Steps to Change

By -
* Living simply involves intention and purpose. 
It requires focus. It looks beyond the task at hand 
to the purpose behind it. 
  
******
 
So I have begun to take some minor steps to change the little things in my (our) lives that impact my big picture. They may seem silly to you, thats okay.

1. I have blocked Disney, Disney XD, Nickelodeon and KIDCO on my pvr decoder. I am tired of the american drivel that is being infused into my kids brains. All adults are cast as blithering geriatrics with no clue. Kids in these shows are rude, superior, sarcastic and insulting. I cannot fathom how I have allowed this crap in my house for so long.

2. I have removed facebook and push email from my cellphone. I will not be constantly distracted. I will wait in queues or at the robots or at extramurals without becoming one with my cellphone. I will not fill every moment by multitasking. I will, instead, read a book, have a conversation or stare into space.

3. I will read to my kids every day.

4. I will not schedule every hour of my day.

********

* Living simply involves changing our thinking, looking at our lives from a different perspective. It means stopping to ask myself WHY I am doing something and making choices that reflect my PURPOSE.


* quotes from Joanne Heim, Living Simply

Comments

Karen said…
Oh Mel, it's happening - drawing the bigger picture into the here and now - you go girl! Just had to smile as I made my way through the list - I;m inspired!
June 19, 2011 at 10:56 PM
Kirsty said…
Well done! I blocked Cartoon Network, Nickelodeom and Disney a while ago. Was sick of my kids (mainly just my big boy) watching that. I do have email and FB on my phone tho....I need my email on my phone. I have found that having it on my phone means I spend less time on the computer at home and more engaging with my family. It is however, not good for blogging as I can go for days without switching on the computer now! Change is good! Embrace it x
June 20, 2011 at 6:34 AM
Valkyrie said…
Sounds good - but I would happily add cartoon network to that list of channels! Can't.stand.it. You've given me a great idea for when we've got our new TV bouquet thingy overseas though...it will be a great time for me to introduce "Ness-censorship" and simply, innocently claim, "Sorry, they don't get those channels here." Which will at least work until they start school on 1 Sept. Or maybe I shouldn't be such a chicken and should just say *no*. I'm kinda hesitant to go that route though, because he'll probably just watch it at friends houses...wow, rambling here...
June 20, 2011 at 8:31 AM
allie. said…
It takes guts to stop your kids watching that stuff - they LOVE it! The girls should be ok cos they read now but Hooli?

But geat job Mel - it makes me boil when I watch they way USA tv does family dynamics.

As for the best? Bravo Zulu!
A good precursor to the MyCube thing.
June 20, 2011 at 9:27 AM
MelB said…
@ kirsty and Ness - my kids have no interest in Cartoon Network - dont need to block it. I only block the channels they WANT to watch that are garbage.
June 20, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Shayne said…
Good on you. I monitor very closely what mykids watch.

Day by day huh. It's the small things that count x
June 20, 2011 at 11:28 AM
Anonymous said…
I think it's a great thing what you are doing. Making life simpler. That is why I took it upon me to try and log onto the internet only twice over a weekend and not at all on week nights. Those times are reserved for my sanity, simplicity and family.
June 20, 2011 at 2:17 PM
Julia said…
It's all in the little things. My next thing is to block FB and email from my phone. You are doing well.x
June 23, 2011 at 1:15 PM
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