’t they got a dvd shop at home? Can’t they just record anything that is so important they can’t bear to miss it? All this technology, and instead of using it to our advantage, it owns us, owns our kids.


I’ve even tried on holidays to ring ahead and get the TV taken out of the room before we arrive… you can’t imagine the resistance I have to this!


Please – can’t we just turn the TV off.

I feel so strongly about this, I will be posting about it each week.