TV Statistics

Food for thought:

                           

-According to the A.C. Nielsen Co. the average American watches 3 hours and 46 minutes of TV each day (that's more than 52 days of nonstop TV-watching per year). (For my family it was actually about 1.5 times that number which is quite alarming)

-By the age of 65 the average American will have spent nearly nine years glued to the tube.  (Can you believe it 9 whole years watching television.  This statistic alone, totally sold me on my crazy idea to kick the tv to the curb)

-Parents spend 38.5 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children.  (with young kids I think this is debatable, we spend a lot more time talking to kids to teach them the basic rules etc, but still I am convinced we were not spending enough time focused on our family)

Our stats...The Constantines had our tv on for 4-5 hours per day on average in 2010 although we were oftentimes doing other things (making puzzles, folding laundry, reading books etc) I am convinced that the television is having a negative impact on our interactions and on my young children gengeral.  2011 is an opportunity to test out my theories and to accomplish my goals related to this challenge which are three fold: get our house more organized and clean (and implement rules to maintain this), spend more time effectively communicating with my husband and children, and form healthier life habits although we are fairly healthy there is always room for improvement!  Oh yeah and I want to kick my brother and sister's butts on this fun little sibling rivalry challenge.  Game on!