Whew ! Now that the weekend's over, I predict smooth sailing for the rest of our Screen-Free Week. We don't watch that much TV on weekdays. Compared to the national average of 34 hours per week of TV viewing (for adults) and 7.5 hours of screen time per day for kids (over 8), we're on the very low end of the scale.

Today -- day 3 -- we were able to get ready for work and school with only minor adjustments to the morning routine. And my daughter has already adapted to TV-free mornings by tearing through her new library books (new favorite: Mouse and Mole). While we appreciate WordGirl for her dictionary-decoding efforts, consistent reading is by far a better vocab-builder.

This experiment has been an excellent excuse to really analyze how and why we use television in our family. With our kids at 4 and 6 years old, we acknowledge that TV watching is purely a parenting choice. The kids -- as much as they may adore H.R. Pufnstuf, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, and Kiki's Delivery Service -- would much rather be engaging directly with us, or with a book, or with a pile of clay. We let them watch TV because it makes life easier for us, plain and simple.

As the kids get older, I'm sure they'll ask to watch the shows their friends are watching. But part of the benefit of this experience is that they're learning how to occupy themselves without constant parent attention. I predict we will struggle with balance, but I'm confident that we'll find it.

After our grueling weekend, I'm more than ever a proponent of media in moderation. Teaching our kids -- and ourselves -- how to understand and regulate our engagement with TV (and Facebook, texting, and Angry Birds, for that matter) has been a valuable lesson.

Tomorrow I'll round up some of the great tips from readers on ways to limit TV, plus I'll update you on how many chapter books my daughter has read since this project began. (Three so far!)

Day 4: Your Tips for Reducing TV Time