Every morning it was a battle to get my daughter ready for school. It was always me explaining to her why she can’t wear her pajama to school and why we have to brush our teeth every morning.

I started to turn on the TV and put Disney channel before getting her out of bed. I was using the TV as a distraction while I dressed her. It worked a few times, but then the tantrums continued. One morning I changed my tactic and started telling her that we needed to get ready to go outside to see the birds and the squirrels before they went to work. That morning she was cooperative and we even got to school on time.

The next morning she woke up too early so I let her watch TV until it was time to get ready. When it was time to get ready, tantrums began again. What happened, why was she moody again? I tried to figure out what was different. I still took her outside to see the birds after watching some TV, so I couldn’t figure it out till my husband said it was all the TV. How can a few minutes of TV affect her? I couldn’t believe that the TV could affect her mood so much. Then I tested the theory by not turning on the TV the whole day and I saw the difference. The TV had become my competition for attention and she also gets more moody when I am trying to get her to do something while watching TV. Even my mood had changed, the house was more peaceful.

I had heard before that a TV absorbs your energy and alters your mood.  That it is recommended you don’t put a TV in your bedroom because even if you sleep with it on, it is not a restful sleep. Now that I have seen the difference in my daughter, TV has taken the back seat in our house. My daughter is not even asking for it as much anymore. She prefers to be out in the yard with her toys.