TV Turn-Off Week?!?!? Oh No!!!

I used to get serious, nervous, anxiety symptoms around this time of year. The flyers were sent home from school. Radio ads talked about it on almost every station I listened to. My son started making his chart...and I'd start to freak out! If there was one thing I enjoyed in life more than chocolate-dipped strawberries, it was TV!

So what did a self-confessed TV-junkie like me do for 7 whole days without TV?

It was no mistake my last two articles were on television and playing. I wrote about watching television and adopting healthy viewing habits because I believe TV to be a good learning tool as well as a great source of entertainment.

I wrote the next article about taking the time out to play with your kids and family because I believe that there is more to life than sitting in front of the TV...no matter how addicted you are.
I realized I was a TV addict about three years ago and made a-- (to coin a Dr. Phil & Oprah phrase)--"lifestyle-choice" to not let the television control me.

I had it bad. I spent money I didn't have on one of those hard-disk TV recorders (they record up to 60 hours of shows!) so I could watch the shows I missed while at work. I lost precious hours of sleep watching all of those shows well into the early hours of the morning. I was crabby if I couldn't watch, I was angry a lot and not very pleasant to be around. I had no idea what I was missing out on until...

One day, my son (who was not addicted to TV...only bugs and nature) brought home a flyer talking about a week-long event his school was sponsoring...TV Turn-Off Week. He asked if we could give it a try and log our progress. For every family in the class that participated, each class would receive $10.00 (donated by a big business in the community). This meant each class had a chance to earn up to $300.00! Not bad! So, we gave it a shot...and guess what? I SURVIVED!

I also became a happier, more approachable mom for my son, and had tons of fun discovering other ways to spend our time together.

According to TV Turn-Off Week's official website,

TV-Turnoff Network is a national nonprofit organization that encourages children and adults to watch much less television in order to promote healthier lives and communities.

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