Sesame Street was the "gateway"

So this confession is totally gonna ruin my hippie cred but we have sort of a problem here on the homestead. My son is a bonafide tv junkie. No scratch that. He's a Dora the Explorer junkie. I'm not even sure how this happened, all I know is that if I turn the tv off or don't turn it on at his request meltdowns ensue. On a daily basis. It shouldn't be a surprise considering his dear ole dad was once a contestant in a couch potato contest. If dad is home the tv is on. In hindsight I guess this was inevitable. But now it's a situation, that sometimes I just don't have the energy to fight with. Yep. The woman who didn't even own a tv and was happy about it, is now bartering Dora for quiet time to cook or write this blog. Trust me, it's totally worth it. And you know what I'm not gonna feel guilty about it anymore. In the past three days we've painted, made play dough, cooked, baked and made messes together, played in the sink, read loads of books, met up with friends, gone to play places and played trains, trucks and cars every day. And this is pretty typical for us. I think it's safe to say he's living it up by toddler standards. The kid has had more experiences than many adults I know.

So why am I trying to justify it? I don't know. I still have an inner list of what I consider would make me a "good" mom and I feel like I keep failing it. And the worst part is how aware I am of the problem with creating all these ideals as a parent. If there is one lesson I am constantly relearning is that things don't always go as planned. So I'm not the detached schedule driven parent I thought I'd be. That turned out to be a good thing. But now I'm not always such an "attached" or holistic one either. I guess that may be a good thing too. Sigh.

The American Pediatric Association recommends ZERO hours of tv for kids under two. But then again when have I ever felt them a reliable source anyhow? I guess "Dora" is here to stay. Until something way cooler comes around.

 

Comments

[laurie]

Too funny - Sammy watches with daddy and she somehow LOVES ALf of all things! Who knows. Everything in moderation...

[Kate a.k.a. The Secret Goddess]

TV watching ebbs and flows for all of us over here - but I strive to trust them to know their own inner process and to support their interests.

Such as my daughter's current interest in daytime talk shows - I could choose to feel uncomfortable w/ it and focus on the other more "productive" things she could be doing yet I find it more honest and peaceful to trust that she is meeting her own needs her own way as she dances into adulthood.

I *trust my children - I believe they are amazing and incredibly beings just as all of us are and I believe they deserve to create their own experiences NOT the experiences I would chose or the ones I wish I'd had in my childhood!

And I feel ya - I'd wandered in and out of those *hippie cultures where my kids tv habits were not the norm and were not supported - it's not easy <3