We did some rearranging of furniture and decluttering today. In doing so, we found 2 box tvs that we definitely no longer need/want. We set them in the middle of the living room, dusting them off and talking about what we could do with them.
My oldest, now 21, looks at them wistfully and says “wow, getting rid of the box tvs is like the end of an era”.
Those were powerful words. The kids have now retired to their own rooms for the evening, and I’m sitting here in the living room, typing on my computer, staring at these 2 box tvs. It really does feel like the end of an era. I’ve written before about how opposed to tv watching I was when I was a young mom and my children were young. I also wrote about how that didn’t last long. Truth be told, our family movie nights have brought me more joy than I ever would have thought possible. To this day, there is nothing more enjoyable to me than having all my children home for an evening, popping some popcorn, and having a movie marathon. The subject may have changed some, we are no longer limited to G rated Disney movies, but the atmosphere of excitement and enjoyment have not changed at all.
During the early, often stressful days of parenting, life often seems overwhelming. Seeing these tvs sitting here, reminds me of just how far we’ve come as a family. With 1 young adult, 2 teenagers, and a 10 year old now, it feels as if the chapter on having little ones has closed for me. I still have my daycare kids, and as much as I enjoy them, it is not the same. I do not mourn for the days when my children were younger, but I do cherish those memories. Many of them made around one of these little box tvs.
It was right here on one of these box tvs that my daughter and I watched Barney for hours and hours a week. We only had a couple VHS tapes of it and she LOVED them. We watched them over and over. Every time I see a picture of Barney or see a purple dinosaur, the expression of sheer joy that would come onto her face envelopes my heart. I’d be in the kitchen cooking and watching her stand in front of the tv, holding her Barney doll, swaying back and forth while singing every song on every video. These images will be with me for the rest of my life.
My oldest son had to sit down and watch Blue’s Clues every morning as soon as he woke up. He had his “thinking chair” that he’d sit in, holding his notebook and pencil, with his little mailbox beside him and he’d sit there absorbed for as long as I’d let him. I cannot count how many times we’d set up little treasure hunts and have them look for clues to write down in their “handy dandy notebooks”.
When my next son came along, he had no interest in tv. He couldn’t sit still long enough to ever watch anything. Sometimes that annoyed me; but other times it was a blessing. When I’d turn on the tv so that I could go into the kitchen to cook or bake something, the other 2 would sit down and be transported into their imagination land, and he and I would head into the kitchen together. This was really the only time that it would be just the two of us together. We’d talk and joke and laugh. I remember one day, the other 2 were sitting down and watching Jay Jay The Jet Plane, and he and I were in the kitchen baking brownies. The other 2 wanted so badly to show me something on the tv, so I turned my back and went in the living room to look. When I got back to the kitchen, he had taken the bowl of brownie batter and dumped it over his head. He was sitting on his bar stool in the kitchen, bowl on his head, chocolate dripping everywhere, and my big wooden spoon in his mouth. I couldn’t help but laugh. Although I’m sure I wound up scolding him, every time I think of that Jay Jay show, I see him with bowl on his head and the smile on his face. How he loved his kitchen time with me. I suppose it should come as no surprise, that now at 16, his favorite place is still in the kitchen, and he cannot wait to go to culinary school one day soon.
My youngest still loves to watch tv. He stays up as late as he possibly can every night, watching either Dinosaur Train or Wild Kratts. It’s usually just the 2 of us that stay up long after everyone else has retired for the night. These late night talks revolving around one of his shows are sometimes the only time I get to spend alone with him. I cherish my little night owl.
To me, these 2 tvs sitting in the middle of my living room make me smile. They have me sitting here reminiscing about the chaotic days of when they were younger.
When you are feeling overwhelmed with having your little ones underfoot while you need to get something done, remember to stop and breathe in these moments. They do not last forever. Childhood is truly such a short chapter in our life’s story. Take snapshots in your head that can you hold on to and cling to forever.
To me, getting rid of these tvs has truly become symbolic of realizing that I need to put as much attention into this chapter of our lives as I did into their early childhood years. I cannot allow myself to be weighted down with sadness as they are on the verge of adulthood, but rather need to make sure I stay actively involved with them and continue to celebrate each milestone.
Who knew getting rid of two outdated televisions would be such a pivotal moment for me?
What is one of your pivotal moments?
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When my eldest graduated highschool. As proud as I was feeling it was bitter sweet. I was so proud yet a bit sad too.
It truly is so bittersweet!