Ever since I had kids (ok, ok… if I’m honest, even before I had kids), I have a mental queue of TV series and movies that I “should” watch. You know, the entertainment equivalent of eating fancy meals (not vegetables because that would be documentaries and the History Channel). Like, I should totally watch The Sopranos, Lost, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Arrested Development, etc. But just the thought of it is mentally exhausting and feels insurmountable.
At least before I had kids, I could binge watch series (and believe me, I have!) but now that I have kids, it seems almost impossible. Unless, of course, I’m binge watching something kid friendly. That’s what we call business as usual in our house. In the rare moments when I have free time, I’m too tired to invest it into watching a series where I’ll be hooked and need to know what happens next and due to my extremely addictive nature, will lay aside all other life-giving duties just to splay out on my couch and zone out to five seasons of some awesome show. It’s even too exhausting to think about watching a movie (let alone remember what movie I wanted to watch).
Currently, I have in my DVR queue the last 4-5 episodes of Burn Notice which ended last summer, at least half of last season’s Covert Affairs, several episodes each of Vampire Diaries and The Originals, and this does not include all the shows that I gave up any pretense of watching and deleted from my DVR to make room for more Dragon Riders of Berk for the kiddos.
I want to watch these episodes, but the reason I don’t is because I know myself. They’re like potato chips. I can’t just watch one. If I finally sit down to watch one, I will have to immediately WATCH THEM ALL. Then before I know it, it’s 2am, Hapa Papa is annoyed at me, asking things like, “What are you, a teenager? You think you’re still in college? YOU HAVE BABIES!” and I’m exhausted and cranky the next two or three days.
Yes, I know. A TV Bender leaves me out of sorts for days.
Those shows better be the most awesome things my eyeballs have ever seen. EVAR.
As a result, I end up watching shows that I like and love, but aren’t full of sex and violence so I can watch them around the kids. Even then, sometimes, it gets dicey. Plus the kids get annoyed and I get manipulated into watching Dragons for the billionth time. Again.
It’s easier to leave the TV off.
Please tell me I’m not the only person who finds consuming entertainment hard work!
