No TV?

"Did the doggie hurt your legs, Grandma? I will get you a bandaid," said the 3-year-old, starting toward the door. He is such a noticing little thing.

"Oh - well no, the doggie did bump into my legs but I don't need a bandaid. Nothing hurts!"  We were working together with the puppy, who is gaining in knowledge and in mass.

In fact everyone was busy outside in the California sunshine, either playing, or working, or training the dog. There was no time for TV. 

In fact, there was no TV*. And the result is always excellent.

Don't get me wrong. I think TV can be fun and entertaining, and may even be educational. But there is a hook to it that runs deep, and catches hard. So we've always tried to bypass it.

We started out in 1977 determined to avoid getting a TV. There was too much else to do, and sitting and staring didn't seem quite right for healthy people in their 20's. So with few exceptions, we stayed with this plan.

What was our children's response to not having a television? I don't really remember complaints or requests about it. Both were busy with sports, and music, and school and it was lovely not having a box blaring out at all times of the day and night. Lovely not having to set rules for watching, or not watching. What a lot of bother that would be.

And now, there are three kiddies growing up without the blaring. We went for a visit today, and of course no one was watching a screen. There was just too much else to do! There was the doggie to train and to play with in the back yard. There were river rocks to toss into a wheelbarrow, helping Dad and Grandpa sort them. There was dirt to prepare in order to plant pretty flowers for Mother. And there was a new game to put together, which required reading the instruction booklet all on one's own.

And loveliest of all, their mother could sit with the SconeLady on the porch to watch all of this activity, and laugh. 

It was the sweetest thing.

They say that there are some things money can't buy, and 'they' are right. We can't buy hugs and kisses; we can't buy love; we can't buy the smiles that plaster themselves all over our children's faces. And there is something else, too, dear Readers.

We can't buy back wasted time.  


See you along the way!
the SconeLady

(*All of us do see the occasional Netflix, however!)