i said i wouldn't

My brother, sister and I were laying on the carpet hands holding our chins up as we were watching Different Strokes.  We were just about to find out what Willis was talkin' about when my dad said to turn the t.v off, we were going out to dinner.  All three of us simultaneously whined and said no.  NOT something you should ever say to a parent.  Our t.v privileges were taken away.  I don't even know for how long but this happened close to 30 years ago and I still remember it very clearly.  At that time, I vowed to never, I repeat, never take the t.v away from my children.  7 1/2 years after having my first child, the remote is hidden and they can't watch t.v anymore.  I totally went back on my word and became my parents.  The kids were glued to the t.v and when a commercial came on they would whine about how bored they were.  I listened to them for the 3 minutes of commercials when they would run back to their worn out spot on the couch to watch the rest of the episode.  I was not met with the same resistance that I gave my parents but they were not exactly happy to be told no more t.v.  Their behavior changed immediately for the better.  No more crappy kids shows teaching them it's ok to sneak out of the house or talk back to their parents.  I am now making a new vow to myself to monitor what is on and for how long.  I am not taking it away permanently but I get a say as to what they watch.  The only downside to taking away the t.v is the mess from all the toys but that's ok.  I would much rather their minds have the ability to create on their own than be brain washed into watching 4 hours of a Spongebob marathon.