Going Without Television Got A Good Reception

Wed., May 8, 1996

Katie Jones Special To Opinion

TV-Turnoff Week marked a week of remarkable changes at our house.

After a mild expression of dismay, more consistent with being turned down on a second dessert than with learning of their impending TV amputation, our children ages 3, 4 and 7 - went on their way with surprising resignation.

The struggles I anticipated never occurred. The daily bribes which I had ready to ease the angst were never necessary. The dreaded hours of warring children, left bored and unengaged, did not materialize.

What we did experience was a new-found resourcefulness on the kids’ part for entertaining themselves and one another. Toys that had been cast aside for months held renewed interest and flexibility for creative play.

Rather than hearing my children chant their usual requests from their TV perches in the room next to me, I found myself listening for their distant animated voices and uncontrollable giggles.

No longer was their play interrupted by the worry of favorite programs they might be missing.

The main transition times of our day, going to and from school and heading off to bed, were marked now by a contentment we never would have noticed without such a change in our routine.

Wanting to be role models, my husband and I also vowed to be TV-free. We found ourselves busily planning our own recreation and reflecting on all the new things our children were telling us about themselves.

Even after all I have read regarding the impact of television on families, I never would have believed the impact our “controlled viewing” was having on me and my family unless I had experienced it firsthand. I was inspired to try TV-Turnoff Week by a schoolwide effort, coordinated by Professor Barbara Brock, to disconnect the tube at Windsor Elementary School in Cheney. I hope more local schools will organize an annual TV-Turnoff Week for students and their families.

A week may seem like a short time but may well provide the experiences families need to objectively judge the impact of this medium on their lives. Thus, we can begin to make more-informed decisions about how best to use this resource in our homes.

Others may find themselves as dumbstruck as my husband and I that we are well past TV-Turnoff Week, the TV set is still off and no one has noticed!

MEMO: “Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.

“Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.

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