We all have an imaginary future self that does the things we aren't doing right now. For example, I still have it in my mind that I'm going to be a person that throws huge, elaborate parties even though I'm not a party throwing kind of person. Something I've always told myself I will do is live without t.v; turn it off more or less for good. Wes has that same vision. We especially want it to be the life that our child knows.
Flash to today and to reality. I'm a t.v. junkie. I watch wonderful shows but I also watch a ton of crap. Until now. At the beginning of last week I was watching a little cartoon with Seeley when I was punched in the gut. "What am I doing? Turn this sh*t off!" I had been thinking about this for awhile but in that moment the decision I needed to make was clear. Television turns your brain to mush.When we watch t.v. we're not doing anything. Right now Seeley's brain is figuring out the world (heck, my brain is figuring out the world). By putting her in front of the t.v. I feel like I'm putting the brakes on all of that!
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that children under the age of two should watch no t.v. whatsoever. While I think that living soley based on "expert" advice won't make for the most in-tune, connected family, I do think they have a point. Children see the world in a way they never will again. Why bring television in to mess that up?
So the t.v. is off. Not for 24 hours, but during the day we've instituted a no t.v. rule. At night we'll turn it on if we have something specific we want to watch or we have a Netflix movie. But for this girl, the boob tube is out of her life.
It's been a little over a week with no t.v and is it crazy to say I'm already seeing changes? Seeley took a two hour nap today. Anyone who's spent time with her knows that she is not a baby who naps. She always wants to look around to see what's happening and she fights going to sleep even when she's exhausted. In addition she's a light sleeper and things as simple as turning a page in a book will wake her up (this actually happend). But now, she doesn't have the noise and fast moving images of the t.v. Our daily activities (going for walks, tummy time, reading, talking) require energy and brainpower. The house is quite. And she's started napping. I put her to bed and she just...slept! No up and down for an hour. Connection?
It's only been a week, and it definitely helps that the rain has stopped and we've been able to get out of the house. Things will get difficult, there will be times of "what should we do?" but we're connected. Seeley has an amazing amount of energy and I have a mind that I'd like to think is creative; so off goes the t.v.!
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