So I have been trying to upload pictures for a Halloween post for a week or more now and every time I try it says it can't upload "program isn't responding" uggh so frustrating... So I thought I would ask this Question because I was thinking about it today....
As kids how did we spend our time? My kids have been movie fanatics lately, I can't even tell you how many times I've watched the Cat in the Hat or Shrek, or Home Alone or Batman. When Zarley comes home from school she says I haven't even watched any TV and wants to watch TV or movies. I don't have this problem in the summer because my kids spend almost every waking minute outside but it's cold now so we are inside and all they want to do is watch something on TV. So today as my boys were fighting over watching a show they were going to watch when we got back from errands I thought what did I do as a kid because I know I wasn't watching movies all the time because I think my family was the very last in America to get a VHS. I played I think all the time really I don't remember I seem to have a horrible memory when it comes to my childhood... I know I played Barbies I know I had an imaginary friend that I did everything with and I know I didn't watch so much TV.
Now days our kids watch TV constantly in the car in their rooms all day if they aren't watching TV they are on the computer or playing video games. What ever happened to good old fashion playtime? I think technology is the downfall of creativity and playtime (not to mention the American family right mike? ;} ). So although it is fantastic at times and really what would life be like with out it, what would life be without it? Maybe a bit more imaginative?
So think about what you did and what do your kids do?
St. George Trip
4 weeks ago
6 comments:
My kids will watch tv when I don't want them to, and won't watch it when I do want them to (I know, I'm terrible, but occassionally I partake in the TV-sitting). They will play outside when it's hot/cold because they, like me, go crazy and start climbing the walls if they're stuck inside for too long. But they do like to play cars/build things/take things apart. Our Wii is broken, otherwise I'm sure there would be marathons of that going on, I can't decide if I like that or not. I will back out all of the cars from the garage and close the garage doors back up and they will ride their stuff in there when it's just too terrible outside. The hard thing is when we as adults have too much going on during the day, the kids are left to entertain themselves. I know some people that do limit their kids' time on the tv. So if it's a bother, you could try that. I remember specifically from about 6th grade on being addicted to Nintendo (Mario Bros.) and watching movies, especially musicals (I know, shocker) and I memorized every line of the shows so my friends and I could re-inact them. Yep, awesome right? If I wasn't doing that when stuck indoors, then I was recording on a tape the songs on the radio that I liked as they came on, then I would play them and pause them so I could write down all of the lyrics (no computers back in the day with all that fayancy googley stuff) so I could memorize the lines of the songs...especially...wait for it...rap. THEN, my sis and I would put on little performances for whoever would watch. What fun, care-free days those were! Oh, my kids do love a good board game (bored game ;-)) too. Anywho...you could always ship em on over here, my boys would love that.
As I kid, I played outside, played games, and watched TV, but then again, we did not have cable, so I was limited to a handful of channels. I would like to say I will limit TV time for Quinn, but Dalan is a TV addict, so we'll see how that goes....
Greg and I were talking about this yesterday -- I want to cancel our cable, 'cause I feel it just encourages more TV watching than we need (as a whole family).
I suspect my kids watch a lot of TV during the day when I'm working. Not totally sure but I never come home to the TV turned off. It bugs me too. Then there are Jeramie's boys who come over every other weekend and they LITERALLY play video games NON-stop. J'Von will play with Jackson's toys sometimes but the first choice is always xBox. It really bothers me to no end. For years I haven't seen Jonathan do anything that didn't involve the TV. I even asked their mother what else they do at home, in the hopes of suggesting the same thing at our house, she couldn't be bothered to respond. So with all that said .. I really don't want my boys to follow that pattern but at the same time I don't remember my parents providing our non-stop entertainment, we were left to do our own thing like most kids of our generation. I played with barbie's. I remember Mike playing with GI Joe's, Evan playing with Turtles. I think that eventually (and this as of right now is in an ideal world, since we aren't there yet) but I will have certain times of the day where it's no TV time. If forced I think that eventually they will find other ways to entertain themselves. I also think with Owen and Xavier (like my boys) in the next year they will start to play more things together. So that I think will help too. Sorry .. not really any good suggestions, but I can totally relate.
You watched soap operas as a kid didn't you??? I bet you know exactly what happened on either Days or General Hospital from 1984 to 94 come on.....Your kids seem to play a lot more then most kids I know (without the t.v.) I saw a mom comment on FB the other day how she missed her t.v how they had been with out it since Feb... then tons of others commented on how they too have been without it for so long....I was really surprised... we have never had cable and probably never will but my T.V is pretty much always on and I don't watch it at all so.... When I was little I rollerskated rain or shine! I rode my bike too rain or shine, we walked ourselves to the sledding hill in the winter or when we played inside it was a lot of imagination and not a lot of toys.... We played Bank, my favorite was Fashion designer League... where Kathryn was our seamstress we drew up all kinds of outfits and called her on a pretend phone giving her immediate deadlines... it was great fun.... we also peed in the Barbie pool just for fun (probably not the best idea) but..... Now a days kids need every bit of play time choreographed for them a set play date for a set amount of time.... or parents involved in everything or the t.v sitter so we have not taught them to entertain themselves.... Sorry for the long post, but thanks for getting me thinking of something other then what needs to be done!
I was limited to how much time I could watch TV. Only for 2 hours, and that was on weekends. After that I needed to find something to do. Which equaled sledding, building snow forts, playing with all the neighbor kids, the possibilities are endless. That's what siblings and friends are for that have parents with the same rules. It makes for kids to love winter more and all seasons.
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