Companion

A while ago we were driving down the road when Cade yelled out "Look a food truck!"  I was shocked to say the least.  First, it was actually a food truck.  Second it had been at least a few months since we had been to our local food truck park for dinner, and I was shocked he had remembered.

Then he finished his exclamation with "Just like the show."  

Wait. what.  

My first element of excitement at how smart my boy was, at what an amazing memory had came tumbling down into a mommy's heart falling down deep into the pit of her stomach.  

Since the first few days of bringing a newborn home I had become keenly aware of how much I had the tv on.  I try to keep up with the research and it of course overwhelmingly tells parents to turn the tv off.  But those early sleep deprived days/nights I found myself by the glow of my phone or television just to keep what sanity I felt I had left.  

Then started the infant phase where when I was home there was no other adult to talk to so I found myself turning on the news in the morning and then just leaving the television on.  I had convinced myself it was background noise.  And during the infant phase he was exactly that, an infant who had no idea what was going on. It wasn't like I had flipped on some cartoons and let them play all day expecting my son to watch it and be fulfilled. I wasn't putting him down in front of the tv.  If I were being honest, and sometimes I am with myself, by this point my background noise had become a habit.  Truthfully the television was on. all. the. time. 

But at that moment when my son who was barely stringing sentences together could make a connection between a show, I felt was just background noise, to what was going on in real life, and be correct, oh man.  I knew something had to change.

So I just turned it off.  Or more accurately didn't turn it on.  I went cold turkey for a lack of better wording.  And you know what.  I actually like it.  We listen to music if I feel it is too quiet, but with two littles now I rarely have an abundance of quiet.  I find I am more engaged with them, play more with them, and we are outside a lot more.  I found I have more energy.

A few years ago I did a devotional called Happy.  And way back then, before I had kids, I read about how watching/listening to the news can add stress to your life, and suck energy.  I always thought it can't be that bad.  I like to be informed.  But with all of the other channels, Facebook, Twitter, radio, I do not feel any less informed, and when I want to find something out I can look it up and take in all of the information on my own terms, instead of a producer somewhere deciding when and how I want to get my information.  And I have found some kind of new energy from taking back how I want to get the information.

Now, don't think I never watch any kind of television.  Nap time is a special 2 hours that if I am not napping myself I have queued up NetFlix.  I am just more aware of my purpose to have the tv on, and it is not to keep me company.  I have two littles who were given to me to keep me company.