Giving Up TV for a Week

Last year a dear friend of mine challenged herself and her family to eat locally for one month.  Well, she inspired me.  Not necessarily to eat locally (Olivier watched Food,Inc. and ever since he’s jumped on my bandwagon of shopping at Whole Foods, eating locally when possible, and such), but to give up a very bad habit I have (and fear I’m passing on to my children).  Watching TV. 

I thought that when we canceled our cable I would watch less TV but that hasn’t proven to be the case.  Instead I just watch less “substantive'” shows.  Well, maybe that’s not all true.  Without cable I can’t watch the Real Housewives series (and I watched them all) which would have boosted my IQ except that I replaced it with Gossip Girls (yes, I admit it okay!). 

I don’t have an obsession with TV, it’s just easy; because that’s what I’m used to, and I worry that my children are falling into the same pattern.  So I’ve decided that we are going to give up TV for one week (baby steps) and see where it leads us.  Olivier doesn’t watch  Here are the following rules:

1. Sunday morning political talk shows are allowed and kids can watch a movie or cartoons while I’m watching those shows.

2. The new season of Lost is about to start and I will exempt that show from my no TV rule. 

3. If I need to nap in the afternoon I will allow the kids to watch a movie during that time.  It keeps them quiet and calm, hence, facilitating my much needed nap. 

4. Jacques Pepin has a new cooking show on PBS Saturday afternoons and I would like to exempt that as well. 

Otherwise, no TV.  No morning news shows, that don’t really report meaningful news anyway; no Gossip Girls, no QVC, no The View (which always makes me mad that I wasted my time watching it in the first place), no The Good Wife or 30Rock, or  re-runs of Deadliest Catch or Friends or Frasier. (I’ve seen them once, I don’t need to see them again).  You get the picture.

Even though I’m excited to see what other joys in my day appear that wouldn’t have had I kept the TV on, it’s also a little scary because I don’t want to fail at this challenge.  Wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted.