Yes, We Can!

What a night! Barack Obama sent me an email as soon as he declared victory. I will write him back and I’m sure I will hear from him again soon. Like millions everywhere, I will be helping him change the world.

Because of the internet, we are no longer passive and helpless in front of our ubiquitous television screens, should we choose to watch them. When we don’t like what we see, we can blog about it, send emails or make our own commercials.

That’s what the Obama campaign understood. And in the end that’s why the smears aimed at him didn’t stick. Obama communicated with us directly and we did the same with him, his campaign and with each other. That’s why he received a record number of donations and created a passionate group of supporters.

Barack has proven himself to be brilliant and unflappable, and more spiritually evolved than leaders we have seen in recent times. I am deeply grateful today for this monumental opportunity before us, and I am thankful for my friends, Democrats and Republicans alike, who chose to vote for Obama.

We are all more empowered now. We have a voice. Let’s make the most of it. The world is watching us, and not just from television sets anymore.

In victory,

Ellen

Outdoor Kids

I just learned about something called "Take a Child Outside Week." It’s this week (Sept. 24-30) and it’s designed to raise awareness about childhood obesity and children’s disconnection from nature. The idea is to get kids to play outside and explore the natural world more.

Of course it’s a bit sad that a designated week is even needed to motivate people to do something that used to come naturally for families. Increased screen time is just part of the reason for the move indoors. Lots of parents are afraid to allow their kids to venture too far from home. In some cases, their fear is warranted. In other cases moms and dads simply perceive their neighborhood to be more dangerous than it really is.

The woman who started "Take a Child Outside Week" is affiliated with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and her project has been getting lots of attention all over the United States. You can check out her website. I especially like the section about family outings, where posts are welcome about favorite activities.

I like that this is a week in which parents and others are invited to do something positive, as opposed to being told to stop doing something that’s not good for kids. I know that in my own workshops I find that sharing the benefits of TV-free parenting is better than dwelling on the negative effects of too much television.

Although it’s starting to rain here in Portland and elsewhere, I hope that won’t stop kids from getting to play outside this week, and every week of the year for that matter.

Best Wishes,

Ellen

Obama Mania

Last week I was interviewed by a reporter in England and she asked me how much television my family watches now that my son is 13. After thinking about it, I realized that we have watched a lot more than usual this past month. First the summer Olympics drew our attention, particularly Michael Phelps and his quest for eight medals. Then we tuned into the Democratic convention to watch the evening speeches.

What we discovered is that it was often easier for us to use one of our laptops to find the Olympic event or speech we wanted and watch it at our leisure without constant commercial interruptions.

Naturally, we had to watch Barack Obama's speech on the big screen. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. I was impressed with him for so many reasons, and although it is a minor point, I want to mention that once again he advised parents to turn off the television and read to their kids. I didn’t hear his opponent say anything like this (and I did listen to his speech, too).

Last month France's broadcast authority banned French channels from marketing TV shows to children under 3 years old because of the developmental risks associated with early exposure. Scandinavian countries have already taken measures to protect young children from television and advertising, and have increased public awareness of its inherent dangers.

I don’t know exactly what we can expect in this area from Obama, but I know that parents will have an ally with him and Michelle in positions of leadership. And in my opinion we need to do everything we can to get them into the white house.

Whether we like it or not, as long as the majority of Americans watch lots of television (primarily for entertainment), commercials will be their primary source of information about the candidates. That’s why donating to Obama's campaign is necessary if we want him to be elected.

So that’s my pitch. (At least it isn’t for my book this time, although you’re welcome to buy it while you’re at it).

With school starting, and the Olympics and the conventions over, I’m looking forward to spending less time in front of the big screen, until the debates begin, that is. I hope you’ll watch them, too.

Best Wishes,

Ellen