Life Unplugged
For an interesting article by Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times regarding a media fast by middle-grade students, go here: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez6-2009may06,0,560029,full.column
An excerpt from the article:
"....others said that without constant stimulation, they felt as though they were more in touch with themselves and the world around them, and Lopez said he intended to voluntarily do a one-day media fast each week.
When I visited class a week earlier, Jamila Mohedano thought she'd be the first to crack.Like several classmates, she said her family's meals were eaten around a television, and she'd have to lock herself in a room to avoid temptation.
So how'd she do? There were some "anxious and nervous" moments at first, but the rest of the household agreed to at least turn the television sound off at dinner, and Mohedano gradually gave in to a slower rhythm."Reading in absolute silence is pleasant," she wrote in a 10 p.m. journal entry. "I can hear the crickets outside and the wind blow."
* * * * *
Sunday morning was absolute bliss. I had accomplished my longest run ever, 8 miles, and had come back home to my kids and a husband who had made the best pancakes ever and had a plate waiting for me. I sat outside on our patio, eating pancakes, birds chirping overhead, my 4 year old son happily digging a hole to China, my 2 year old daughter running around the yard while her daddy pulled weeds, and it was just...magic.
I'm so grateful to live in a neighborhood where I don't hear televisions blasting, neighbors yelling, or cars constantly going by, and I truly wish this luxury were not so hard to come by for so many others. Scrimping and saving to pay our mortgage is totally worth it to give my children the gift of their own peaceful plot of dirt, the songs of birds overhead, and the quiet to really get absorbed in their own little world.
There are many who cannot choose to live in a place like ours, but I loved reading Steve Lopez' article because it proves that no matter what the setting, we can still choose to turn things off ourselves and tune in to the people around us, to be more aware of the sounds of crickets and birds, and to give our souls a chance to learn peace, slowing down, and being quiet within.
My husband and I have been trying for at least one TV-free day a week for our kids (they currently range about 1/2 hour - 2 hours/day), and without fail, those days are the most peaceful and connecting for our family. I've seen a direct correlation between my children's moods and their TV-watching. My biggest challenge is not using TV time in order for me to get housework done....We have tended to default to our son watching TV while our daughter naps, and the other day after a half hour, I said, "Adam, let's turn off the TV and play trains instead." I turned off the TV, expecting a protest, and instead heard, "Mommy, thank you for turning off the TV. Let's play!"
2 comments:
Carole,
Great points about aiming for the quiet moments. They can be hard to come by, especially as parents of little ones. I agree that we need to make time for these moments; we have enjoyed not having tv for ten years, but we have had plenty of videos. It's nice to turn those off at times too, to engage with the other things life has to offer, like good conversations, playdoh, and fun puzzles. I especially enjoy the peace and quiet of the outdoors and hope we can make a play-date for the Botanic Gardens some time soon. Chat with ya soon---Di
Just wanted to clarify that our kids primarily watch children's videos (some from the local library) or shows that we have recorded (in which case, we fast forward any commercials as we don't want our kids exposed to that consumerism training). On the plus side, I do think that some children's shows have expanded our kids' vocabulary (i.e. Thomas the Train has introduced phrases/ways to talk about feelings like "he was delighted" and "he was cross" into Adam's playtime).
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