How (…and why in the world) do you NOT OWN a TV??

It’s true. We do not own a television.  My husband and I agreed way back (when we were dating) that we would never have TV in our home. We had different reasons for coming to that decision but we were united in our opinion that TV is ultimately time-wasting, addictive, and loaded with filth. It is a wide open door for Satan to subtly teach us and our children his lies.

Let me tell you why having a TV/Television bothers me:

1. TV never sleeps. There is always show after show after show… after show. It is so easy to have a slew of your favorite shows that eat up all of your precious time.

2. It’s unpredictable. You never know what profane word is going to slip, what skanky commercial will come on, or what graphic and violent action will be displayed. I don’t like not having control over what I view. And I don’t like the idea of being immune to this kind of content.

3. You can’t pause it (if you don’t have the right technology). If your child or spouse need you, or if anyone interrupts you for that matter, it is easy to get flustered and annoyed because people are” making you miss the best part!” We want to be able to show our children that no show is more important than them.

4. You can’t put it away. It’s a big black THING that sits in your living room, begging you to turn it on. The average size of TVs keeps growing! It is usually a focal point of a living space, indicating that it is a high priority. And to us its totally not.

5. There are SO MANY better things to do with your time that can strengthen your family, add purpose to your life, and give you more satisfaction. Life’s too short to spend it watching other people (often fictional characters) live theirs. Make your own memories!

6. It’s a TEMPTING, EASY baby-sitter that is often overused. Many children these days are raised to want excessive TV time.

7. It’s never enough! Every type of TV show is getting more flashy, quick-moving, and animated which is wonderful entertainment! But our children are being trained to only be entertained by highly intense quick-moving colorful images. They are having a hard time focusing and enjoying simple activities like reading a book, listening to a lesson at church, etc.

8. I want my children to be taught correct values and standards by me, not by some immoral show.

Don’t get me wrong, we still love to be entertained! However, we apply basic principles that help us keep control of our time/content of what we are watching.

1. It’s Gotta Be Small: Any device we own must be small enough to put away (lap-top, dvd-player). That way, when we’re busy conquering each day, we’re not distracted by it.

2. Screen It First: We use sites like www.parentpreviews.com  to see if a movie is appropriate to us. They do an excellent job of analyzing language, sexual content, violence, and drug use.

3. Can I Pause It?: If we find a certain TV series we want to watch we will purchase it in DVD or Stream format, so that it is easily pause-able for cute tiny people (meaning kids of course, not the lollipop guild).

4. Secret Mission: We don’t watch anything (besides General Conference)  in front of our tot. We save movie time for when she is asleep. Which has other benefits as well… ahem.

5. Make it an event: If I want to stay up to date weekly on a show, I make it a party and go over to my parent’s house just to watch that. That way I am involved with the show for the 1-2 hours it airs, instead of being sucked into what is before or after it.

Because we are a No-TV couple, you can bet that I am a No-TV-Mom, which includes movies. Our little 2-year old has never watched a TV show or movie so far. How is that possible?? Well.. that’s a topic for another day my friends. Stay tuned.