When I was young and still living at home, my parents instituted a family rule of only allowing 2 hours of television a week.
As a child I didn't understand this stupid rule. It made it so I didn't understand television show references my fellow classmates would make. I knew the shows' characters and the basic premises, but even with the 2 hour rule, I was also limited to "wholesome" viewing. "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley," and "Saturday Night Live" did not fall into that loathsome category.
Unfortunately, when my friends in school talked about how cool Fonzi was, all I could say was that I thought that Mr. Darcy was probably just as cool. It was completely lost on them and forever branded me a nerd in their eyes.
Because of this house rule, I became a reader. A huge reader. Oddly enough, my mother did not censor the books I read. Maybe she felt my imagination was scarier than any book could be. Either way, I tore through her collection and mine and was a frequent visitor at the Library.
Looking back on how I was raised, I did not use that house rule with my own child. I didn't want him to be out of the loop socially if I could help it. There were age-appropriate limitations, but nothing severe. If he could have a conversation with me and plead his case intellectually, then he might be able to see something that we otherwise might not have allowed.(It all worked out very well)
However, he was encouraged to read. And I did not limit his reading. He became a voracious reader. I opened up my collection and introduced him to many authors he knew nothing about. We had conversations about the books he read. What he liked, what he didn't.
Eventually he wound up gravitating towards Manga, and yes, I consider that reading. I would read some of his books to broaden my horizons - to understand, really understand what he was reading. What attracted him to those kinds of stories. We would have conversations about what I liked and what I didn't. There were times I had to tell him that I didn't understand the story.
To date: he doesn't read as much as he used to. Life has him pulled in too many directions. I guess at some point he'll slow down and pick up a book. As for me, I have stacks around the house just waiting for me to dive in between the pages. If I could, I'd be reading right now.
ps - When I was finally old enough to move out, my first purchase was a television. And yes, I watched everything because I could.
4 comments:
Hiya Jenn,
It's good to limit tv viewing to a reasonable amount but not so much that you can't join in conversations with your peer group. I'm not surprised you got your own tv as soon as you could. A lot of my conversations these days are about the tv we watched as kids.
Books are great though, I read one every day in the bath, that's my fave reading spot. Crime or horror are my book of choice. Amelie loves her Thomas the Tank Engine book which has all the old original drawings.
We didn't have snow at crimbo but we had some before and we've had some this week, so little madam got to make some Olaf's.
Sorry that you are not refreshed yet. I agree, winning the lottery and retiring is the dream. I keep buying the tickets, fingers crossed.
LOL, your mini sofa story made me laugh. It's so true. I remember being like that, making dad push me round in a giant box like it was a racing car. I remember one Christmas hearing dad, after having pushed me round till he was huffing and puffing, saying to mum "next year we get them lots of little presents".
Today Amelie has fallen in love with the vacuum cleaner. She hates the noise and cries when we use it, but today after mum using it, she climbed off my knee and went up to it and said cuddles. the she kissed it and insisted on feeding it.
I hope that you and yours have a happy New Year and that 2018 is a good one for you.
I love the hearts you swiped.
Here's some back attcha ♥♥♥♥♥
Hiya MissT – I remember being 11 years old and the cutest boy in the school was talking about Mr. Bill from Saturday Night Live. All the other kids were joining in and piping in their favorite catch phrase. I had no idea what they were talking about. When he asked me (and my doors were blown off that he was actually talking to me) what I thought of the show – it was obvious that I had no clue. So I told him that I went to bed at 9 pm on Saturdays but I liked the show. It was a lie. I went to bed at 8:00 but I thought it was a cooler number. I remember him and the other kids laughing in my face. He knew I never saw it.
I knew then I wasn’t going to do that to my kids.
I do love books. I love used book stores. I love the smell of books. I love the feel of them. I love to mangle the pages. I never, never, never lend them out. Any time I’ve loaned a book out it has either not come back or………. well come to think of it, not come back. I loaned someone the first three books in a series and she never gave them back. As a matter of fact, when I asked her about them and she flipping let somebody I DO NOT KNOW borrow those books and she never got them back. Oopsie. After a year I finally gave up and purchased new ones. Lesson learned.
I have stacks all through the house ready to grab and jump in. I was cleaning the living room last week and found a book that fell behind the sofa. I’ll have to start that one over. Apparently it’s been there for a long time. I prefer horror/fantasy with a little smut peppered in for good measure.
We’re expecting snow tonight (not much) and then again on Sunday. Nothing to accumulate but make driving miserable. That’s ok. It’s perfect reading weather.
Kids do love boxes. As the boy got older, his presents got smaller and more expensive. I miss those big box days.
It’s funny that Little Madam loves the vacuum but only when it’s off. I wonder what she likes about it? I don’t remember the boy being overly enamored with an appliance, although he did get a big kick out of me using the hose on the vacuum and sucking up his hair.
2018 will be a good one – while I can’t say “I can feel it,” I’m saying “I’m going to will it into being a good one.” I wish the same for you and many more!
-> Swiped again ♥♥♥♥♥
That's awful that you couldn't join in conversations. That's not how kids should feel.
I know what you mean about books. I don't lend them outside of the family, I did once and didn't get it back and I also bought it again. My family know that they have to return my books as soon as they are done with them. I am very protective of my books.
Amelie is impressing us more and more each day, her language is amazing. She's taught herself the whole alphabet from watching the alphabet song nursery rhyme on the tablet. She can also count to 14 and she's only 2yrs 3 months, seriously, She's picking this up without us trying to teach her. And she doesn't miss a trick, her mum and dad are trying to wean her off baby milk onto cow's milk but she's rumbled them and always asks for normal milk, she kept mumbling different milk, different milk under her breath.
She has just had her passport photos done for her first holiday abroad. We are going to take her to Spain, can't wait.
Stole them back again too ♥♥♥♥♥
Urgh, the dentists on valentines day, no snogging for him. I hope it went well.
Amelie does go to a playgroup but all this stuff she's teaching herself from her tablet and copying what we say. She is surprising us with what she is coming out with cos she's saying things we can't remember saying to her. She's a star. The other day, she made me bend down so she could brush my hair, then she stroked my face and said "your hair is gorgeous and you are beautiful", I almost melted.
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