Goodbye tv...maybe....

My husband and I have both been discussing and praying about completely removing our television, play station, and movies from the home. I think we had better share why and what are concerns as well as our hopes are. 1. We don't think people doing this will make us better than other people. Romans 3:23 says we have all sinned... We will still sin and fall short without a tv. The tv on its own is just a big piece of equipment. However, we feel like by making this such a focal point of our lives,and home that we are allowing something else to draw our attention away from Christ and serving Him by serving our family. 2. It will most likely be hardest for my husband and I. Confession: we are boob tubes! At night we put the kids to bed and then crash in front of the tv. And you know what, these are the years when we are young and have a lot that needs communicated. We would,be better off spending the time discussing our own relationship and the ones we have with our children then watching fictitious characters and pretty much zoning out a bit. We do. We totally zone out. It's a bad habit on our parts. 3. As of right now our kids only know how to turn the tv on and do the volume but they can't change channels or start a movie without us setting it up. That won't always be the case. We don't want them to grow into boob tubes either. We also don't want them flipping through channels and seeing something inappropriate. Even some family channels like abc family have the most awful commercials for other shows while a family program for younger children is currently on. Our children are entrusted in our care and we are commanded to guard their hearts. We a responsible till they leave our home to train them how to make wise choices, but also to no desensitize them by allowing them to watch certain things. I would actually prefer my kids to be sheltered so that when they do see something that is displeasing to the Lord, they know right away and their hearts are saddened and repulsed. So many kids now a days watch things and overtime that won't satisfy their need for entertainment or they will have become so used to it it will no longer bother them when it should. I feel like my husband and I are even getting to the justification point and I don't feel good about it. 4. Our main goal isn't to deprive our family, but to make it better. Our kids are getting older and will start staying up late. I don't want to raise more boob tubers, but would rather play some monopoly late at night, work on a puzzle, go for a bike ride... Put back time and guidance into their lives. I don't want them to soak up what some person o the screen is saying more than what we say. We love them more than that cartoon character or person depicting someone else and we want to invest so much more into their lives. We want to use every opportunity to train them in. The ways of the Lord. That person on the screen could care less about our kids. Bottom line. 5. Video games. I can't say that I'm a big fan of them to start with and my husbands games are rock and and madden. However, someone gave our son sky landers and we got him Disney universe. Both have some violence in them. It creates a need for more thrills. Bigger guns. More explosions, etc. no thanks... If its not educational or devotional what's the point? I believe something can be fun and not just for entertainments sake but should serve a greater purpose. We will still have our iPads and touches so the kids do have games on there that they play but they are all teaching a skill. 6.we might still occasionally go out for a family movie or watch a football game at grandmas, but it will be a family activity or,a special treat the way it was long ago. Now entertainment is so accessible and at our very fingertips. Little planning or thought needs to go into what you watch. It's so easy to just turn it on and relax and well, kind of zone out. 7. This isn't our main goal, but families without television and video games tend to be more creative and intellectual. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/03/kids.tv.school/index.html?hpt=Sbin. Tv viewing that starts at a younger age can affect children's vocabulary and not only that, it teaches them bad habits. 8. It also helps us not get the gimmies. We won't watch tv and therefore we aren't watching commercials. Our kids already rarely see commercials and because of that they aren't swayed by them and the latest fad toys at Christmas or birthdays. It helps mom and dad too..l when I was in the hospital on bed rest during the day I counted how many commercials were about food. Almost every single day time commercial while I was there was about a snack, place to eat, grocery store... No mpwonder America struggles with obesity! It's being shoved in our faces that we want more food! 8. Mathematically speaking its estimated that children watch three hours,of tv a day. That's 21 hours a week. That's almost an entire day. If they are at church for even three hours a week, that means that what they are viewing and hearing the most is the television. Okay, this is a bit longer, but our main reason is to nourish and develop stronger relationships without something else competing to take time away from us. Most people claim they have no time to read whether leisurely or the Bible, but they have time for tv. People make time for what's important and we don't want to make any more time for something that isn't important in the grand scheme of things. Sitting next to our kids viewing something means we are concentarting on the show not one another. I'd rather we focus more on the people right here in our home and work on training their hearts and leading them in a stronger relationship with God.