Monday, January 16, 2006

Leaving Cable TV Behind

Joe and I recently decided to turn our cable tv off...or at least down to the most basic of services. (That includes the local channels and a few others 12 total) We have talked about it since the summer of 2004 but never had the guts to do it. We admit, we liked it too. Food Network, Spike, HGTV, AMC etc. Tonight I saw something that confirmed that our decision was a good one. Joe was out of the house at music practice and I was in the living room listening to some Christian music really loudly while I cleaned. I realized I hadn't heard any noise from the girls in a while so I went in to check on them. They were in my bedroom. Cassidy was sitting on my bed coloring quietly. ( a rare treat in itself) and Carly and Bailey ( our guest for the evening) were quietly playing on the computer. I stood in the doorway looking at them and was thankful that they were doing something other than staring at the television mindlessly. They were using their brains!

This has been the best thing for our family. I did not even turn on the tv tonight and I did not even miss it. I totally recommend this to you bloggers. It freed us to spend time with each other, find an interesting activity or CLEAN!!:o)

Joe announced to the children last night as they struggled to find something to watch, "TV is now the LEAST important thing in your life." They haven't fully grasped that yet, but they are on their way.

The only thing they have found they like to watch is TV Guide Channel, and who can take much of that? haha

18 comments:

  1. I'm First!! YIPEEEEEE
    We are a cable free household as well, financiall necessary, and also not much of a TV watcher anyhoo. My child would stare at it all day if I let him, cartoon network, and Nickelodeon. I would like to get discovery channel and the learning channel, but around here, we have to buy the whole thing if we want anything. When i had it 4 years ago, it was $11.25. They raised it straight to $44.50. They lost A LOT of business as you can imagine.

    anyways, thats all folks, by the way, since AJ didn't post her couch, I was forced to give the award to Christina.

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  2. Awwwww I am so sad y'all didn't get to see my couch too. NOT.

    Does anyone else actually say "y'all"? Okie say it all the time.

    I am off to bed. My baby girl has wandered in here and I need to redirect her to her bedroom.

    G-nite Bloggers.
    G-nite JohnBoy

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  3. Congratulations on dumping the cable channels. We are still tied to them, however we often talk about getting rid of them. We are currently paying nearly $80 (Australian) a month for the privilege (???) of having cable, and that is not even all the channels. Maybe sometime this year. Who knows !!
    Take care, sleep well,
    Meow

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  4. Oh, i think that is wonderful. We have cable, but we have to as we need the outdoor channels for my husband's job. But last night, I skipped the golden globes to spend time with my son working on his letters before he went to bed and then I also watched a movie with the hubby. I am learning to stop turning on the TV as much and turn the radio on. I am must more productive that way, but I am a sucker for some night time television, such as the premier of American Idol tomorrow night, WOOT :). But it is something we can all watch together as a family.

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  5. Meow: You can do it! Cut it off!! Listen to me. It has been less than a week and I am giving advice. Actually since Joe and I have gotten addicted to blogging we have hardly turned it on for ourselves in a month or so.

    Kish: What does your husband do that he needs the outdoor channels for? I watched AI for the first time last year when Carrie Underwood won. (She is an Okie you know...we even got to go to a local watch party and got to be on tv when she won!) I guess we will tune in again just to see the bad ones. They are so hilarious!

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  6. Well my husband use to work for a manufacturing company as an engineer but after September 11th happend, he got laid off with about 600 other employees. it was hard, but in the end he decided Gods plan was for him to start his own business doing what he knows best. He films goose and duck hunts and then edits the footage together to make hunting videos. he is also working with a dog trainer on making a dog training video and he has a goose calling instructional video out as well. We have been truly blessed although it was a tough start, we are finally getting there. I am lucky enough to work part time. he has a website called www.fowlpursuit.com if you know any hunters. and yes, the AI outtakes are the best!! I love it :)>

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  7. We cancelled our cable years ago. I got sick of the cartoon network and all the rest. My kids wanted to watch it all day long. I don't miss it. The kids go over to Grandma's and watch their favorites once in a while, but I'm glad it's not in our home anymore.

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  8. We will keep our TV channels, but we aren't glued to the TV. I think because our kids are older, we no longer have Disney or Nickelodeon on a lot like we used to.
    Family time should always be the top priority. I'm sure your family makes time to eat together and plans family activities to do together. Even though our kids are teens, most nights we have dinner together. I like having conversation at meal times.

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  9. We eat together quite a bit, but not often enough. The girls get mad when I make them eat with me at the table...sometimes they want to sit in the LR and watch tv. Sometimes I let them.

    I think this will be one of the best things that we could have done for our family. :) It will give Joe more dancing time with the girls (That was one of his resolutions you will recall,)

    Kish: What a fun job! It must be wonderful to make a living at what you LIKE to do. You go Mr. Kish!!

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  10. Well it wasn't much of a choice since he was a manufacturing engineer and if you know anything about that industry, it is a bust. he was in office furniture. So gotta do what ya gotta do. the big downside for him is it is so much work, he doesn't get to have fun hunting anymore. But we still feel blessed.

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  11. We got rid of our cable/satellite about 4 years ago - it was a financial decision but the best decision. The only downside is that we don't get to watch the Kentucky Wildcats unless it happens to be on "regular" t.v.

    We watch a lot of public television.

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  12. well, i'm finally online. just in time to say goodnight.

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  13. t.v. or not t.v? My husband would watch the test pattern if they still had such a thing. He's a semi-invalid much of the time and I won't take away his one pleasure.

    If it's from outer space, he loves it.

    I'm in the same room with it and I tune much of it out.

    We do limit our pre-teen girls for time and content.

    Thanks for the comment over on granny.
    I'd like to include you on the blogroll. We're great recipe collectors over there.

    Ann

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  14. I watch TV so rarely, it would hardly matter. But, when I DO watch it, I like the more eclectic stuff like Hell's Kitchen or forensics and history programs. So, I'm paying for something that I see maybe once a week... I literally probably don't watch more than 1-2 hours of TV a week.

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  15. well AJ: we've arrived. we are getting blogrolled at granny's. i wish she would do something about her buffett though. it really isn't as good as it could be. would you agree?

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  16. You know GG, I have never eaten at Granny's. I was disowned for marrying outside the human race. They are just jealous I am married to Batman I think. :)

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  17. No. I am BatWoman. Deal with it. I will send them to your house to watch Disney Channel and Nickelodean okay?

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  18. It's not in my speaking vocabulary, but occasionally I'll write a "y'all", but I'm cultured enough to know that's the singular form, and the plural form is "all y'all".....
    Could I be an Okie from Muskogee if I started saying it?

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