Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Well I wasn't planning on a blog break but it just kind of happened.  We've got a no TV/no computer rule going on in our house when the kids are awake.  I can check emails or look up something but replying to emails and making my rounds in blog-land has to be done when the kids are asleep.  So without the ol'boob tube to entertain the kids I've been filling in leaving me with no energy to post at the end of the day. 

It all started with my son's strong desire for a WebKinz (they are all the rage right now and every one of his friends has one - even three year olds in my daughter's preschool class!)  A stuffed animal that comes with a code so you can look after it in a virtual world on-line, ugh.  I told him 'never', 'they're a waste of time & money', 'you have your own real-live pets you can play with and look after' and the list goes on.  Well, J.T. (softie!) said he'd buy the kids each a Webkinz if they could do no TV/no computer for 3 weeks.  It has been a couple of weeks now and my kids are getting along better then ever and their play is so much more creative.  We are on a roll but unfortunately part of the fun of a Webkinz requires going on the computer.  I'll definitely be controlling 'when' and 'how long' much more then I used to.  As for TV, the kids don't miss it a bit.  Before the TV/computer ban Mister C was asking me like one hundred times a day if I would buy him a Webkinz.  I'll be interested to see how great he thinks it is once he's got one.  I don't remember wanting any toy that badly.  I don't think I had lots of toys (my mom may beg to differ?)  I guess I would of liked an EasyBake Oven and there were Barbie things I would of loved but nothing I begged for...you?  Was there a toy or something you just had to have? 

Comments

[Nicole]

I remember the Christmas of 1981 I really wanted a Monchhichi doll (a monkey that sucked it's thumb). I'm not sure why I wanted it so much but my Mom went into labour and had my brother that Christmas and was in the hospital the whole holiday. My aunt had to wrap our gifts and my Mom had hidden the Monchhichi so well (yes, I was one of those kids who always tried to find my presents early) that it was not under the tree Christmas morning. I was very distressed. I had to wait until my Mom came home from the hospital and dug them out of her closet. I was so happy (I was 10)!!! Funny that my Mom and I laugh about that story all the time. Joey is just starting to notice TV and I know I have to be strong - I have to admit Eric and I love our TV (I'm so ashamed).

[Erin]

Glad your back. I missed your posts. If you can, try to resist the urge to buy a Webkinz. I admit I regret getting one for Danielle. She wants to be on the computer all the time now. I have had to put strict limits on the computer where as before Webkinz the computer was never an issue. But maybe it wont be such and issue with Mr. C as he is younger then Danielle.
Good for you for no TV and computer, it encourages them to be so much more creative. I need to try that one of these days. As for a toy I had to have...not really but... I really wanted a pair of Rainbow jeans and white hang ten runners. I never got either but thats okay.

[gwen]

Sort of reluctant to say that there was one occasion in particular where i threw such a fit in a gift store in toronto because my parents refused to buy me one of those ugly little leathery looking E.T. dolls. They left the store and i stubbornly remained there crying until i ran to catch up to them. At that point i'm sure they were prepared to leave me there. It was bad, real bad. We still talk about it.

[Diane]

You might not believe it but we didn't have a tv or phone in our house until I was about 9 years old. My mom was very creative and crafty...I remember making candles, spool knitting and the like. (My Mom even recycled her wedding dress into barbie clothes for me). I do however remember wanting one toy badly...the donny & marie dolls in their purple outfits..."I'm a little bit country and I'm a little bit rock n' roll"....aaaaaah the memories of youth!!!

[Stephanie]

I was never really one to sit infront of the TV when I was little...I liked playing "pretend" things better. Perhaps one of the reasons your kids are not asking you for silly toys is that they are no longer being bombarded with commercial after commercial telling them they NEED them. I think so much marketing is geared towards kids now making them huge consumers (um, gross). Good luck with the TV ban...hopefully it will stick for you.