I am going to admit a dark and shameful secret.So you need to be gentle with me, friends, for it is a terrible confession, indeed.
I am a TV addict.
Not so much for me. No, not anymore. I’ve replaced that compulsion with a new obsession – writing and reading blogs. But that is a post for another day.
No, I am addicted to letting my daughter watch the boob tube.
Yes, yes, just last week I listed her faults here , many of which could possibly be linked back to my benign neglect and her television habit. But please, don’t judge. Trust me, I do that enough myself. If self-flagellation was an Olympic event, I would be a multiple gold medalist.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I also need help. I am guilty of being a tv addict with my boys! I can’t get anything done if they are not sitting on the couch watching cartoons.
So since i am an addict I have no advice. at least you are not alone!
I laughed at this and DO understand. I have some ideas for play on my blog, if you are interested.
http://outside-the-toybox.com/good-news/play/
Love your blog!
Um, Hi. I am Christine and I have like, 37 hours of programming on my TiVo.
Shall we form a club? I am creating a tv addict, too… I think it’s hereditary. But, like you, Noggin is our drug of choice. I believe the whole no commercial/full day of preschool programming is brilliant. (not that it’s on ALL day… I promise it’s not!)
I am not a TV addict, but I have a serious blogging habit that I need to get under control. LOL
oh, I would love to give you suggestions as soon as I can turn off “wow wow wubzy wubzy wubzy wow wow” and figure it out for myself.
I grew up on the stuff too.
look, the days are long (I know the years are short)
and we do a LOT of other stuff too but sometimes it is just neccesary. I cannot entertain my children all of the time. we went to the gym, a playdate, the store and we have a couple of hours before soccer. I’m not about to attempt any sort of craft. I wouldn’t know where to begin! let me know if you think of anything that doesn’t require too much of my energy!
At this point in my life I am perhaps watching less television that at any previous time. Blogging, Joost, the web, Google Talk, and various other social networks have almost completely replaced the television for me.
I would never have guessed any of this even 2 years ago.
Katie is watching SpongeBob. There, do you feel better? I just spent the day with her and now she’s watching mindless tv, just like her mamma!
But seriously, I wouldn’t worry too much. As long as it’s not excessive, which it doesn’t sound like it is. As for play ideas, my kids love moon sand, and I hate the mess, but it is good for at least 30 minutes of free time! Also, setting up a little table with the bears and dollies and having her throw them an imaginary party.
Yep, as I comment, my kids are watching Tom and Jerry. Which is fodder for about every bad habit imaginable.
I used to be even more addicted to letting my kids watch TV than I am now. I made a rule that we couldn’t watch TV before 5pm. (More for me than for them.) It’s done great things for us. I think now I have to make a rule that we can’t watch TV after 6pm. Or maybe 6:30.
We limit the TV a lot but over the summer the boys watched a hell of a lot more and it was a true guilty pleasure for me. It doesn’t sound excessive, Mrs. C and you’re doing all sorts of other things with her that are great. As for other ideas (that haven’t already been mentioned): when I am really at a loss I’ll tell the boys I need to clean and they LOVE this – give them a damp rag and the Dustbuster and I swear it buys me 45 minutes!! And the house actually looks a bit better when they’re done.
Well, we don’t have a TV in our house (plus my son’s only 6 months old), but we spend inordinate amounts of time on the internet… with him in our laps. I think that might be the same thing. Here’s my random suggestion. Do you have any friends around with kiddos the same-ish age? Would they be up for a kid swap once in awhile? Like you drop of your kid for an hour or two every other week and on the opposite week you watch both of them for an hour or two. For any old reason. Maybe the kiddos would then occupy each other? (or maybe just get into double trouble!) but at least you might have a couple of free hours.
And (shameless plug here) visit my blog to find a link to my new business – Discovery Toys – for some really cool toys that might keep her occupied by herself for a few more minutes!
I’m working on that. I have a tendency to just turn it on in the hopes that it will amuse him.