Two weeks ago I posted this about how my toddler's TV consumption had gotten out of hand and how I was going to make some big changes, a 7 step action plan, to get things under control.
I'm reporting back to tell you that things are going great and I'm feeling so much better about it all.
In the interest of full disclosure, here's our log.
Now, for some people this will still seem like way too much and for others it may seem unattainable. For us it's a journey. It's worse than it was for a while, better than it's been lately, and on the way to somewhere new. Spring is in the air.
All the steps really seem to work well together. Honestly, I'm not sure any of them would work at all without the others. Covering up the TV and hiding the DVDs wouldn't do jack if I wasn't filling the time a little better with other activities. And if we were down on the floor with Play-Doh and the blanket wasn't over the TV, I most definitely wouldn't have his full attention.
The chicken timer is the surprise hit of the whole program. Huck loves the chicken. I love the chicken.
He calls her the TV Chicken and he brings her to me when we turn the TV on. When she dings and I tell him that time is up (I'm careful to set her at TV show intervals so we don't get any confusing mid-show dinging), he goes over and turns the TV off. I would never have imagined this. She's my new BFF.
I'm glad I struck a chord with the original TV post. It's comforting to know others let things get out of hand sometimes, too. Here's hoping we all get the TV use back under control without making sobbing, heaving masses of snot out of our children.
