Alright, the modern things we have are pretty much in every home, car, computer, and now even phone that is used regularly. I am as guilty as anyone carrying around my awfully tempting cell phone everywhere I go. I love getting quick updates on my friends and having that external connection because I am so bound to my home. Regardless, people who come over ALWAYS comment on one thing at my house... "Where is your TV." They ask this question generally minutes after coming into my home. We have a corner fireplace that looks like it would be the perfect framing for a nice large flat screen TV and it wouldn't take up too much space in this awkwardly shaped "great room;" yet over the fireplace hangs a family picture, the same one that I said would hang over it four and a half years ago when we were still negotiating on the house and I said I never wanted a TV in the living room.
Nonetheless, when people come to my home that response is the first thing I hear about. Why do I not want a TV right there near the kitchen where I can watch it while I cook, where people can watch it when they come over, where it is nicely centrally located in my home? Because I don't want it on while I cook, when people come over, or centrally in my home.
The heart of a home is the kitchen. It is where I prepare food for my family. The kitchen is where I teach my children about what food does for their bodies, about fractions, and where I hear all of their questions. When I am in the kitchen it is the perfect time for us to interact and learn about one and other, I feel that would be greatly impeded if my children or myself had the television going on. The kitchen would become a stressful area with too much extra stimulation and distraction. Preparing food would become a hurried hassle instead of an enjoyed part of our day. For me, that is enough reason to relocate the TV.
When people come to visit I enjoy having the time to interact. I have been to many family member's homes and there is always a TV in the "living room." Watching TV is not living it is existing to watch fake lives. I enjoy watching TV, but it just does not fit in well to social experiences as a main event. As a child I remember being yelled at for "not being a window" at family gatherings where suddenly watching golf right after watching hours of football was essential to your next breath; and I want more for my kids. I want them to have the opportunity to develop stronger relationships with the people we invite into our home.
Being centrally located in my home is not a necessity because it is not and will never be a central or essential item in our home.
Do you have TVs? Where is your TV? Yes, of course we have TVs. Our big TV is downstairs. We have had this particular TV for nearly a year. Our family has maybe used it for about 100 hours this year. We watch movies on it and play games on it. It is in a nearly unfurnished room that gives us the ability to have plenty of space to play games and enjoy our family time. We also have two tiny TVs. This is great because if we really want to we can take it to any room and watch a TV show or movie, but these are also used infrequently. We do not buy cable, honestly I would not want to have to police a TV as much as would be required if I had cable available to my children.
What Parents As Teachers representative said about not having a TV. My PAT representative said that my children's vocabulary was larger than average children their age. They work on more abstract and creative things than many of the other children she saw. My children have a different pattern of development than most of the children that she works with and seem to pick up on understanding language faster. Their gross motor skills develop rapidly (though generally later) than most of the children she works with. She said she felt this all was a result of not having extensive amounts of television around them all day long. They were able to listen more carefully to words because there was not extra noise to sort out.
Anyhow, I have my reasons. I know that some of my guests dislike my TV policies, but they work for our family; and how great is it that it already fits nicely in with my newer primal lifestyle. I'm loving it :)
Please tell me if you have a reason you think it improves family or could be really important, I would love to hear all about what I have not looked at!
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