Maybe grounding Caleb from television wasn't such a bad idea?
Yesterday by far exceeded my expectations. In fact, I had no idea my kids liked each other so much. But, without television -- they played together nicely. Pokemon cards. Random made-up games. They ran around the house chasing each other. They got along. There was far less fighting and bickering than usual. Homework time went better. Dinner time went better. I think even bedtime went better than usual.
When Caleb got home from school this afternoon, the television was on. {I'm still allowing Lorelei to watch in the afternoons if she'd like to. And she has a couple of things she does enjoy watching without her big brother to intercede.} I allowed one 30 minute show. I didn't care which show they picked, but it could only be one show. When it was finished, I turned everything off. No one complained. In fact, Caleb said he's going to stop watching so much tv cause it's kind of boring.
I'll admit that television is a background noise for me. I honestly don't even notice it's on most of the time. I completely tune it out. I can take it or leave it. When the kids were younger I would turn on things like PBS so there were songs and words constantly jamming through their little heads. And Caleb -- he talked pretty young. Lorelei, not as young, but instant vocabulary. So, I don't think it was a bad thing. But, they developed a love for tv. Cartoon Network, PBS, Sprout, Nick, Nick Jr., Toon Disney -- you name it, they want to watch it.
Sometimes, I'll admit it, I've used tv just to keep them quiet for a little while. My children are not quiet. Caleb's ADHD makes him wild on top of loud. For my own sanity -- I've allowed them more television than I should have.
Now though, I think possibly we'll change our television habits.
Both kids grabbed a game out of the cabinet and sat down at the table. They've been playing solidly for at least 30 minutes, if not longer. Caleb helping Lorelei with her game and then occasionally going back to his own. They aren't arguing. They aren't fighting over who is winning. They are just enjoying themselves. And it's not in front of the television. It's wonderful!
After baking some cookies and before putting up the tree -- we played some Star Wars Episode 1 Monopoly today. It's been sitting in a closet for years, but finally the kids are at an age where the most basic points of the game can be played and it's GREAT for money counting and math skills. Caleb won. He was literally just going around the board collecting money and poor Lorelei and I didn't stand a chance. We had a good time though and it was nice to play a complicated game with them and not have an argument break out that stopped the game before we were ready for it to be finished.
