This is Day 31 of the Green in 365 series!
Whew! We made it to the end of the first month of the Green in 365 series! I hope you’ve enjoyed the series so far, and have been able to make some green changes around your home!
I’ve really enjoyed sharing all of these tips and ideas with you, and I love hearing your thoughts and experiences, so please keep commenting! And if you’re enjoying the posts and the series I would be so grateful if you would share them with your family and friends! Just use the boxes at the bottom of the post to share on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest! I also have some exciting things coming up next month that I can’t wait to share with you!
So, we’ve learned some green winter tips, and greened our entryways and living rooms this month, and now it’s time to take a break, relax and enjoy some time with our families and loved ones. Tell me this, how do you usually spend time with your family in your main living area?
If you answered watching TV, you are not alone. The average American watches 4 hours and 35 minutes of TV per day, and the average child watches 4 hours of TV per day. PER DAY! I’m not even sure how that’s possible. But those are the statistics.
So, today I want to encourage you to turn off the TV and spend some time together as a family. You can play a game, make a craft, read a book, or anything else that is fun for your family to do together that doesn’t involve watching TV.
No TV means no energy used for your entertainment, and finding ways to entertain yourselves apart from the TV is good for your overall quality of life!
Take it one step further: No TV Month!
I’m writing this as much for my own family as I am for you. Every year by the end of January I start to feel like we really need to take a break from watching TV. Somehow when the weather is cold and the days are short the TV creeps into our lives more and more. My kids have gotten quite accustomed to their hour to hour and a half of screen time in the afternoon, and it’s not something that makes me feel like I’m being a great mom either.
So again this year in February, we’re going to do a No TV Month, and I’d love to have you join with us!
You can decide what No TV Month means for your family. Some may be really strict and make it No Screen Month – meaning no TV, iPhones, iPads, etc.
We will be less strict about it, we’re just trying to move away from the daily TV viewing. My hubs and I will still let the kids use our phones and the iPads to play games on occasion, but we’ve uninstalled Netflix on our phones so they won’t have the option to watch shows on there any longer. We also may have a day where we rent them a video from the library, but that will only be for a special treat, not a regular occurrence. We’re excited to see what the next month brings!
What can you do to turn off the TV and spend time with your family today? Will you join with us for No TV Month for February?
Find all the Green in 365 posts.
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I think that’s a great idea to watch less tv! Even with quality shows like the Waltons, I find myself watching too much and things that need to get done (like laundry for example) don’t get done! So I am trying to limit my watching time. I found out recently that the Obama girls are only allowed to watch 2 hours of tv a week! (I think it was either the president or the first lady who said it) I thought that really said something that the president’s children are only allowed to watch 2 hours a week. : )
July is our month not to watch TV! It is during the summer when we travel so it is kind of cheating . . . my kids do not watch much TV–I confess I use it as a babysitter right before dinner!
Now screen time would be a challenge! The iPad, computer, the kindle, and my phone are so much a part of our lives–we read, do homework, school work, and send text rather than calling . . .
We have technology free Sundays! I try to have Sunday be family time for games and crafting. I do check email right before bed . . .
Love this series!