A week ago today I decided to accept the TV Challenge from Alex at Late Enough. I thought it would be easy because we don’t watch much TV. What I realized in the first week is that, if you count baseball, we do watch TV regularly. I also now recognize my son needs a 12 step program for Wii addicts.
To continue with this challenge, I had to come up with a rule: you can bank time and use it all at once. For example, you can give up TV for 3 days and then watch a baseball game. We have to play this way or drop out. I am sorry, but it is baseball season.
The first day of the challenge (last Thursday) Monkey and I decided to watch baseball. We promised to give up TV for the next several days to be able to watch the game, which seemed like a good plan at the time. Strasberg pitched against the Mets last Saturday and we missed watching the game because we gave up our TV time all weekend to be able to watch the game on Thursday. Thanks Alex. Thanks for coming into my life with this challenge during baseball season.
Other than seriously affecting our baseball viewing over the weekend, this challenge has not been too difficult. When I felt we were nearing a crisis, I packed food and took the kids to the pool. This was a great distraction.
Monkey had the biggest adjustment as a result of this challenge, but he did well the first week. I enjoyed playing more games with him and watching as he chose alternative activities on his own. His Lego creations from last week are spectacular and he has been reading more.
I have been following Alex’s progress on her blog this past week. She is really having a difficult time. Alex lit her house on fire, hid from her children in public restrooms, and made a video of her son for him to watch over and over again.
If you read last week about the challenge, you know I am confident that we will beat Alex and her kids. I was a little worried about Alex’s thoughts on my interpretation of the rules until I read about her first week. If Alex tells me my cumulative TV time rule isn’t allowed, I am going to point out that the video must count towards her son’s TV time. I am feeling a bit more confident in this new rule now that I know about the video of Alex’s son.
As we enter the second week of the challenge, I am hoping it will be easier than the first week. Either way, I am not worried because I have a plan if this becomes more difficult. I am going to give my kids Alex’s address. And money for bus fare. And drop them at a Greyhound station. And move while they are visiting Alex.
Check in with us next Thursday to find out if Alex tries the light-the-house-on-fire diversion again in week 2. I will also announce where my children will be living. Clean out the guest room Alex. Just in case.
Actually after one week in the challenge, I believe Alex and I are both winning. We have had fun adventures with our kids and found ourselves involved in activities we normally would not think of doing otherwise.
Comments
9 responses to “Television Challenge: Week 1”
Our guest room is where we store everything that we don’t know where to put. So your kids would fit right in.
If it was football season, I’d be doing the same thing with TV time. It’s just that baseball is… well… meh. (now I KNOW I just picked a fight). Maybe in September we’ll have to do a football vs. baseball showdown.
Ohh, you did just pick a fight! I will take this up with you later. I have to stay focused on the current challenge.
I have already told the kids about Camp Alex. Get ready.
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Ah, a woman after my own heart! Big baseball fan here. Don’t watch much, though. My team is the Cardinals, and I live in Jacksonville, FL. There are rarely ever on here.
We do work very hard to limit our overall TV time, though. I allow a couple of PBS shows in the morning for my 18 mo daughter, and that is it. We used to watch the evening news during dinner when she was a infant, but now it stays off and we eat together and interact. Good for you for taking the challenge!
Hooray for survival! And I love your blog’s name. Hilarious. We may be headed for Camp Alex too. At least it isn’t raining there.
my parents made us do something like that growing up- except I think we banked time by how many books we read. Since I loved to read, it wasn’t exactly rough.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! :)
It’s funny how you don’t realize how much you do something until you decide to give it up (or put a limit on it). I feel like my husband and I don’t watch TV very often, but you made me realize that we watch more than I thought! My husband is really into NASCAR, and he has to watch the races every Saturday or Sunday, so those would take up a lot of time! Plus, we each have a few shows during the week that we love, and all of them are 1 hr. programs. At least we don’t watch it for HOURS on end. :) Good luck finishing the challenge!
Good for you! Maybe someday I’ll try that. Maybe. :)
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