The Summer We Went Dark

The goal was to simplify our lives where we can. So much of life around us feels more unpredictable by the day and the time, zooming by faster than ever. What else can we do but hunker down, focus on what's important and control what we can control to feel more secure? We didn't have to cancel the tv dish, but we decided it was worth the sacrifice with the monthly expense we would save. And I've maintained for a while that as dependent as I am sometimes on the "free babysitter", the tv seems to bring out the worst in the older kids. When they aren't fighting over what to watch, it's probably because they are watching something inappropriate. And the brand marketing in commercials is ridiculous. On a recent short road trip, for example, the kids were singing commercial jingles for Nationwide Insurance and Red Robin instead of nursery rhymes.

We made the decision with the idea that we could always sign back up if we felt the need to. But, really, we didn't have anything to lose. What I didn't expect, however, is how much we would gain.

I explained to the kids that we no longer had tv and braced myself for the backlash. Nothing. Not even a complaint...or whining...or endless questions challenging WHY the decision was made. Instead, the kids found other activities to occupy themselves. And not just that- they have been playing more cooperatively together, which is something I never would have predicted. They fashioned a pirate ship out of the picnic bench, had a treasure hunt, read books, built train tracks, raced matchbox cars and used their imaginations while they played with everything from their squirt guns to their plastic animals. And still no complaints. What's also amazing to me is that the house is SO MUCH QUIETER without the tv blaring in the background. And I can hear myself think...which means I have a lot more patience (which, believe me, is better for everybody). And time. For someone who never watched a lot of tv to begin with, I somehow find myself more productive during the day (and the kids have stepped up their chores- even asking to do extra!) and with more down time at night. I even had a conversation with Brian the other night without the constant distraction of pausing the tv. I can generally say that I feel more engaged with the people around me.

So the few dollars we are saving without the tv have bought something more valuable. More family time. And when it comes to simplifying, isn't spending more quality time with family what it's really all about?