[photo by Pablo Gonzalez Vargas via morgfile.org]
We sold our TV a while back. It was monster of a thing that we bought during our dot.com days. Once gone, an astounding amount of space was cleared in our livingroom. Space aside, I have to say that we've reaped many benefits from getting it out of the house.
- The kids are reading more. We stop at the public library once every week or so and stock up on HUGE piles of books that they actually read (!).
- They've started making their own shows with the digi-cam they got for xmas (thanks Grandma & Grandad!). They script, edit, rehearse, and film their own shows. Complete with commercials, which brings me to...
- They don't see commercials anymore! Yay! When they make their shows, the things always include commercials for this or that ("This is the best cleaning solution ever! Visit us at www dot Blah Blah dot com!!!" and actually mention brand names and stores -- yech.)
- We've taken to watching family movies together. Everyone piles into Mom & Dad's bed to screen a movie on the computer monitor, while the baby climbs all over the place and sneaks over to the keyboard to pause the film at all the critical points (he's a very smart, and cheeky little boy)
- When the kids have friends over for playdates, they actually play.
Honestly, the only drawback to not having the boob tube any more is that I don't get to watch Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert after the kidlets have gone night-night. I do miss those two, they were my daily visit back home to NYC.
I am truly envious. If it was up to me, the TV would be gone. It's the hubby that can't imagine life without it. Our compromise is that the TV does not get turned on 3 days out of the week.
Posted by: Carmen | January 18, 2007 at 12:26 PM
Very cool that tv free has brought you together that way. We were tv free for a while but now we're back to local programming and netflix. :)
Posted by: Dee | January 19, 2007 at 06:02 AM
Oh my goodness! This post couldn't have come at a better time! My husband and I were arguing over the television just this morning - I want to get rid of it, and he's having "issues." I think it would help the overall attitude of our house (namely that of my two oldest) not to mention save us a little money in the process. Stage 2 in the TV Wars to commence this evening!
Posted by: Melissa R. Garrett | January 19, 2007 at 06:37 AM
you rock! this is my 10th year without one.
Posted by: Jason Temple | May 09, 2007 at 03:15 PM
Thank you!
Posted by: Veronique | May 09, 2007 at 03:25 PM