After months of bemoaning the fact that the television gets more attention than mom, I finally said, “Enough!” After months of mean and bitter talk to siblings by siblings, I finally said, “Enough!” What did I say “Enough” to?
Television.
We have a simple flat screen with DVD. I took it to my mother and let her have a television in her bedroom while I have no television—to see what would happen. Do you know it made a great difference! Kind of.
When there is no entertainment to interrupt, homework gets done. When there is no television to talk around I get listened to. Of course, I still seem to have to yell or whistle to get attention sometimes—okay, most of the time. But—I feel like I have one less child.
One less child to argue with.
One less child to listen chatter on incessantly while saying nothing.
One less child to take up space that could be valuable for something else.
One less child-can make a difference. And . . . it isn’t a flesh and blood actual child. So, I haven’t committed some heinous crime by evicting the trouble maker.
There is a saying: “If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee” (Matthew 5:30).
That television was the source of much contention so I “cut it off” or unplugged it; and “cast it” away or removed it from our home.
The only thing is, in a small quaint home there isn’t much room for the hyperactivity of natural childhood. And there are days (migraine, sick, or blah days) where I feel the need to let them tune me out and tune in something else. But, the television is 2 miles away and I just don’t feel like going to get it. So what do I do—
Pull out the computer with dvd and plug it in so I don’t “cast” away a real flesh and blood child.
