Unplugging

Have you seen this car commercial?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkljLxddVI4

I know it was meant to sell cars, but it struck home with me.  I feel like I spend most of my free time in front of the TV and the computer.  In this day and age where childhood obesity is at its highest, and I am certainly not winning any awards for being in shape, I am trying to look at the message I'm sending to my children.  When Emmett comes home from daycare where he's had fun all day with NO electronics, he sees me sitting in front of the TV or the computer, he gets bored and wants to do nothing but watch TV.  I feel like that's a huge parenting FAIL.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when I just need 10 minutes to feed Annie or 5 minutes to unwind, and Fireman Sam IS super hot, but he doesn't need to see me doing that for hours at a time.

So this week I have made a promise to myself to try to make a change.  When he comes home or when I spend time with him, I want to be completely unplugged.  This morning, it would have been so easy for me to turn on Super Why and he would be a happy camper.  However, Annie was cooperating while Greg cut the grass, so I sat down and played with my child.  We looked at pictures, we wrote a letter to his teacher at school, we played with puzzles, jumped up and down (not recommended for those with prolapse), and just had fun spending time together.  I feel better (less guilty), and I have to say I feel like I have a little more energy.

I don't want him growing up thinking that "really living" is us sitting in front of the TV or the computer.  In this age where everything is on a screen, I want him to look up and see what's going on in the world right in front of him.

To anyone reading this: PLEASE do not feel like I'm being judgmental of you or your parenting if your child is watching TV.  This is something I want to do to help ME unplug, to enjoy the world that's around me, and to encourage my children to do the same.  I may be back to watching TV tomorrow, but for today, I want to try to make a change.