...to turn off the TV and tuck your kid into bed tonight. For some, that might not be a dare, but the dare comes in where you not only tuck your kid in, but lay there and read a book to your kid, talk about their favorite part of the day, say prayers together and snuggle a bit...still not a dare? It is if you actually turned your TV off and DID NOT TiVo anything! We don't have TiVo and I'm not judging you if you do...I don't watch any regularly scheduled shows, and I'm not judging you if you do...but I am double dawg daring you to not care about TV for an extended amount of time and actually watch your kids or your spouse...watch in amazement at how beautiful they are...stare at them, touch their silky hair, smooch their noses and nibble their ears...while you still can! TV isn't bad in and of itself, but it is a time waster, so, if you are going to waste some time tonight, I dare you to do it taking extra long tucking your kids in...you'll find it's not a waste at all...it's likely the best Christmas present you'll get this year!
Now, if you just tucked your kid in but you still TiVo'd your show, you may think you just got the best of both worlds, but somehow you're still missing it...they grow up fast. We know this because our grandparents and parents have told us, and, for whatever amount of time that you've been a parent (if you are one), you've experienced it first hand...
And just in case you think you'll actually miss something if you don't watch your special show this week or next or the next...believe me, you won't...I'm 36 going on 37 and when I was in High School, Bo and Hope were on Days of Our Lives...as I go through the check out line at the grocery store, apparently they are STILL on Days and only days have passed in 20 years...See, you won't miss a thing...unless, of course, you don't tuck your kids into bed and snuggle a while...and then, well, you'll miss out on God's gracious gift to you!
This season, give your kids the gift of time...it's what they'll always remember...
Love, love, LOVE this post.
ReplyDeleteNow if you'll excuse me, I need to stop blogging...
But Adrienne.......all of the holiday specials are on......
ReplyDeleteso, I'll watch them with my child.....still bonding, right???
Any other time, I'd agree with you!!!
Jen
I have to say I'm with you on this one. I would get rid of every tv in my house if I could talk my hubby into it.
ReplyDeleteI crave the "quietness" of our home when it's off and I can hear my kids' voices rather than the lastest Gieco ad or sports report. I would rather listen to my kids singing than to Dora anyday! =) Great post and yes...trying to soak up every minute of this fleeting time with them is a challenge and a blessing all rolled into one. Have a Merry Christmas too, Adrienne. And Family. You are loved across the miles and I wish for your 2009 to be a year of (unexpeected) Blessings. Thanks for the tips on warm clothes in MN. I have a feeling the handwarmers are gonns be used this trip!
so perfect!! my husband and i had 3 or 4 "options" of "christmas-sy" things to do last saturday night - we did NONE of them!! :) we stayed home with our girls, played wii with them pulled out boxes and boxes of old pictures and laughed until we cried - precious memories made looking at precious memories of days gone by! and all done without any t.v. watching - yes, we played the wii - but were interacting and cheering each other on not staring mindlessly at a show i'd have forgotten by now! :) (or fell asleep in the middle of) thanks for the GREAT reminder - to hold dear what is truly PRECIOUS during this blessed CHRISTmas season!! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great reminder--and surrounded by such sweet pictures of your beautiful family! :)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your fam.
How absolutely true - you look again and they've all grown up and you wonder why you've missed out!
ReplyDeleteIts always....ALWAYS about the snuggle time at our place Ade!
ReplyDeleteWe have done this same thing. Less TV and more hands on crafts, games, or just coloring time. They do grow up too fast and I don't want to miss out on one moment!!!! Sunday we stayed in the house due to the blizzard and it was great. We baked, played games, and just had fun all day with little or no TV. We did watch Polar Express together but the key is we were together!!! Love all your pictures! Em is such a beautiful little girl with a great big heart like her parents!!! Love you guys!!!
ReplyDeletethat's perfectly stated. and i am proud to say that i have a husband who feels the importance of this each and every night. especially now when i am exhausted by bedtime and just need to put my feet up and chill, he spends sometimes an hour laying in their rooms reading, praying and laughing.
ReplyDeletenothing better.
if i don't get over here again, merry Christmas!
It's important not to let your favorite show schedule interfere with family time. My husband and I take turns putting our son to bed every night. We read books, say our prayers, rock in the rocking chair and sing songs. We tuck him in and he is content. We spend time together as a couple after bedtime, and part of it involves watching one or two favorite shows a week. We laugh together, make some popcorn, and end up quoting our favorite lines for months.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post. People think I'm crazy for saying what you just said, and I'm glad you had the guts to share from your heart. You did it in love too, which is awesome.
ReplyDeleteAfter I got married, my husband and I chose not to have a television. He never had one, while I was a devoted Law & Order as well as West Wing junkie. Not only have I been surprised at how my dream life has changed, and how my "innocence" has been strangely restored, but my heart is softer. On top of that, I've discovered that my sense of self is now more defined by what Jesus says about me, than what I see in the fashions and appearances of actors on shows and in commercials. It's actually really freeing.
Now, we still watch movies on our laptop, and I can still talk intelligently with my friends who are up on all the latest shows. The movie times we do have (though on a tiny screen) are real treats for us. We have discovered that there is so much more to life than scheduling it around the tv.
Since giving up television, I've learned to can, make bread, sew clothing, garden, rock climb, ocean kayak, and have had time to invest in relationships with some incredible women from my church home. Oh, and I've totally learned to spend time actually talking and listening to Jesus, which is something I never really did outside of meals, bedtimes, and emergencies.
It's been a blessing I never thought I'd be happy about. It's probably good that they ended the West Wing series. That made my detox process a wee bit easier. =)
Ok, this took my breath away! You are so spot on! We are big snugglers too, but sometime in the hustle and bustle of life, we miss that moment! Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteAmen Adrienne. Thanks for the timely reminder. It is so true. I have a 14 yr old, 12yr old, etc and one of my biggest regrets is not spending that time with them when they were little.
ReplyDeleteYou GO, Inkling! I can hear Jesus so much better when I'm not watching TV. :-) And for the record, my kid hits the hay so hard that he asks me to stop snuggling so he can go to sleep. What a guy.
ReplyDeleteTruer words have never been spoken! WE make bedtime serious biz-ness over here. Baths, playtime, books, snuggling, reading even though they may not be listening (they are 2.5), kisses, running hands through hair, tickling. It all goes by so fast. Before I know it, they won't want me to hold them! UGH! This was a very nice post.
ReplyDelete-Shannon in Austin