No TV week

Posted by Frank Gerjevic

Posted: April 21, 2009 - 3:38 pm

Comments (0) |

My son Joe has signed the family to a pledge of no television for a week. It's a school project. I think it means no screens at all - no computer, no movies.

He's six. I wonder if he's old enough to handle a draw knife. Instead of surfing for Spongebob he can take the dog outside and they can bark some logs.

On Monday night he asked me if he could play with his Leapster.

"I don't know. Better check with your mother." I wasn't sure of the rules. Meanwhile the answer was no.

Now that TV is off limits the boys yearn to turn it on. Suddenly Legos are boring, sword fights are dull. And accidental violations are easy.

While I put groceries on the belt at the Fred Meyer checkout, Joe and Nick saw that the big TV screens on the edge of the electronics section were showing "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

Could they go watch? Sure.

Only as we were leaving did I remember. "Hey, Joe..."

Nick figured now that we'd sinned, might as well go all out and watch TV at home.

Nice try, kid. No dice. Nick, keep reading "The Hobbit." Joe, rebuild that rover.

By the end of the week they'll have either whipped the flickering addiction of TV or I'll have them on a forced night march from the Eagle River Nature Center to Echo Bend and back again.

Unless the Cavaliers and Pistons are on Friday...

login or register to post comments