Friday, May 6, 2011

A home without TV

So, today on facebook there was a post about not having cable TV.  I re posted it to my page & loved the comments I got regarding not having cable.  The little glimpse of the blog that you got was that on average, cable runs about $75 / month.  That's $900 a year.  Aside from the money part, there is a lot that TV can add or take away from the home life of the people who have it.

TV has had a very large impact on my life.  Growing up, I had this view of the television.  TV (or the act of watching TV) was at times, the most important thing in the house.  More important than sleep, practicing piano, doing homework ... more important than the people who lived in the home.  If the TV was on & being watched, all other activity had to be done in a way not to disturb the TV viewing.   Now this was even before 1000 channels all in HD with 24 hour news & views ... it was the 70's and the 80's.

One of my friends commented that now that they have no TV they talk to each other.   I love that.  I love that someone put it in words for me.  Not having TV they (and I am taking some liberties here with the interpretation of that statement) have found a deeper relationship as a family.   I remember at times LONGING for attention, but instead it was given to a TV ... this object.   Now that I am a mom, and a person w/ out TV other that DVDs,  I wonder what my daughters views will be on TV when they are older.  Don't get me wrong, when I can (hospital & hotel stays) I LOVE watching HGTV.  I used to be a big fan of Law & Order, the weekend marathons were great ... but now, I have three little ones.  Do I really need to be sitting watching Judge Judy rip some idiot to shreds because he came to court chewing gum and mumbling?   No.  And the programs now!  What "family" is really a family we want our kids to look up to.  Gone are the days of the Cosby Show that kids could watch.  Now, the "kid friendly" shows are full of disrespectful kids (or cartoons) and parents who act like they can't stand each other.  What "vibe" or "energy" is that putting in your house?

So ... for those of you who have TV, I offer a challenge.  Think of your cable bill.  Take that & plan something with that money 6 months or a year from now as a reward for being TV free.  What would you do?  Could you cancel your cable today?  How do you think your family life would improve?  Is your TV more important than your child who wants to tell you how her day was or ask you about a problem she had in school?  If you can't cancel it, what about turning it off while your kids are awake?   Record what you want to watch & watch it when the kids sleep.

It is late, I am tired and have a long day for the next few days ... but I could go on & on about TV.  Instead I will close and get a few hours of SLEEP!  I look forward to reading your thoughts.

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