That’s what my husband chants every time he catches me working out on my rebounder. One of us thinks he is hilarious!

So, I was bouncing away and decided to turn on the TV as a distraction from the

Up and down

Up and down

Up and down motion of my bouncy workout.

I turned on a streaming service to occupy my mind and help the workout fly by. I scrolled and scrolled and couldn’t find anything to capture my attention.

Why is that?

When I was a kid we had a 12-inch black and white TV with rabbit ears.

I know I am dating myself using the words “rabbit ears.”

If you know you know.

Most days one of us (I had three sisters) had to stand by the TV and hold the rabbit ears (antenna) just right to get some semblance of sound and albeit a “snowy” picture.

This duty made it possible to receive a signal to watch a re-run of Little House, Happy Days or Gilligan’s Island.

Are you with me?

Why were we so dedicated to sitting quietly watching this?

Because that little screen was the only connection we had to the outside world from home.

Of course, we played outside for hours each day.

We read books, played games, learned how to cook and you can bet we learned how to clean!

My kids were raised watching Sesame Street, Barney and other educational media.

They also played outside, cooked and cleaned.

They had satellite TV but still the choices were limited. They had a computer, but just one and they took turns playing educational games. These were the days long before social media.

Fast forward to today.

Kids are getting cell phones and tablets at a younger age. There are apps for infants. This generation is inundated with information and entertainment. So much so that it’s difficult to decide on what to watch.

My grandkids started out watching “unboxing” videos. These videos are starring a grown adult (or sometimes a child) opening a toy and playing with it. They don’t watch educational TV and I see their education suffering.

These kids have no interest in going outside. They are helpless when it comes to cooking and cleaning. Their interests lie only on that screen.

This is our future leaders. It's not their fault! It’s their normal.

As a nurse, I speak to many parents and grandparents who are concerned for future generations. I don’t want this for my grandchildren or their future.

Let's all become role models for the younger generation. Let’s take them outside! To play, to garden, to explore, to get dirty!

Help them develop a love for reading, baking and learning how to make a house a home.

Develop their minds and bodies, and then let them have a little screen time. Let them learn how to operate a computer, research and study.

Now is the time to start shaping their minds and interests toward other people, relationships, and activities that will enhance their lives.

What is your take on this? Do you have littles that are absorbed with screens?