family movie night

it's so nice not to have much scheduled this weekend. a soccer practice, trip to the farmer's market and a quick open house tour in our search to find the perfect home for our family here in sonoma county.

we had our first family movie night tonight. i have looked forward to having these become a family tradition, but had not wanted to encourage screen time in any form either. liam had asked to watch a video, and I suggested that we find one that everyone would enjoy. we don't have a television, but do have our lap top and a netflix account. there isn't a great selection of kid friendly movies available to play on the computer, but we decided on Air Bud: Golden Retriever. We all huddled together on our tiny couch covered with blankets made my Grandma Melanie. Very cozy. Liam and Patrick were so thrilled to be watching a movie as a family. I stopped scolding myself for introducing the idea as soon as I saw their joy.

I have known how important it was for them to share television shows or movies with me, but honestly, i have always used the minimal amount of time they spend watching to clean the house or cook a meal. I remember as a kid wanting to share my favorite shows with my parents or relatives. i still love "sharing" a show or movie with friends and family. the communal aspect of watching together can be a way to connect doing something that could potentially be a source of disconnection.