Too Much Television...

Okay, I admit it. We watch TV in our home. whew... I said it. ;) I also admit that we watch more than I would personally like to. I want to turn it off and enjoy the world but I find myself falling back into that rut. I don't want to be that way. But it is sitting there in all it's temptation and it is calling your name... or my name... It is so hard to give something up or change a routine you have had forever.

I think there has to be a balance in it all though. My son has learned a lot by watching educational television and I certainly think it has it's place. Why? Things are HUGELY different now than when we were all growing up. When I was growing up cartoons were on Saturday mornings. Watching a child's show was a special thing that happened when Charlie Brown or the Wizard of OZ came on around holidays. We did not have complete channels dedicated to children's programming when I was growing up. Okay maybe they existed but we didn't have them until much later on when we moved off the farm.

While some of the shows now days I could totally do without, others my son loves and has learned SOOO much from them. It is presented in a way that I would never have thought of and that reaches and teaches him on his level. So for that I think it does hold a place. iPads, tablets, video games, and educational programs have all changed the way we teach, live and learn. No longer do we have to read to get it we can use our magical little friend, Google. BUT that being said I do want my son to have the skills to look it up in a book. To learn where to go to find this knowledge BEFORE using Google. :) I introduced it to him the other day because he has been asking lots of questions that I don't know the answer to. So... we met Google for the first time. He is still a ways away from doing it alone but I think he should know it's out there.

So, I strive to be like those families who have one hour of tv a day and video games only on the weekends. I strive to be that way but alas I am not. {please don't judge me. I am a work in progress ;)} So yes. We watch PBS kids and some Disney and some Nick Jr. Yes we play video games, computer games and iPhone games. But... my son knows more about cheetahs than I have ever known. He has taught me about dinosaurs in all their glory. He's learning to read and he's learning to write and can do some pretty great math for a Kindergartner. He also knows his state shapes better than I ever have {thank you stack the states on my iPhone:)} Balance is the key and we are trying to find that. What are your thoughts and how do you work your tv time or game time in your home?