Now before you roll your eyes and click on to the next place you’re venturing in this great big ol’ internet world, humor me (smile). I bet you’re a fast reader it’ll only take a minute (that’s all the time I’ve got anyway).

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way first. You can eliminate the following…. “Oh no, she’s a crazy legalist!”  If I were to err it would be on the side of legalism, I am well aware of that, but this has nothing to do with rule keeping. It has everything to do with a different kind of freedom. You can also scratch out the “You cannot possibly be fun.” thought too. I assure you, there are at least three dance parties around here per week and some of those take place outside and I use my phone as a microphone. Yeah, be glad you aren’t my neighbor. At least I can carry a tune. No one runs screaming, but they probably think we’re all kind of weird. But who isn’t, seriously? You can also stop thinking she just hates tv. I hate that tv has become a prop to uplift all manner of sin, but I don’t just plain hate it. Our family loves a good nature show and who doesn’t like a wild, fantastical adventure story? I LOVE me some good movies. The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings to name a couple, yeah I am that girl. I like guy movies (smile).

So, why go TV-less for the summer or for forever?

The reality? Is that a TV-less summer is not that far-fetched for our family, we are not big tv people. We’re just not that into it and would rather do other things after we tuck the kids in for bed…wood working, star gazing, decorating (just me on that end, smile), and tons of reading. My kids watch one half hour show a day…some days. Going TV-less isn’t such a huge stretch for us. I wanted to share that upfront, because it might be a great deal harder for a different family to give up the habit. And just so you know, my kids aren’t older either. We’re talking we’ve got three ages 5 and under…. I understand why the thought of giving it up might make a young momma kind of go stir crazy for a moment. BUT…..

That said, I did think it worthwhile to try for a few moments to give you good reasons you might want to go TV-less or perhaps limit tv this summer. 

First question, why do you watch tv? Before I watch anything, I usually think about that. Is it adding value to my life? Pushing me toward godliness, toward meditations that are pleasing to the Lord? Is it just a means of escape from the daily grind (not to say that is altogether bad or good)?  Is it just fun (that can be a fine reason)? WHY? It’s worth answering. This is how you stay away from idle living, purposeless living too. Ask yourself WHY you do what you do…. You only have so much time.

Even better question, why are your kids watching tv? Now, I’m meddling. I am not saying they can’t ever watch it; no legalism here. I’m just saying we should ask ourselves why. When I asked myself what the kids were gaining from tv my answers were as follows.

*They were learning something…. A Leap Frog, Super Why, etc.

*Little kid leisure…. Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Strawberry Shortcake

*I need a break….

I need a break I think that ‘s mostly why they end up in front of it, especially in the summer. You know what I’ve learned? You can have a for real break without TV. You do NOT need it. It doesn’t mean you can’t choose for your kids to watch something, but it’s not the only way. I decided a long while back (like when there was only one kiddo) that they needed to know how to play without me, without the need for help, or a planned activity. And their kids, they can do it. Do they ever know how to play?! So I found I didn’t need to even do one half-hour show a day if I didn’t want to (and yes they have watched MORE than an hour in a day too; again, this is not about rule following). Truth is though…kids do NOT need TV. 

The other thing I have observed  about TV and kids, is that it hooks em’ easy…. Ever observed it? Watch one show and what do they ask the minute the credits start to run. Hmm-mm, ask for another. We’ve chosen LESS tv for our family, because we wanted to create a culture in our home that suggested that TV was just a little treat. Just one little thing we could do in our day among a thousand other wonderful things. We do not need TV. (And there’s the added issue of whether or not you’re watching what they’re watching. Hearing how they are processing and absorbing what they are seeing. Even if it’s a “safe show,” think PBS, they still need help processing the things they see.)

Furthermore, we want our children to be readers more. I am not at all suggesting that if your kids watch 2 shows daily for the whole summer that they will not also be excellent readers. I am saying that we want our children to fall in love with written words more than they do with entertainment. Reading and TV are two very different things (wry smile). More reading for us, less TV. 

So, we told our kids no TV this summer except for Saturdays if we want to, and legitimately we may not. There were no tantrums, no great protests. They still ask on occasion and I just remind them Saturday is coming. It’s just not a big deal. And you know what there’s more of…crazy imaginative fun, talks about life in the Lord, just more living! Let’s take our hours back from TV, there’s only so much time. The culture has sold us a lie…that somehow we need entertainment in our everyday life, but we don’t. 

And yeah we will still see some good movies and share laughs over homemade popcorn, but it will be a side dish not the regular course of our lives.

Life isn’t on a screen somewhere.

Life is out here. Where your kids are playing blocks and wrestling each other and building things and using imagination. Life is outside where balls fly through  the air, where kids roll in the lawn, and cover themselves with sand and dirt.

For us, when my first-born, while flying fast on his bike, paused for but a moment to tell me this, “The birds are singing, and the wind is blowing a cool breeze!” That moment sort of captured what I hope will be an encouragement to you toward a summer with less-TV. He was expressing a wonder with the world that can’t be gained by spending hours on end in front of a screen. He was living life to the full, and after that moment we paused together and thanked God that we didn’t miss the birds or the wind.