Ten Things to Do Without a TV

Devastated, just plain devastated. That is the only way to describe the emotion that I felt as a boy when our television set stopped working. I thought that there was just no way to survive without the afternoon re-runs of Scooby Doo, Bugs Bunny and Hogan's Heroes. To make matters worse, there did not seem to be a time when the TV would be returned from the shop. It was years later that I learned that we were "economically challenged" and that mom and dad simply could not afford to pay to get the TV fixed. Now, nearly thirty years later, I look back and think that those were some of the best times of my childhood, when the TV was off and my family was together.
Now I am grown and have four children of my own. Would you believe that our TV stopped working too? Sure, I could have gone out and got a new one, but why not give my children the same experience? My wife and I decided that it would be a good change for our family to be without a TV for a while. The results have been amazing. Just like in my childhood, we are experiencing the best time together that we have ever had. If you want to get to know your family better, if you would like to not have a family full of strangers, then turn off the TV for a while. Unplug it. Turn off the cable. Be amazed at the result. Here are ten things that you can do together and none of them involve the TV.

1. Become more spiritual. Teach your children the morals that you believe in. Encourage them to talk to you about their problems. In my family, we sit together and read the Bible. We discuss the characters in the various stories. We try to learn the lessons of life and morality depicted on the pages of the Bible. Perhaps things are different in your family, still try sitting down with your family and teaching them about your values and morals.
2. Play dominoes. The game of dominoes is fun. My family likes to play double-six, although there are all sorts of flavors and variations on the game. This game will teach your children basic math and provide lots of fun while playing it. It will instill a desire to win and the confidence to do so by the rules. Also try playing various card games together such as Hearts or Spades.
3. Go outside. Run and play. My family loves to get out and do fun stuff outside. Even bigger kids enjoy getting out. Go to your local park. Play a game of tag football with your kids. Push the smaller ones on the swing sets. There is so much to do. Do you live close to the mountains? Take your kids for a hike. Do you live near a beach or public lake? Take the kids swimming or fishing. Get out of that house!
4. Go to a local festival. There are activities happening in communities all around the country. All it takes is to scan the local paper or perform an internet search for activities in your locality. For instance, in the small town of Opp, Alabama there is the Rattlesnake Rodeo that takes place every year. In Brazil, Indiana, the locals celebrate with the Popcorn Festival since their town was the birthplace of Orville Redenbacher. Wherever you are, there is sure to be fun at a local festival. My kids love it. Why shouldn't they? After all, there is cotton candy.
5. Go to a museum. Museums are not just in big cities. Many smaller communities have museums. In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, you can find the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum. In Troy, Alabama, you can visit the Pioneer Museum. My oldest two love to go to museums and learn about the past and the present.
6. Go window shopping. Window shopping is a great way to spend time with your family. If you are disciplined, it costs very little to do. My wife and I take the kids and visit antique shops, quaint little boutiques, bookstores, and all sorts of places. Most of the time we just browse, but sometimes there is that little inexpensive something that catches the eye and getting it makes everyone's day.
7. Visit older relatives. Go see grandma and grandpa or other older relatives. They would love to see you. Have the children listen to stories of when grandma and grandpa were growing up. Let them learn about where they come from. Get out the photo albums. Let them see the history in pictures of you and your family. My mom and my mother-in-law love to show the kids pictures. The kids love it too. They cannot believe that daddy was ever that small.
8. Reinvent the Sunday afternoon drive. In reality, it does not have to be Sunday afternoon. Find time to get out and explore the countryside. There is a world out around your locality that is just waiting to be seen. Leave that portable DVD player at home. Enjoy seeing the things in your community. Sometimes we will just load up in the family van and start in a general direction. My children love to see new things and visit new places, places that really are just in our backyard.
9. Do the household chores as a family. Believe it or not, one of the best character building exercises is to just work together. Do nit-pick about how it is done. Just work together. Teach your children the value of a good work ethic. When we first started this, my kids were not all too happy. In time, they have learned to love being together and relying on each other to get the job done.
10. Just spend time together. Above all else, spend time with your family. Life is short. Find time to get away from the TV, or the office for that matter, and just be with your family. No one will look back on their life and wish that they had watched just one more episode of Seinfeld. All will look back and wish for just one more day with their family.

Well, our television is still broken and we have no immediate plans to get a new one. Why don't you get started today? Come up with your own list if need be. Just turn that TV off and spend time with your family. You will never be sorry you did.