We had all but made the call to cancel our dish. Not because we had to but because we came to the realization that the tv was really for the kids, given how much of it Brian and I get to watch. The problem is that when they aren't fighting over what to watch, I am telling them to turn it off because so much of it these days is inappropriate. And don't even get me started about the commercials.
I'll admit that I depend on the tv as my pseudo-babysitter to get things done (like laundry, vacuuming, dishes, etc) and at least the preschool-aged shows are educational, right? I can attest to that point personally. Here are some examples:
*"Look, mama, Chuck E. Cheese!" (Ella pointed out as we passed one adjacent to the freeway. And, no, she's never been there. But a great first step for name recognition!)
*"Let's count! Uno...dos...tres..." (Ella can count proficiently in English AND Spanish, thanks to our friend Dora the Explorer.)
*"Pat...pat..pat..pat,pat,pat,pat! Faster!" (Chase, my backseat driver, thinks my car is Rocket from The Little Einsteins.)
*When I tell Ella, "you're so special" she replies, "Oso, special?" (As in Special Agent Oso. Followed by an immediate search for her over sized "special agent" watch.)
*"Mama, Cha wan milh" (and I repeat, "Does Chase want milk?") to which he replies with excitement, "Milk, RIGHT!" (as if I picked the "right" answer.)
*When I ask, "Do you want a hot dog?" the reply is always the same..."hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!" (Mickey and friends sure know how to sing!)
*"Mama...trash truck...go...dump?" (Toy Story 3 has taught Chase about community services and the cycle of trash.)
And my personal favorite...
*"A clue! A clue!" Ella shouted excitedly as she jumped out of her chair.
*"Let's count! Uno...dos...tres..." (Ella can count proficiently in English AND Spanish, thanks to our friend Dora the Explorer.)
*"Pat...pat..pat..pat,pat,pat,pat! Faster!" (Chase, my backseat driver, thinks my car is Rocket from The Little Einsteins.)
*When I tell Ella, "you're so special" she replies, "Oso, special?" (As in Special Agent Oso. Followed by an immediate search for her over sized "special agent" watch.)
*"Mama, Cha wan milh" (and I repeat, "Does Chase want milk?") to which he replies with excitement, "Milk, RIGHT!" (as if I picked the "right" answer.)
*When I ask, "Do you want a hot dog?" the reply is always the same..."hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!" (Mickey and friends sure know how to sing!)
*"Mama...trash truck...go...dump?" (Toy Story 3 has taught Chase about community services and the cycle of trash.)
And my personal favorite...
*"A clue! A clue!" Ella shouted excitedly as she jumped out of her chair.
(No, the new container for dog treats with the paw on the side wasn't really a clue, but Blue would have been proud of Ella!)
So while we are still contemplating canceling the tv, I can honestly say that my conscience has been eased a bit by the twins' positive influence from it. I can't say as much for the "older kid" shows where the teens are sassy and the characters are dark, but as long as everyone is willing to watch Curious George be, well, curious, we just might keep the tv. At least until the twins figure out how to work the remote control.
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