A Snappy New Day

It’s that time of year again, ladies and gentlemen…Turn-Off the TV Week is upon us.

Shhhh…If you listen very carefully, you can hear the agonized groans of children from all across the land. And if you listen even more carefully, I believe you might just hear the barely suppressed sighs of their parents.

Let’s face it…all of us know that watching TV is not the noblest of human pursuits, yet the overwhelming majority of us indulge in it now and again. And we all know that TV rots children’s brains, but maybe just a little won’t hurt, right? (We hope!)

Well, I’m certainly no expert. –I began this adventure in motherhood saying that my children would never, ever, ever watch TV. And then somehow, I changed my mind a little. I think it was the gentle tones of dear Mister Rogers that first lured me in. I remember snuggling on the couch with my firstborn when he was about three, clicking the remote, and then catching a glimpse of that familiar red trolley on the screen. I kid you not—actual tears came to my eyes when my old friend Fred started singing: It’s such a good feeling to know you’re alive. It’s such a happy feeling—You’re growing inside. And when you wake up ready to say, “I think I’ll make a snappy new day.”

That’s all it took. Suddenly, I realized that there were things about TV from my childhood that I wanted to share with my son. For instance, I really liked talking with him about how old King Friday was not so good at sharing, and how Lady Aberlin sure was nice, and how X the Owl was awfully cranky today.

That’s when I realized that limited TV wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it probably wasn’t the best thing either. Yes, I could finally grab a shower, knowing that my transfixed boy wouldn’t move an inch while the beloved Mister Rogers was on. But it also meant that maybe I’d let him watch a little longer than I should so I could check my email in peace. –Oh…it was a slippery slope, and I won’t claim not to have slid down it headfirst on a number of occasions. Parenting is hard work! And when something like TV allows you a much-needed break, the temptation can be strong to lean upon it.

That’s where something like Turn-Off the TV Week comes in handy. Turning off that screen—even for a week—really does shake things up in a household. Suddenly, you realize how much you’ve been relying on screen time to make your day a little smoother. But after a few days of twitching and crying (mostly from the children, but a little from the grownups, too), you realize that your family is actually pretty creative. You realize that you like the members of your family. Whether it is playing board games together or just horsing around in the backyard, turning off the TV demands that you come up with something else to do. And, usually, it’s pretty fun.

Now, I’m far from a purist in the TV department. Turning off my TV for a week doesn’t mean that I won’t turn that thing back on once the week is up. But it does mean that I will remember to keep it to a minimum. And I will remember to be extra, extra vigilant about what my children see on the screen—whether it be TV, computer or video games.

We all have our standards and our boundaries. My children, for instance, would be the first to tell you that “Mommy doesn’t let us watch scary stuff,” and “Mommy doesn’t let us watch commercials.” And we all know how important it is to draw lines in the sand that we don’t let our children cross in the name of entertainment.

And for some reason, the relatively simple act of turning off the TV for a week really helps sharpen up those boundaries. It reminds us that WE are the ones in charge of what our children see and don’t see. And it also reminds us not to fritter away these golden hours and minutes of their childhood staring at a screen.

It’s a tough job being a parent. –And while TV can sometimes make our days a little easier, it can also bring with it a whole host of problems we must never lose sight of. We all know the kinds of things that would horrify us if our children—or any children, for that matter—were to watch them. And how to address those issues is up to each family to decide. But it is kind of nice to think that for one week, at least, we can all be on the exact same blank screen.

National Turn-Off Week runs from Monday, April 20^th through Sunday, April 26^th this year. For more information, visit the Center for Screentime Awareness at www.screentime.org.