Monday, August 30, 2010

The purple dinosaur

Barney, Elmo, Dora, Sid, Clifford, Diego, Belle, Zoe, Ariel.  At first glance you would think that it was a cross between Mayberry and a strip joint.  In fact, these are the names of the characters that are on  television every day to entertain our kids.  Every where you go you can find Dora towels, Barney shirts, Elmo pillows, etc etc.  Whoever invented these characters I'm sure have enough money and revenue to buy a small country!

There are so many studies out there that talk about if your kids should watch TV, what they should watch, how much they should watch, etc etc.  While I think that some of these studies have some valid points, I think that some of them are also a crock. I would bet my next paycheck that half of the people who published these studies weren't stay at home parents with two toddlers. 

I admit it, my kids watch TV almost every day, and they have certain shows that they LOVE.  Seriously, if I had my choice to play with a wooden block or watch a purple dinosaur dance and sing, I would pick the dinosaur! What two year old wouldn't want to watch a girl with a cool backpack and a talking monkey speak Spanish?  For my kids it is entertainment, and somewhat educational.  For me, it is peace.  It means that I get to take a shower, fold laundry, or cook dinner.  It means that I get to feed my Facebook habit or have the occasional phone call to a friend.

Someone made the comment to me the other day that they thought it was amazing that at two years old Olivia knows all of her colors, knows the alphabet, can count to 15, and can sing a whole variety of songs (I'm sure that there are a ton of kids out there that can do that).  The person commented "I bet that you work with her all of the time".  I just smiled and said thank you, but it made me really think, "How in the world does she know all of this?"   While I do sit and sing songs with her and Frankie, and count the steps every time that we walk up and down them, I can't take all of the credit.  I have to give a shout out to my homeboyz  Elmo and Barney for all of their hard work and effort!  They have taught her something!

I think that the key is balance.  Should TV take away from outside play or reading time?  Absolutely not! We all know that too much of anything can be bad.  If I eat that bag of Doritos, my jeans won't fit!  If I drink that next martini, I may have a hangover , or even worse, get crazy and get knocked up again!  My point is that Dora and Elmo aren't going to make your kids stupid or fat if  you are responsible about it. Take that time when they watch their shows and do something productive, or just sit down and relax for a moment.  When it is over turn it off and go outside and play with your babies.  Nothing should take the place of your interaction with your kids, that is what they need, that is the attention that they crave, and nothing should ever replace it! 

Don't get bent out of shape if Elmo teaches your kids their colors first. If I could, I would give Elmo a tickle or two in gratitude for all that he has done for me!

2 comments:

  1. dude i never knew you could write like this. Really good. I honestly enjoyed reading it.

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  2. I think you hit the nail right on the head! The key issue, the thing that people tend to ignore, is personal responsibility. It irritates me when people get all up in arms about what tv/video games/books (or whatever else you can fill in the blank) are doing to our kids. Where is the parent's responsibility in that equation? Since when do those things get the last say? Isn't it our job to teach our kids? I'm not letting media items raise my girls for me but we don't abstain from entertainment either. I think, if kids enjoy those shows and you, as a parent, use them to the family's advantage AND also take time to play and read and spend time together away from the tv, what's the big deal? Without Adelaide's "Yo Gabba Gabba" during Matilda's morning nap, I don't think I would have gotten a shower in the last year! =) I'm enjoying reading your perspective on parenting.

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