Yes, that's right, I said without television. Even if you can't see yourself completely cutting out the idiot box (as my parents were wont to call it,) you can significantly reduce their viewing time. You'll be surprised by the results.

Excessive TV viewing makes people lazy. I'm not saying that all television content is bad, PBS has some great educational programs. I'm talking about the nearly 30 hours a week the average child watches television. All those hours wasted in a passive activity that does little to stimulate creativity or imagination.

Need more incentive? Check out these statistics compiled by TV-Free America, 1322 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 887-4036:

• 20,000 - Number of 30-second commercials seen in a year by the average kid
• 54 - Percentage of kids age 4-6 who, when asked, preferred to watch TV than spend time with their father. (Ouch!)

• 73 - Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children's TV viewing time. (Since they would like to limit the time, I assume that means that they currently do not.)

So here's a little experiment. For one week (I was going to offer a 30 day trial originally, but thought it might be too big a step for newbies,) turn off the TV. No cartoons, no viewing during the dinner hour, no Dancing with the Stars or any of the other weekly shows you watch.

I'm warning you, this will be hard at first. You've let your imagination skills go stagnant. You and your kids are going to have do some thinking on how to effectively fill the time that has been freed up now that the TV is off.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Board games

• Go to the library, pick a book to read aloud to one another

• Listen to music, or better yet, play your own version of Name that Tune! (it's hilarious, trust me.)

• Make cookies from scratch, or whatever strikes your fancy.

• Write letters to faraway relatives.
• Write a letter to a toy manufacturer telling them what you like or don't like about a product of theirs.

Okay, now it's your turn. Have each family member come up with five different non-electronic activities. Do them.

Then watch a transformation come over your kids. They'll start to have fun. Their imaginations will blossom, their creativity will sprout, they'll get excited to learn and do something new. You may even find that they'll behave better, be more polite, and you'll wonder why you didn't shut off the TV sooner.

For more statistics on family TV viewing, follow the link below.