Parenting 2.0

cthulhu mask

I do try to monitor what the kids watch. And limit it. Right now, I will admit to a bit of bribery: If Preschool Rockstar can stay dry and use the potty, she gets an episode of either Kipper, Shaun the Sheep, or Timmy Time (which is basically an offshoot of Shaun, itself a spinoff from Wallace and Grommit). Lemme tell you: Thank goodness for DVDs and DVRs because holy crap has the children’s shows morphed.

OK, even when I was wee, there were commercials. Heck, when my mom was young and television was starting to get into homes there were commercials (albiet unlike today— one company would sponser a television show, and they would have their promo spots that may include the actors taking a break from the regular shenanigans to say how awesome Chock Full O Nuts is, or how Texaco was the best gas for your car, or how Olvatine was wonderful). So I’m not going to go into the evils of how companies are using shows to promote a line of toys *coughtransformerscough* or how fast food companies are going to make my child ask for a meal and sulk when I say no. Hi, my kids are used to me saying no and they need to learn that behaviors like sulking or temper tantrums are not going to change my mind. This is called learning Cause and Effect. This is also called Teaching Kids Mom Means What She Says.

When J and M were young, Sesame Street (a show that started soon after I was born, and something I watched religiously) was ok, but Elmo started showing up. Sorry, I have no love for the red monster. While most of the other muppets talked (more or less) with regular vocabulary, Elmo did this babytalk-babble. I seem to remember someone from CTW (Children’s Television Workshop) saying at the time of Elmo’s ascent that he was supposed to be the muppet that most of the young audience would be able to relate to (and gee whiz. That was who Big Bird was aimed at with his sense of wonder with the world, the fact that his best friend Mr. Snuffleupagus could only be seen by Big Bird and everyone else called him an imaginary friend, and other things that I’m not really thinking of at the mo). But since I wanted the kids to act, you know… like people, I started turning off Sesame Street and started showing other shows. Now? I wouldn’t show Sesame Street to the younger two. It’s sad, but there you go.

I still love the Muppets, though. DVDs are our friend— muppet movies, and a very cute series by the Jim Henson Studios called Pajaminals (four wee animals who sing about how Sleep is so awesome, that’s why they call it sleep). Right now we are also Aardman Studio fans: Wallace and Grommit, Shaun the Sheep, and Timmy Time get airtime, and the kids all love them.

What were your favorite TV shows growing up?

Cat Island aka the place where my sinuses would explode

Another round of ear infections?

Sure! And two for the price of one? What a deal!

And what’s that? Amoxicillin won’t touch it? Boy howdy, isn’t that grand?

Sorry kids. I’m slipping into black humor here— lack of sleep and frustration is piling on the usual stressors of my day.

Sorry for radio silence right now, everyone. We are still battling this cough/cold/croup/pneumonia/whatevertheheck Preschool Rockstar has (and now the baby has it too, along with the fun Fever addon). I’ve been trying to get several posts written, but it’s just not gelling since I’ve gotten maybe ten hours of sleep within the past week. Wheee.

We have another appointment with the doctor today (Monday was a physical/what’s going on with the cough situation with the pediatrician, yesterday was a p/t appt for my mom). I am only half-kidding when I say that we might as well have a sitting area devoted to the family over in the medical office that we go to…

Throw some good health juju over here if you can spare it, please. Not being able to sew, or do much of anything other then shlep people to the doctors is getting rather old— and I have so much more to talk about (and research. I’m supposed to do a class on children and vintage fashions in August and I’m woefully behind on it).

Lord of the Potty Dance

driftingfocus asked: It was a fried octopus tentacle.

oh… wow! Dare I ask if it was any good? I’m a wuss when it comes to food :)