5 reasons your kids should watch TV

I am about to lose membership in the Christian blogosphere. Or at least lose the merit badge that goes with revealing your family doesn't own a TV or if it does, you don't have cable and only let your kids watch 30 minutes a week. Confession: We have a TV. We have a satellite with DVR. We love it.

Before I tell you why we love TV, there must be DISCLAIMERS: TV needs to be used with caution, with limits and with responsibility. TV is not a babysitter.  Kids who watch too much TV turn into lazy potatoes and perform poorly in school. Sitting too close to the TV will ruin your eyesight. Money spent on TV services could be spent on charity. TV is a dangerous device and must be used with parental controls.

Disclaimer done. Now, here's 5 reasons we love our TV with DVR. 

Watching TV while hosting some of the orphans when we were in Honduras

1) My kids only watch what I record. My kids have no idea there is a TV schedule so they only watch what I record. And I record quality! They don't even know we get over 100 channels or whatever the lowest package is. Every few weeks, I browse the listings, pick what we want our kids to watch and record. Current shows that we record: Little House on the Prairie, The Brady Brunch, Word Girl, America's Test Kitchen (yes, they like to watch this show), Arthur and Stan Lee's Superhuman.

2) Having access to TV but practicing wisdom with choices is a great life skill.  When my girls come home from school whining that they are the ooo-nn--lllyy  ones who don't watch SpongeBob Squarepants or Wizards of Waverly Place, I can actually go watch the shows. Sometimes I report back with reasons they still can't watch the show. Somehow, my effort to consider their wishes makes it all better.  Sometimes we watch half or all of an episode together. So far, such group viewings always result in a great conversation and agreement on why the show isn't on our list.

3) Commercial education is important. Everything we watch is on DVR so we skip all commercials. When we get sidetracked and commercials come on, my kids are marketer savvy because I've trained them. I've taught them about how marketers can lie, spruce up, or enhance appearances of people and products. They've experienced a cool toy commercial and then bought the not-so-cool toy. We've watched part of infomercials and talked about how some are true and some, especially beauty or vitamin products, can find experts to pay to endorse their products. Commercial education is important.

4) TV can encourage passions. Our family loves soccer. We used our DVR last summer to record all of the women's World Cup games. We analyzed strategies and shots. We had fun times with friends watching those games. I loved that my girls could watch female atheletes!

My youngest loves to cook. Sometimes we watch cooking shows with her to get inspiration. All of us are learning together.

Cousins. Watching TV. 

5) TV can create good memories. Okay. I know this statement is sounds blasphemous. But it is true. I love time spent together watching the Brady Brunch, laughing hard at Alice, and discussing the foolishness of Marsha's constant crushes. Curling up on the couch with popcorn while we watch a recorded Soul Surfer, holding hands through the shark attack and smiling weakly at each other through tears--those are sweet memories. After viewings, conversations often continue for weeks as we research new people or things or refer back to TV characters and their jokes or mistakes. We spend time with our girls in many other ways. But we do enjoy our TV.

So, go grab your kids on the next rainy day and watch TV!

Choosing to stop

The cast of NBC's Parenthood

It's Wednesday afternoon and sunny. The list of things I should be doing is long. Instead,  I just went in the basement, threw in a load of laundry to appease the inner voice that tells me I am lazy when I am not accomplishing anything, snuggled up under a blanket and watched TV! For company I brought my daily treat, a 70% dark chocolate bar and cup of green tea.

Don't loathe me for having time in the middle of the day to watch TV--it's the only TV I ever watch. We all have our unnecessary pleasures. My schedule is just a bit different than most.

I've never been a TV watcher, never had a show that I loved so much that I couldn't wait for the next episode, had to record it, or would find a way to watch it if I missed it. I never got into Beverly Hill 90210(I date myself here), or Grey's Anatomy or the Office. And until my husband taught me to enjoy soccer, specifically the women's World Cup, I'd never cared about sports either. That changed three years ago, when NBC premiered Parenthood. I finally understand the probably unhealthy emotional attachment people have to TV characters.

Every episode is stock full of real emotions, sinful people, drama, and the joy of family. As a kid, I never wished for siblings, but as an adult, with sister-in-laws in other states, I long for siblings. I love the watching the Braverman family go through life. I find silly inspiration from the parenting and share so much empathy with the different parents as I wonder, "What would I do if my child did that?" Each spring I wait for the fall lineup to be announced, nervous that not enough people are watching this great show.

And to my friends who run from place to place and event to event, I encourage you to choose a random point in your week where you always stop and just enjoy something. Something that is for you. Parenthood for me is like my friend's fancy Starbuck's latte she gets each week. To give your best to your family, sometimes we need to stop and fill up.