Stuart Little

This is the 4th week of NO TELEVISION, whatsoever for the girls. They never watched much before and the only two programs I allowed were Mickey Mouse and Imagination Movers. However, a couple of times a week, I was guilty of using the TV as a babysitting tool when I failed to do my morning exercise before they got up in the morning. I would often get preoccupied with writing, spending too much time on my computer, or just enjoying my morning coffee. In a perfect world, I would have already exercised and showered, all before 7 AM.

So, in light of no more TV, 3 things have happened...

1. I am up, exercised, and showered... on most days.

2. On the days when I'm running behind, I just allow them to play or give them a project to do at the kitchen table.

3. I've had to wait and do my exercise and shower in the afternoon, while they nap.

Obviously, #1 is optimal, #2 is less optimal, and #3 is my least favorite. I quickly figured out that I am not an afternoon work-out or shower kinda girl.
I like to be up and ready to start my day!

So, why did I decide on no more TV altogether? Because I knew I was using the TV for my own personal desires. I wasn't engaging my girls while watching something together, like we do when we have movie nights as a family. It became an easy way for me to pacify them, while I finished what I wanted to do. I'm pretty sure that's called selfishness or lack of planning. Anyway, I felt convicted and it was time to do something about it.

So, what have we been doing instead? We've been reading up a storm. We love our local library. Biweekly, we check out 10-12 books on average. We also just finished reading the classic book, Stuart Little by E. B. White. It was the first children's book he published in 1945. The book scarcely has any pictures in it. It's comprised of 15 chapters, 131 pages, and it's said to be optimal for 2nd-4th grade reading. We made our way through, chapter by chapter, and as the pages turned, the girls grew more and more fond of the little mouse. My girlfriend, Hailey first encouraged me to read books to the girls without many pictures in them (thanks, Hai!). After no time at all- I saw their listening skills and comprehension improve. Their vocabulary has also broadened. Reading to my girls has become such a joy for me, especially now since we are moving on to books with more words. We have such tender moments of listening, cuddling, explaining, laughing and questioning. I hope to instill a love of books and imagination onto my children, rather than the enticing lure and often temporal satisfaction that comes with passively watching TV.

Lessons we learned in Stuart Little-
-Size does not matter.
-Courage is bigger than strength.
-True love and friendship knows no bounds.
-Nobility and politeness are something to be admired.
-Adventure is fun!

When we finished the last page, the girls asked, "Can we read it again?!" Thankfully, this book is ours. We were given a collection of books by E.B. White as a gift (Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan) so we are looking forward to enjoying these and many more classics for years to come.