In an effort to get to a simpler family lifestyle I decided to turn off the TV at my house for a week. I have read in numerous places that television isn’t good for young brains. The studies I have seen say that the fast paced, void-of-context, idea imagery confuses developing brains under age of 2. Additionally, children become more sedentary when they watch many hours of television each week and this can be a factor in our juvenile obesity trend today.

As a child I remember watching Public Broadcasting Stations like Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, and The Electric Company. We weren’t allowed to watch more than a few hours of television a day, and never allowed to watch network sitcom type shows. Although I have a serious gap in my knowledge of popular culture, playing away from the set did open the door to explore so many other activities.

As a mom, I admit it, I am guilty of letting my children watch too much television. Last week I decided to turn off the television set cold-turkey and see what happened. My 3 year old went from watching programs many hours a day to zero hours a day. What did I learn? In a nut shell, I learned I have just been lazy and that I need to start entertaining my kids more.

What did the kids do? They painted pictures, colored with crayons, played with play dough, read books, went to the library, went to a cousin’s house for a play date, went to the park for a play date, baked and frosted cupcakes, played in the tub, played in the sink, walked to the playground, played in the dirt, went shopping for groceries, went to grandmother’s house, played in the pantry, and visited with the physical therapist at home. (This is another preemie baby update.) Both children were pretty happy with no television. I asked my son in the middle of the week if he’d like to read a book or watch a program, and he picked the book. A couple of times my son asked for a show or a movie, but I simply said,” no, we are going to go to X,Y,Z,” or “you have plenty of toys, why don’t you play with the blocks” and he didn’t fuss.

Now, you ask, what did I do all week. I changed each kid’s outfit at least once a day. Cleaned up pee and poop — not in a diaper. Washed a baby’s belly that was covered in paint and her mouth which was also covered in paint. I acted as an on-demand artist and sculpture because my son doesn’t understand, “you can make that yourself.” I cleaned up paint spilled on the floor, on the carpet, and on the walls. I cleaned flour, sugar, and icing sprinkles from the floor, under my counter appliances and on my son’s shirt. And put back the things pulled out from the pantry, the toys strewn across the floor (the 3 year old refuses to clean up, and his toys were subsequently taken away), crayon and play dough that were mysteriously were smashed into the carpet (we need hardwood floors). I also served as a chauffeur of course and a short-order chef (those packed-lunches-on-the-go that they don’t even eat….sigh.) On top of this, I did a tiny bit of blogging, vacuumed, managed to get dinner on the table and cleaned up, did laundry, made some appointments, balanced our checkbook, purged some papers, and cleaned out the pantry and the fridge. (I wonder how this as a job description would go.)

The kids loved the activities, but how did I like the week? I hated the week. Helping my kids grow and learn gives me great joy. But I don’t love the whining, the pulling, and the messes that simply make more work for me. I wish I had a back yard and I could just put them out to pasture. I wish my daughter could walk so I could just let them play outside together while I worked on another outdoor project. And I wish I had more strength and energy to physically do more. (This is also another post.) The grass is always greener on the other side? (Let me post script this by saying, I adore all moms and dads out there who are able to do this many activities with your children and feel spiritually full. Any tips on how I can change my perspective?)

So, what are we going to do now? I am going to let them watch a couple of their favorite shows but also schedule more activities for them. Scheduling for me is simply having a few ideas of projects we are going to do that day, like coloring, play dough play, or cooking. I am going to work on my personal health in hopes that I will gain the energy and strength I need to feel I can do more.

Are you feeling that you are relying on television to help entertain your children? What activities do you do with your family that aren’t television related? I’d like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment here and share with others! Happy Organizing.