Sometimes motherhood takes everything out of us or so we beleive.
I say this because after returning from speaking to staff at Sunnybrook I reminded even myself of the excuses we make for not taking care of ourselves.
I asked them to do a SOUL FOOD CHECKLIST. Meaning write down a list of all the activities you possibly do in a day that are not have too’s. Once completed give each activity a rating from 1- 10. 1 = it is not good for you or the people around you . 10 = it feeds you and the people around you in a positive way. It could be watching tv ( which is one of the biggest time wasters and demotivators ) to talking on the phone, to housecleaning. These activities can be big or small. These activities feed you in a good way or a bad way more or less. Get honest with yourself and then committ to reducing the activities that waste your time and drain your energy.
Now back to TV. Simply put cutting off your cable may be one of the best things you do for you and your family. The resistance in the beginning will feel like an addictive withdrawal( because it is) As a family you will talk more, walk more, ad be less influenced by media that is toxic and leads you to eat and sit on the couch more. Be your own personal life coach and make a small decision that can make a big change. Happy Sunny Friday everymom~
Hi Kath
Does that ever sound familiar…as I said we periodically turn the cable back on and it is amazing how quickly we digress. Like in the case of your husband, many of us our very dependent on these crutches. I think sometimes starting with small steps works better for some families. Like a family I know has screen free Sundays. These days they always choose physical activity based family time. For example bike riding on a trail. This is great because today’s many bike options for child seats to bike trailers make it accessible to the whole family. I run with my boys. Until last year I ran pushing my baby and 3 year old and my eldest rode his bike. Now my middle one is starting to ride. It has slowed me down but I stick to quiet trails where I can sprint and circle back.
I love your idea about forced together time in the form of camping. So many North American families struggle with this and without instituting it….it was just never happen
HAPPY MOTHER DAY
Andrea
I have TRIED several times to convince my husband to turn off our cable. It would save us a lot of money, too! But he REFUSES. I personally find I’m so busy that I almost never watch TV – I have even been forgetting to PVR Survivor (only saw the first 3 episodes) and even missed a good friend of mine who debuted on the season premiere of X-Weighted. HOWEVER – the TV in our house is always on. Whether it’s the kids watching Treehouse or YTV or Family, or my hubby watching the news or CPAC (yes, he actually watches this for hours) there is rarely a time without that noise.
It would be an interesting challenge. I think one of the things we treasure about camping is that silence and forced togetherness.
I know it does sound crazy. I know how you feel. However there is nothing stopping you from watching shows but now you can choose videos once a week that you know is good for you. Something that feeds you in a positive way.We really think we need something until we dont have it anymore.Than we find other ways to spend our time. Like reading a book, stretching in silence there are ton of activites that we can indulge ourselves with that feed us in a positive way. (SOUL FOOD)
Periodically in my house we turn our cable back on. Every single instance I watch us change.We have lost valuable time and experiences. When we go back to no cable our family life changes for the better. We all benefit. I know many families who have been resistant to the idea and have tried it. I have never heard anything but positive reports.
Wow. Cut off your cable?! Crazy. I do get your point, Andrea, but I sometimes need an escape and my 3 weekly PVRd shows offer me just that. I lead a crazy busy life from running my own business, to running to stay fit, to coaching my daughter’s soccer, to family game night and play time. Sometimes a little self-indulgent TV is just what I need.