I told my kids the TV was broken. Four months later, I’m still pretending.

Every time my kids asked to watch TV, I had to prepare myself for battle.

My 2-year-old should not be experiencing decision fatigue, yet I watched her grapple with the impossible choice of which Bubble Guppies episode to watch every single day. And when she would finally pick, it wouldn’t even hold her attention. Three minutes later, she would have followed me into the kitchen, asking for attention from me. Not only were my kids overstimulated, but so was I.

In an effort to protect everyone’s sanity, I told my kids the TV was broken.

I don’t want my kids to get used to instant gratification

On each individual platform, there can be miles worth…