Survival

Each year the kids' school encourages families to participate in the National Turn Off the TV week. We generally don't have the TV on Monday through Thursday. At first we did this because it just made things easier for us. We set the plan with August and when he'd come up to one of us asking to watch Arthur or Lazy Town we'd look at him and ask what day it was. He quickly caught on and learned that he shouldn't even ask. The plan worked so well that we just continued it. At this point I'm not sure we'd even have time for the kids to watch TV during the week. What with School of Rock and the school play, then add the hour and a half (if we're lucky) of homework on top of that and we're rushing for dinner to be done before 8pm so that Hazel can get her reading in before lights out. So, when the note came home that this year's event would be starting January 8 and continue through the 15th we just assumed we'd all do it. Hazel was excited to sign the contract while August conveniently kept forgetting his. When you have a mom who works in your school it's really hard to get away with anything...so I just grabbed a new contract and had him reluctantly sign the form.
Friday night has typically been our movie night but last Friday we changed it up and played Pictureka together. Man, Hazel is good at this game. She can find the needed item so quickly it's shocking. It was already a late night and we could only fit 2 rounds in before bed...but we survived the first night!
Saturday we made waffles together and spent most of the day out of the house, ending with pizza at the Nyssen's. We had to inform them that we weren't watching TV/playing video games because the boys are now programed to go right to the game system when they see each other. The kids spent their time going through all of Francis' new toys while the parents had great conversations over the kitchen table.
Sunday was another busy day with little time spent sitting...and then, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...we made it!
On the 15th the school welcomed all the families who participated to come back at 6:00 to play board games and use the gym for a few hours. I had some running around to do between play rehearsal which ended at 5:30 and the family event so the kids went over to our back yard neighbor's house to eat a quick dinner and hit the school.
Once we finally made it home a strange thing happened. It got very quiet in my house. August slipped into his room and Hazel disappeared to her room. I was rather tired from subbing and then going right to rehearsals so I just sat on the couch for a minute before I walked around my silent house wondering what my children were doing.
August was found on his bed with his DSi and earbuds...Hazel? You guessed it...same thing. They stayed this way for at least 1/2 hour before I encouraged them both to hit the sack.

I don't feel badly about them retreating to their personal game systems. I think they already have limited screen time as it is but I'm thinking that we might want to change our policy up just a bit. Two Friday nights in a row spent playing board games...it was a good thing. Friday night might be the only night that we don't feel that rush to get things done. No one needs to get up early the next day so bedtime can be flexible. Homework can wait until sometime Sunday meaning that we can have dinner together without rushing...which just might leave us some time to sit around the coffee table with a game or two...wanna come over?