Sorry Kids, No TV in Argentina!

We have decided to completely eliminate TV from our lives while in Argentina. We figure that we can get all the news/media we need from our computers. And, most importantly, the kids will have to engage their brains rather than veg out in front of the television (and we will not be tempted to used it as a quiet-the-kids magic box.)

Our kids never experienced having cable TV in the house until we sold our home last year and moved into the condo. Well I can tell you, that experiment is now over!

In our old house, in the basement, we had an HDTV hooked up to an antenna (much to Tom’s embarrassment), which needless to say, didn’t work very well. The kids would have to move the antenna around constantly in order to even tune a channel in, and then once they got a picture, they could not move or it would disappear again. Not really worth it.

Now, in our wired-for-cable condo, the kids have discovered, much to their delight, that there is a vast array of programming available to them besides a fuzzy PBS channel! They have become addicted to TV. So, we ran an experiment a few months ago where the family “went hard.” We eliminated sugar (which was really for Tom and I since we sneak dessert after the kids go to bed) and all screen time for the kids (computer, video games, tv) from our lives for a month. The kids were on board and it was magical to see the change in them. Their overall mood was much better, they were more civil to one another, and the games and projects they undertook to entertain themselves were truly inspired.

Funnily enough, when we told them that there would be no TV in Argentina, they didn’t really seem to care.

2 Responses to “Sorry Kids, No TV in Argentina!”

  1. Jessica

    Can’t wait to read the New Year letter and hear about your adventure. But most of all I can’t wait to hear more on the huge painting and what became of it….did it go in the garage sale, free pile, get stored, or make the trip south?

  2. Mich

    Hmmmm, that’s an idea. We could use it as a raft and paddle down to Argentina!

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