PBS [tpt2 KTCA] is becoming a great spot for me to land. I mentioned last post how I love the Saturday morning cooking shows. You see, we don't have cable tv. I just simply refuse to pay money for something I really shouldn't be spending too much time on anyhow. We bought digital converters and "made the switch" last fall. I may miss a few things, like Food network and History and Discovery - but I can get a few peeks at that by going over to Mom's place. I have really found much of that with PBS.
Our weekday mornings are typical of many families with only one car. My husband is up early and out the door to catch the bus into downtown Minneapolis, while I get into the shower and then get the kids up. Sometimes my daughter will beat me to the couch, but only if she has set her alarm so she can say good morning and good bye to her daddy. Once it hits a bit past 7, the rest of our routine is usually timed between the 30minute shows of Arthur and Martha Speaks. "Get up, Arthur is almost over." "Martha is almost on, better be sure and be dressed before it's starts and have breakfast before it's over and then the tv is off." "But Mom, I want to watch Curious George." But, it's time to grab some breakfast and get out the door." If they change the lineup during a new season, it really causes some confusion in our household for the first few days.
I leave work at 5pm, and pick up the kids from daycare and an afterschool program. My 4 yr old anxiously awaits the time to get home..."Is it 5:30 yet?" No honey, we have to pick up your sister first, then we'll get home in time for your show." "HEY YOU GUYS!!!"
I used to watch The Electric Company as a kid growing up in the 70's, and learned to read by putting sounds together like "ch + at = chat." Watching Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno on a recent DVD we picked up from the library brought back tons of memories just flooding in. The new version is just as amazing with a story twist between the Electric Company kids who hang out at the Electric Diner, and the Pranksters who change words and make like difficult for the heroes. Not to mention a great beat-box hip hop style and songs about letters that make you want to get up and dance...which is exactly what my 4 yr old son does while his 10 yr old sister joins in to help him sound out words. It's quite a treat as we head home on a week day afternoon...just as I'm once again trying to find something for dinner...at least they're occupied with something valuable.
It feels a little crazy that my kids spend so much of their time around the tv, especially when everyone will tell me that tv watching is not good for them. I think limited tv time is good. The Sesame Workshop has made reading fun, and hip...and put a new spin on educational tv. My kids don't get to have it on continuously...we monitor its use just like we do for video games, which don't come out more than once every other weekend. So this half hour every afternoon is becoming a treat for the kids that they look forward to. I will admit that that time after work is hugely beneficial to me, and to their reading skills. I will also admit that I've used the tv as a babysitter on occasion to keep them occupied while I take a shower, cook, clean, or just find some time to check Facebook. Ha.That is, if you can peel me off the couch when it's on.
Really, though. I appreciate good programming on tv. I appreciated the shows that the Sesame Workshop put work into, and aided in my educational development. The new shows appear to be doing just that for my kids.
No comments:
Post a Comment