tube time

If last weekend's Memorial Day holiday didn't do it, summer has now officially unofficially arrived. School's out, summer's here.

One of my goals (besides moving!) is to limit our tv time, big time.
I don't think my kids are big tv consumers to begin with, knowing how much the tv is on in lots of other households... but sadly, Sawyer's gotten pretty in-the-habit lately. He just got so annoying bored when Savannah was at school all day every day. He's still not a fan of anything to do with drawing, coloring, painting, writing, workbook type stuff and it's a fight to get him to do it. He has to be doing something active, big active, like bike riding or playing ball or swinging and climbing. Or he will want to play a board game or do a puzzle... with someone. And he's persistent. So more often than I should, I end up suggesting a little down time with the tv for him.
Here's our usual rundown...
We always have it on in the morning, while I'm we're reading blogs waking up and eating breakfast. We do always manage to turn it off after half an hour, to get ready for the day... but it always came back on after SJ left for school. Sawyer had 30 minutes to kill before he had to leave for school or whatever, so he watched Dinosaur Train every day. Then it'd usually be on during lunchtime and then again mid-afternoon, waiting for SJ to get home on the bus. After that it'd be off for the rest of the day. Basically it got to the point where Sawyer watched most days: Curious George, Dinosaur Train, Martha Speaks, Cyberchase and Word Girl (any of these might be substituted by Phineas and Ferb at any given time). Gah, when you look at it like that, it is a lot of tv!! It sure seems more acceptable when it's just 30 minutes here and there... it's not like the is on all day as blaring usual background noise. But it adds up fast I guess.
Not to mention throwing in the occasional Phineas and Ferb marathon when we're feeling extra couch potatoey.

Anyway. All that to say, conveniently timed so that Sawyer has a more suitable playmate around now that school's done, we're putting the kabosh on the tv for the summer.
Day one, so far so good and with no complaining -or even requesting- whatsoever... tv has been off all morning.
Well, the kids went down to the basement to play in the blanket fort we made yesterday and I later found them playing Buzz Jungle Party instead, so I guess it hasn't been completely off. But they did turn it off themselves after just one game, so really that's fine by me.

You just might find me the kids going thru Phineas and Ferb withdrawls later next week...