How Do I Kick The TV Habit?

I'll confess that the TV in my home is on...a lot! When I'm playing with my DS on the floor, it's always on. Even while we have snack time or lunch, the TV is still blaring in the background. When he goes down for his nap, the TV keeps on ticking (lately, I've been working on turning it off during his naps to go do other things).

I should mention that just because the television is on, it doesn't mean I'm always watching it. But more often than not, I find myself watching the latest news program or an interesting show on the History Channel. Sometimes I'll even watch a recorded sitcom from the DVR. There's a never-ending stream of shows that I can watch on any given day.

My son is still pretty aloof when it comes to TV. He'll stare at the screen for a little bit, but I don't think he knows it's for entertainment. At least, not yet. He does like bright, flashy commercials and shows. Because of this, I avoid children's programming.

The good news is that we do a lot of stuff outside the house: Like story times, play group, Gymboree and so forth. And now that the weather is improving, we spend time outside running around.

The Television Addiction

The biggest problem with TV is that it's highly addictive. I've been searching around the interwebs about this topic and article after article says that TV has the same effect on the brain as some drugs. That's why it can be a hard habit to kick, because as soon as you stop watching TV for any length of time, you will get withdrawal symptoms.

But the advantages of getting off the TV horse appear to make those withdrawal symptoms worth suffering. I've read that people who have given up TV say they can think more clearly, their creativity improves, their productivity improves and their overall quality of life improves.

It's not hard to imagine those benefits because instead of watching someone else's fake life on television, you're out living your own real life, with real people, having real experiences. One article even pointed out that the actors who play the characters we are addicted to watching on our favorite shows, probably don't watch a lot of television.

Television And Stay-At-Home Parents

I think for stay-at-home parents television can be especially addicting (and dangerous). It's very easy to turn on the TV while taking care of our little ones. I find it very weird to play with my DS with the TV off. It's almost like the house is emptier. 

And for some parents, the television is used as a babysitter. They plunk their children on the couch or floor, put on a children's show, thus freeing them to do other things. I'm not passing judgment on parents who do this because I can sympathize with them.

The solution? Stay busy with other stuff. Like I said earlier, my son and I go to different play groups and activities throughout the week. This keeps us out of the house for a few hours. And when we get home it's lunch and then he's down for his nap.

I wish I could keep the television off for good. It's very much like a safety blanket. The only thing I, and everyone else can do, is ween ourselves off slowly.