There's nothing like telling someone that something is "good for you" to suck the enjoyment right out of it. Silly really, but true. One of my favorite breakfast cereals is "Quaker Crunchy Corn Bran" --yes, I am under the age of 73--it just plain tastes good. That is, it did until I discovered that it has been "certified" by many nutritionists and personal trainers as one of the healthiest cereals. Suddenly it has lost some of it's appeal for me.
And as a confirmed and proud-of-it chocoholic, I initially rejoiced when "experts" determined that dark chocolate has health benefits. That is, until I realized that really, when you come down to it, I prefer milk chocolate. Suddenly.
Jumping rope was one of my favorite things to do outside as a kid. Now, I know it is a great form of excercise. (Strangely I no longer own a jump rope.)
My 6-year-old and 4-year-old sons actually love broccoli. Last night, Nicholas did not want any of his chicken or rice for dinner, but asked for more broccoli. I hope he will never find out it is good for him. Lock that information in the childhood vault of secrets right beside Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy--only to be released in dire circumstances.
Of course, we all need to do things that ARE good for us, even if they are not particularly enjoyable. This brings me to tell you about radical action we took in our house--we cancelled our cable. (Insert gasp here.) No, it wasn't any statement we were making to the cable company, or protest we were staging--it was something we simply felt would benefit us--and were willing to try. After noticing how much time "evaporated" as we fell into a habit of watching TV pretty often, and at the same time jumping for the remote as a commercial began to air that was decidedly inappropriate for the kids to see, it was easy to see this as a great way to save money and mental health each month. Easy to see, a little harder to make the call and pull the plug. Especially once we decided it would be a good thing for us to do. But call we did, and cancel they did--and we prepared for the misery of our good decision.
The results? Living more deliberately. Hey, we're not martyrs--we "upped" our membership in Netflix, and have bought a few more movies, but now we consciously choose when and what we view, and have had some great family times together watching new movies and revisiting old favorites. Anyone remember The Waltons?
I spend more time reading to the kids, talking with my husband, and it just seems like I get more done without the distraction. Do I miss TV? Truly there have only been a handful of times that I really wished we had it: for the olympics, sometimes for the news (although I can get most of it online), and I was an "American Greed" junkie. Otherwise, I am enjoying the benefits of this "good for you" decision.
Kind of like pursuing adult education and training at Granite State College. The University of New Hampshire system provides the vehicle for completing my degree--which is good for me; good for my future, and good for my kids to see that learning never stops--even when you're "way old" like me. But the students and faculty provide added benefits which make the process enjoyable. I get additional social interaction, intellectual challenge, and to hear of great experiences from people I probably wouldn't have run into otherwise. Am I missing out on something while I am at school? Ehhh- there's not much on TV now anyway.
And as a confirmed and proud-of-it chocoholic, I initially rejoiced when "experts" determined that dark chocolate has health benefits. That is, until I realized that really, when you come down to it, I prefer milk chocolate. Suddenly.
Jumping rope was one of my favorite things to do outside as a kid. Now, I know it is a great form of excercise. (Strangely I no longer own a jump rope.)
My 6-year-old and 4-year-old sons actually love broccoli. Last night, Nicholas did not want any of his chicken or rice for dinner, but asked for more broccoli. I hope he will never find out it is good for him. Lock that information in the childhood vault of secrets right beside Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy--only to be released in dire circumstances.
Of course, we all need to do things that ARE good for us, even if they are not particularly enjoyable. This brings me to tell you about radical action we took in our house--we cancelled our cable. (Insert gasp here.) No, it wasn't any statement we were making to the cable company, or protest we were staging--it was something we simply felt would benefit us--and were willing to try. After noticing how much time "evaporated" as we fell into a habit of watching TV pretty often, and at the same time jumping for the remote as a commercial began to air that was decidedly inappropriate for the kids to see, it was easy to see this as a great way to save money and mental health each month. Easy to see, a little harder to make the call and pull the plug. Especially once we decided it would be a good thing for us to do. But call we did, and cancel they did--and we prepared for the misery of our good decision.
The results? Living more deliberately. Hey, we're not martyrs--we "upped" our membership in Netflix, and have bought a few more movies, but now we consciously choose when and what we view, and have had some great family times together watching new movies and revisiting old favorites. Anyone remember The Waltons?
I spend more time reading to the kids, talking with my husband, and it just seems like I get more done without the distraction. Do I miss TV? Truly there have only been a handful of times that I really wished we had it: for the olympics, sometimes for the news (although I can get most of it online), and I was an "American Greed" junkie. Otherwise, I am enjoying the benefits of this "good for you" decision.
Kind of like pursuing adult education and training at Granite State College. The University of New Hampshire system provides the vehicle for completing my degree--which is good for me; good for my future, and good for my kids to see that learning never stops--even when you're "way old" like me. But the students and faculty provide added benefits which make the process enjoyable. I get additional social interaction, intellectual challenge, and to hear of great experiences from people I probably wouldn't have run into otherwise. Am I missing out on something while I am at school? Ehhh- there's not much on TV now anyway.
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