Mission aborted

From my previous post, you saw that we were gong to disconnect ourselves entirely from the media flowing into our household.
I decided to go a different way.
I know, but what do you expect? I am a Gemini after all.

Instead of terminating our services, which was going to affect my business, we are simply enforcing more viewing rules and guidelines than before (and before, I actually was pretty strict about what and how much TV was watched). They do not ever have unmonitored access to the Internet so that isn't a worry for us yet, but now they are not allowed to turn the tube on until 7 p.m, and bedtime is 8. If they are engaged doing something interactive, such as (gasp!) playing together, then of course I will not interrupt. Heck, I might sell tickets, so rare would the attraction be!

But seriously, I think children are mostly adversely affected by the media. I realize that there are educational channels and some benefits to viewing, but as with anything it must be closely monitored and in moderation. Their little bodies need to be active and challenging their imaginations. When I was young, we looked forward to going outside and playing with friends, riding bikes, climbing trees, playing tag - just whatever. Granted, there wasn't the choice of channels that are now offered with cable TV. No Disney channel or Nick Jr.


During different times throughout my childhood, my mother used to actually get books from the library (long chapter books) and gather us together in the evenings, my brother, my father and me, and read aloud. This is a fond memory for me,one I draw upon when I am molding my little family unit in the way I want it to be. In this busy, fast-paced world, it is often hard to imagine carving out a whole hour for such an activity, right? But, these types of interactions with our children is what they grow up and cherish as loving memories. Course, the trips to Disney World didn't cause too much harm...(grinning).

Anyway, a lot of this comes in the wake of my 5 year old daughter saying to me the other day that she is fat. Fat. My response to her was a bit manic, perhaps too animated in my effort to sway her to the opposite opinion of herself but I was caught off guard. How can my little girl be plagued by those worries already? Is it her friends? Her peers? The commercials on TV? The magazines she loves to thumb through and try to read?

So, onward.
There are books to be read, Monopoly and CandyLand await us.
This might actually be fun.