Banning the Tube

I was already considering unplugging the TV's for a week when I received this email from sparkpeople.com -

TV Found Guilty

TV is bad for kids, according the researchers at the Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Centre in Seattle, along with scores of other doctors and researchers. They found that for each hour of TV a child watches, there is an increase in the risk of attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Why? Possibly because TV gets kids accustomed to a level of stimulation that is much higher than they would experience in life. Combine this with the rapid changing of images characteristic of children's programming, and you've set kids up to be ill-suited to deal with school, homework, concentration, reading, and real life in general. Three recent studies show that as TV viewing increases, academic performance decreases.

Before formal schooling even begins, however, the damage of TV viewing is well underway. A 1996 study found that exposure to television causes delayed acquisition in toddlers. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children under the age of two be kept away from TV altogether.

TV turnoff week will be observed during April of each year. The challenge is to abstain from any TV viewing for an entire week. Mark your calendars! Are you up for the challenge?

This sparked me to do a little research and I found an article published on usatoday.com that says the average home has more TV sets than people.

For once, I am proud that we are below average :)

What do you guys think?


*Off topic, but important nonetheless*


Ever read something first thing in the morning, when you are still tired and thinking about going back to bed, that makes you instantly have energy and confidence?

It happened to me this morning -

"I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world." - John 16:33

Man, awesome! I love it when there is an exclamation point after something Jesus says. Most times I picture Him calm and peaceful. When He says here "but be brave" I picture him with His fist pumping in the air.


*Another type of 10 Commandments*


Lastly, here is yet another great help I received from sparkpeople.com. I love that site!

Number 9 is my favorite!

The 10 Commandments of Healthy Eating for Parents

It's as simple as counting to ten!

1. Thou shalt not force, bribe or coerce thy child to eat.
2. Thou shalt set a good example by eating at least five fruits and vegetables, three whole grain products, and three dairy servings per day thyself.
3. Thou shalt make mealtimes pleasant.
4. Thou shalt encourage thy child to help in meal planning, preparation, and cleanup.
5. Thou shalt back off when mealtime becomes a power struggle.
6. Thou shalt accept food "binges" as phases that will
7. Thou shalt accept the fact that thy child is an individual and thus will dislike certain foods (and there may be many!).
8. Thou shalt not give up on introducing thy child to new foods. Thou shalt realize it sometimes takes ten tries to get a child to accept a food.
9. Thou shalt use this division of responsibility for eating: As the parent, thou art responsible for deciding when and what to serve. Thy child is responsible for deciding how much (if any) will be eaten.
10. Thou shalt give thy child a multivitamin-mineral supplement if he is a picky eater.