When the Sun was born, the hubby and I were normal folks.
Though deeply emmersed in a spiritual practice, I was a news junky and
when home if we were not listening to jazz, I had CNN going full blast.
There were the occiasional nights when we relaxed on the couch and
watched Monster Trucks or some DIY show, but something was always on.
Not long after we had our bundle of joy, we recognized the need to
protect him from the greater world. As parents, we were already on the
fringe compared to those living around us in our neighborhood (though we
were surrounded with friends who parented in much the same way we did),
so turning off the cable seemed like a normal progression. There was
no Dora, no Blue’s Clues. Sometimes, even with our “fringe” friends, we
felt a little odd or a little bit like we were depriving our son of
something great. Truthfully, we may have disconnected from the cable as
much for our own well-being as for his. We were addicted to the screen
and knew we would all too easily find ways and excuses to sit him in
front of it instead of interacting with him. I am not going to say that
never happened, because, well, it would be a lie.
As he grew and we entered the Waldorf world, it was a breathe of fresh air to find others who limited screen time for themselves and their little ones and that is a path that we have more or less stayed on these last 10 years. Eventually, though we did not turn on the cable, we did succumb to Netflix – a necessary evil with the disappearance of the video store. Now, we are embarking on a new stage in our life as a family. As of April 11, Netflix will also be gone and we will be spending the summer without the fall back screen. Not to say we are totally eliminating it. We can still receive videos and we’ll be using the computer for news. But, the streaming, the round the clock availability that makes it all too easy for someone like me to say “yes, you can watch ______” will be gone.
I know. You will say I am weak. I should be able to tell the kids “no” when they ask. Then why even have it in our home? I broke the news to the Sun, new age 12 and he was devastated. The Moon doesn’t know and it may be quite unpleasant when she finds out. But, I know as we move into the next stage as a family (I know, it’s torture, right?) this is the right decision.
Peace Out.
As he grew and we entered the Waldorf world, it was a breathe of fresh air to find others who limited screen time for themselves and their little ones and that is a path that we have more or less stayed on these last 10 years. Eventually, though we did not turn on the cable, we did succumb to Netflix – a necessary evil with the disappearance of the video store. Now, we are embarking on a new stage in our life as a family. As of April 11, Netflix will also be gone and we will be spending the summer without the fall back screen. Not to say we are totally eliminating it. We can still receive videos and we’ll be using the computer for news. But, the streaming, the round the clock availability that makes it all too easy for someone like me to say “yes, you can watch ______” will be gone.
I know. You will say I am weak. I should be able to tell the kids “no” when they ask. Then why even have it in our home? I broke the news to the Sun, new age 12 and he was devastated. The Moon doesn’t know and it may be quite unpleasant when she finds out. But, I know as we move into the next stage as a family (I know, it’s torture, right?) this is the right decision.
Peace Out.
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