Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy
@scarymommy
Latest posts by Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy (see all)
- The Disney Reveal - May 14, 2013
- Met My Match At Disney… - May 13, 2013
- Sunday’s Baltimore Sun - May 11, 2013
If you have one child, likely your parenting and discipline are constant. You say no and are done with it. When you add in child number two, though, especially within under three years, you are now busier, pulled in more than one direction. You cannot do it all. You relax the rules a bit. With one child you steadfastly say no. When you have two, you might still say no to the first, but the second is younger and less manageable while you fry chicken so, well, maybe. Maybe you can have marshmallows for dinner. By child number three, you’re squarely in first kid = no. Second kid = Maybe. Third = Why yes, yes you can. Anything beyond three kids and it’s a free-for-all: do what the hell you want, just spare me and most of the Fritos.
You try. You try to fight it and say these under five footers do NOT run this house. They are NOT in charge. And then you realize you are talking to the inside of the refrigerator because yes, they do own you and your mind because that cabbage cannot respond to you verbally. You are the feed me, drive me, play with me, feed me again, wipe my butt person. AKA: Mommy. And it’s ok. It’s ok to change your parenting methods as you go. There is nothing that says that what worked for your first will work for the second (or eighth). There is no written rule that says that ice cream can’t be for breakfast. It’s dairy. Like yogurt, only colder.
With our first daughter, who is now 11, we were so determined, so adamant at minimizing TV. She watched so infrequently she was nearly three before she knew who Elmo was. Her days were filled with puzzles and books and coloring. Our second daughter is now eight and by the time she was one, our first daughter was getting more TV but still not as much as she wanted. The second, though, was watching upwards of an hour a day. Because it kept her quiet. And me sane. And then there’s the boy. The boy is now two and unfortunately, I am unable to divulge how much TV he watches because you will surely call the people on us.
It is laziness. TV is easy. And it’s winter. In summer, he’d be outside rather than in front of the TV. And it is mass electronics — it started with my old iPhone to keep him quiet in the car (have you ever tried to make it the last two blocks home praying to the almighty YouTube gods to please, please, please let that video not make it from M to Z before we get there)? Then we let him have the girls’ DSIs because they played music. And then we turned to the computer for YouTube or a movie while I cooked. Showered. Pooped. Napped. Shut up.
Yes, I sat him at the computer or TV because too many times I found myself saying I need to cook dinner and he’s standing on my feet hanging onto my belt loops and if he tugs again my pants’ll come down and your mother is visiting and hasn’t yet seen my bare ass and I’m not sure she’s looking forward to it, so find the fucking remote.
Interestingly (surely not to them) the girls are not allowed to watch TV during the week. “It’ll warp your brains.” But the boy? The number three? The why, yes, yes you can? He pushes his chair over to the computer, turns it on, and hands you the movie of his choice. The oldest girl says quite perturbed, “It’s unfair that he gets to look at something every day and we can’t watch TV until Friday.” I am a parenting wizard, I tell you, and it took me mere minutes to decide to pretend I hadn’t heard her. I should come up with a response, though, for when she actually directs this truth to me.
And you know what? As much as I dislike how much TV he watches, I embrace the option to let it babysit him a bit while I get a load of clothes out of the dryer. We make lists about how we want things to go from the birth to nursing or not, from toddlerhood to TV to food to discipline. We have the best intentions but sometimes it just works out the way it does. I’ve stopped beating myself up over it and you should too. As long as you know you’re doing everything in your power to keep your kids safe, their homework is finished, their stomachs are full, you know their friends and their parents, they aren’t beating classmates with wooden blocks, smoking crack, or taking guns to school — the TV is unlikely to ruin them.
(Any more than you singing Hammer Time! and doing the typewriter dance in the school parking lot will.)
{ 78 comments… read them below or add one }
Both of our kids watch TV. Lots of it. I’m sure it is “too much,” whatever that amount is. Thankfully it doesn’t bother me in the least.
Jennifer recently posted..I’m an asshole, Part 2
When the girls veg out on Saturdays because they’ve gone all week without, I do feel bad. And then I take a nap because they’re otherwise entertained.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
Oh so funny! Because it’s oh, so true. And I only have two kids.
Krista recently posted..first child, second child
So funny and so true. I get a kick out of parents of single kids who are so disciplined with their one child. How things change with more kids!
Victoria KP recently posted..Write on Edge: Between Conversations
Don’t feel bad. I only have one, and he watches far too much TV Sometimes I care so much I want to yank all the TVs to the curb. Mostly, I let it go. And just wait until your boy discovers video and computer games. You’ll beg him to just watch some TV.
We can’t win them all…
Vinobaby recently posted..Scalloped fingers with a side of mandolin whine
I am NOT looking forward to video or computer games. He already tries to play Mario on his sister’s DS. I do sometimes just want to unplug, say no more TV. I’m tired of singing that same Curious George song, tired of saying all the words to Toy Story, and for the love of all that’s good in the world, no more Barney. But in all honesty, we occasionally do just turn it off. It’s an ebb and flow and I’m good with the fluctuation.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
Oh my lordy, are you right about the video games … I actually do beg my son to stop playing and watch some tv!
I only have the one son, but I too fear disclosing just how much TV he watches. I try to reason it away with, “He’s favorite shows are Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs, they’re educational.” And it’s very true, it’s winter and in the summer he is outside most days recreating all the experiments and jobs he saw on TV over the winter.
I had all sorts of theories on raising kids, then I had one. Maybe it’s the fact that I didn’t have him until I was 35. My best friend has commented more than once that anyone who sees my parenting style would assume that T is my youngest of 6 as I am so laid back with him.
My sister has 2 and she’s just as strict with #2 as she was with #1, but she’s a bit of a control freak anyway. Love her dearly, but we are definitely different parents.
I feel really bad my oldest is 6, and we are so strict with him, the girl is 4, and gets any thing she wants because she has superior nagging skills and a really annoying voice, and the youngest boy is 2, he is just too cute to say no to (right now). I think I need to relax a bit with the oldest, this blog really made me realize how unfair we are to him :(
You know what, Stephanie? I think about how there’s such a disparity/unfairness and all I can do is try to talk to them, explain why there’s a difference. And that if they want dinner before 8damno’clock they’ll let the boy stare at the screen awhile. We’ve given the girls a bit more leeway on the computer during the week but even that is still kinda strict. I suspect that when he’s of homework age it’ll be the same for him but until then, we are muddling through our parenting choices just like everybody else.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
ha. this is my life! my oldest two never watched anything. my third was introduced to dora at 2. and my fourth…we’ll he’s 18 months and already knows how to use my ipod to watch elmo.
Ugh! The way he uses my iPhone is downright scary.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
Too funny. My third just turned two. You know how they say no tv before 2? Well before two she could sing theme songs with Dora and Diego and totally rock out with the backyardigans. C’est la vie. It works here.
Brittany recently posted..How Some Shit Turns to Sunshine
Brittany, I still feel bad (kinda sorta not really) that he was watching so much so early. But damned if he isn’t only one of TWO kids in his class of 15 who knows all his colors, shapes, and can count to 18. And every now and again he’ll say si instead of yes, so thank you, Dora.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
i don’t have any children. only nephews. but i think my sister went thru the same thing. hilarious! and i know my mom did! don’t fret about it. ur a great mom for sure! :-)
Mwah, Jana! Thank you.
I have triplet 3.5 year old boys and they probably spend way too much time on the Leap Pads, I-phones, etc… But I still have some hair that is not gray, have not beaten them or gone insane. They also know the alphabet, can count to twenty and tell you the days of the week. Thank God for KidsTV123 on You Tube. It means I get to actually cook a meal every once in a while without burning something.
I didn’t allow the Crazies a lot of TV until I dislocated my patella and had to have knee surgery. What is a gimpy lady supposed to do with 2-year old twins? Now they wholeheartedly believe they should be watching a movie every single day…an entire movie a day. Where did I go wrong???
Oh, and I’m MUCH worse in the winter…I loathe winter.
Rebecca @ Unexplained X2 recently posted..Terrible Tuesday
Yes, this is him! I watch The Hat (Toy Story) or the monkey (Curious George). And hating winter — loathe is not even a strong enough description for what I feel about winter.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
I am actually thinking of putting the internet in my car (they can put wi-fi in your car!!) so that we can stream Netflix to the damn iPad because it doesn’t have 3G….seriously……and why does the child not realize that as soon as we pull the car away from the house she will have to play games instead of watching a movie??
Yeah, I have 2, and yes, my youngest hijacked my husband’s iPad. We even call it HER iPad. I don’t have one, but both my kids do (the oldest is almost 15 and used Christmas / Bday money). The little one also has my old iPhone. Judge – but my kid is NOT screaming in the car making me want to drive into a tree…..and that iPhone is damn handy for grocery shopping.
I don’t buy into the “technology is bad” thing… these kids are growing up with it all around them, I’d rather they know how to use it. T, my son, knows how to use our phones, the Ipad, and can use the remote with the roku and netflix to get his shows on. Helps me on those days I have trouble getting up at the crack of dawn with him, like this morning, he came downstairs and started a Dirty Jobs while I drug my butt out of bed. I’m usually up before him, but not always. At least I know on days like this morning he’s not tearing up the place just watching TV.
My daughter can do things with my phone and iPad that baffle me. And she is very good at it. So, she is learning to type as well. ;-) See, upside!! I also would rather her be doing that than dismantling the house and making it fall to the ground……
Oh, and she can turn on and run her Apple TV to watch Netflix. I know adults that can’t manage that – and you know what, I might also indulge in some sleeping during that time as well……
I have dozed off during Sesame Street 2,422 times.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
I’m SO glad you posted this because yes, yes, I AM this! I have 3 daughters and DD#3 gets a free pass to *almost* everything. No, I don’t feel guilty. A mother is ONE person, not two or three or four. Too much mom guilt doesn’t help us or our kids. If they’re happy, so are WE, ice cream for breakfast and all! ;)
Bravo, Arnebya! YES! ;)
Vanessa
Vanessa Jubis recently posted..Performing For No Applause: A Competing Play
Thanks, Vanessa. And yes, the ice cream.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
OMG! This is hilarious! It is so true! I have 3 adult kids and 3 little ones ages 6-1/2, 4, and 2. One with special needs. It is so crazy around here that some days, as long as they leave me alone long enough to pee and breathe, they can do whatever they want and I’ll take care of the tornado later on after they are asleep! lol.
Thanks for this. I needed a good laugh. :)
Exactly. I have had a few people question how much tv i let my kids watch, but I hold firm to my schedule. My tv is actually on for a large portion of my day, and I am not ashamed of that. Why not? Because my kids don’t just sit on their butts in front of it (unless it’s Tangled. Im pretty sure that movie sends out subliminal messages/crack/sedatives/something.) It is on as background noise while we sing the alphabet songs with the Leapfrog kids, or spell words with Word World, or learn about helping our friends with the Wonderpets, or colors with that creepy “Color Crew” show on Netflix with the crayons who want to wear the magic hat (wtf is that?!) but, like some of the other moms said, my 3 year old – even with his speech delays (we had twins when he was 19 months old and he stopped talked completely and basically had to start all over with therapy) knows his colors, can count to 10, knows about 1/3 of his letters by sight recognition… I don’t have the time to sit with him and work on this stuff all the time, so the fact that there are shows out there that can keep his attention while I cook, or change ANOTHER diaper, or try to straighten up today’s tornado, or help the 5th grader with his homework, and in the end still be actually helping him learn, its a godsend. My twins are 18 months old now, and now I can finally sit with all 3 at once and work on letters or colors or shapes… but you all know how hard it is to keep 3 kids interested in the same thing at the same time ;) Mara doesnt wanna play with the blocks today? Cool. She can go color with Blue’s Clues 10 feet away.
lol got caught up in what I was writing – the background noise thing was all about how we play other stuff that relates to it across the room from the tv, so while they color green, we find the green blocks, or play with magnets on the fridge, or use our stuffed wonderpets to save whatever toy is in trouble this time :) Some day I’ll be that mom that fills my kids’ day with education and opportunity all by myself, like my mom was… she was a no tv mom til we were in High school… but for now, I’ll sit back and get to read a book for an hour a night and not feel the least bit guilty <3
Tell the questioners to suck it! Your family, your house, your cable bill.
Arnebya recently posted..I Want To Have Sex With My Shoes
SO glad I am not the only one. With my first girl (now 13.5y) we were very cognizant of what she watched, when she watched, and how much. Then along came girl #2, and suddenly, all bets were off. It’s no wonder she can repeat, verbatim, practically every commercial jingle out there. She’s 10, and about 2 years ago we were in the grocery store and I was paying with my credit card. She, very innocently, but JUST LIKE THE VOICE in the commercial, says…. “Life, takes Visa!” I almost peed my pants and the cashier was hysterical. Truly a marker that she apparently watches too much tv. We’ve cut it down since then, to maybe a half hour after school and then another half hour to hour at night. But, honestly, she is the child that really turned my hair grey, I just don’t have her stamina……
Oh, this is my middle girl. Every jingle, every commercial, every catchphrase. Taste the rainbow.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
I only have one and I am still a sucky mother. Darn it : )
Great post. I smiled the whole way through!
Life with Kaishon recently posted..Never Give Up {An inspirational story}
I was in the military and single with my first son so he didn’t get a lot of tv except for the weekends. But now I’m able to be a SAHM (love my husband) and my son sings along with little einsteins, chuggington and mickey mouse club. He is starting to pick things out though and get the answers right and has an uncanny ability to find his games on my iphone
Yes, yes, yes! Especially this upcoming month in regards to the TV, as we are in the process of moving to another apartment, with a 2 year old and a 4 year old. “Sure, watch Blue’s Clues until your eyes fall out, just stay the hell out of what I’m packing.” The early childhood experts might throw themselves on the floor and convulse, but a month of brain-rotting has got to be ten times better than living in a place when at any moment something major – heating, plumbing, our gas connection, etc. – could break and it take months to get the landlord to fix.
Lin recently posted..January 30, 2012 – Meatless Monday!
TV can be our friend, not our enemy, when we have things to get done. Nothing good can come from a 2 yr old unpacking the packing while your back is turned! I don’t care how cute he is.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
Ha! This is so true! I have 5 boys. The oldest is 11 and the youngest is 6. So, yeah, TV was my friend after about #3. And if I had a dollar for every time I hear “It’s not fair…Owen [youngest] gets to do whatever he wants” I wouldn’t need to work another day in my life. My standard reply to whatever kid is complaining about whatever kid is “Naturally…I love him most.” This always gets a laugh and makes the offended one forget about his problem, at least temporarily, while he professes his great outrage that I could/would/did say such a thing!
This is so, so, very true.
There are so many “I nevers” that my 3rd child is now doing daily. =)
Missy recently posted..FREEBIES Roundup
Your kiddos are about the same age as ours. We have 2 girls (11 and 7) and a 4 yr old son. I find it most comical that you also call your son “the boy” because that’s exactly what we call ours.
Girls can watch TV until bedtime on school days (don’t give a crap how long on weekends), but the boy gets to fall asleep watching during the week. Girls also say its not fair, but my response is “he won’t get to after he starts school” (which is not even a year off). This decision has nothing to do with rotting brains, I just know that 5am wake up call will not be fun for the kids who stayed up all night watching TV, and I seriously don’t want to hear the fighting, screaming, crying and whining before the sun rises. LOL
Giggling at “the boy.” It just fits.
Another issue at our house, though, is they don’t have TVs in their bedroom. There are only two in the house: one in our bedroom and one in the basement. I don’t think that boy would ever go to sleep if he had free use of a remote. :o)
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
He doesn’t have as much trouble going to sleep as he does STAYING asleep.. Can’t count how many times I’ve had to yell out to him at 3am: “square, square, triangle”, so his movie will restart and he will go back to sleep. You push stop (square) only once, and you will get credits again, twice restarts from the beginning. LOL
And we generally can’t find ANY of their remotes. Thankfully, most electronics come with necessary buttons attached, hence square, square, triangle. :)
“Can’t count how many times I’ve had to yell out to him at 3am: “square, square, triangle”, so his movie will restart and he will go back to sleep.”
Omg, I laughed so hard! Thank you x
Zee recently posted..Silent Sunday.
I have seven kids; 6 at home, 1 living away, 6 teens (until tomorrow when the eldest turns twenty!), 4 boys, 3 girls, 1 set of twins, 3 in high school, 1 in primary school, 2 working, 1 in college and 2 Aspies. At least two of them hate me on any given day.
Over the years, we have accumulated two Xbox 360s, four Nintendo DS’, one Nintendo DSi XL, one PS2, one PS2 Slimline, a couple of laptops and a TV in each bedroom. They weren’t all bought new, I’m not made of money! Also, most of them were Christmas presents at one stage or another. (Am I over-justifying here?)
It’s not all ‘tech’. We have hundreds of books. Unfortunately, only three of the kids are readers. I swear the others are part ‘bot.
When my eldest two or three were younger, I limited their time on games, TV, DVDs and such. Now that I’m on to the seventh? Honestly? If it’s not completely rotting their brains, or mine, and I get some damn peace….they can have at it.
The youngest, at 5yrs old, is one of my two Aspies. He knew his alphabet by the age of two, could operate the laptop at three (Google, YouTube), was reading at the same age. He’s more inquisitive and hungry for learning than any kid I’ve ever met. Sometimes I think that, if it weren’t for the various tech we have, I might just choke him. I love him more than life itself but, dude, I ain’t Google!
Zee recently posted..Silent Sunday.
Isn’t it amazing what little it takes for them to catch on? This boy works the computer and iPhone like he made both.
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
Thank you for this! It is soooooo true and makes all of us feel normal!
I only have one, my daughter who’s 4.5, but my parenting and discipline are no where near consistent. My justification is that I’m a single mother with a full time job – so hey I do what I need to do to survive. I fully admit to using McDonald’s for dinner as a bribe when I’m exhuasted and need a break. And using TV to babysit – how else would I be able to shower and get dressed in the morning in peace or sleep past 6am on Saturday mornings. As far as technology goes I refuse to let her touch my phone or my laptop – not out of morale outrage but simply because they are mine and I don’t want to share them. She’s desperate for a DS but santa (me) couldn’t afford it so she’s saving her pocket money for it. She does however have a CD player in her bedroom and an old TV and DVD player in her playroom.
I have this subsequent kid thing totally figured out.
When I have my next kid I am also going to add a sister wife to watch him/her. And on and on for any future children so that I’m never outnumbered!
Yuliya recently posted..my friend, the critic
I just want the sister wife for dishes and laundry. The kids I can handle (b/c I’ll still have the tv!). Wait, would that then just make her a maid?
Arnebya recently posted..I’m a Scary Mommy Today
Did someone say ‘maid’? Can I get me one of those? Having trodden on yet another Lego land mine (ouch!) in the middle of the night, I think I bloody need one!
Zee recently posted..Silent Sunday.
I only have one, but darn it if I don’t fall prey to the tv demon as well. I can’t help it. I am a writer. If Pirates of the Caribbean will keep him busy for a couple of hours while I crank out some pages on my next book…so be it.
So my boy can work my Droid like a pro, at least he isn’t running around the restaurant like a little heathen the way your child is.
So what if the kindle fire was wrapped and under the tree for him, despite that it was supposed to be a ‘family’ thing. The enjoyment on his 5 year old face was priceless.
Sometimes as a parent, we just need a break. Our kids still play outside when it’s nice, do crafts, learn the stuff they need to know to succeed in this world.
I don’t feel guilty and neither should any parent who does the best they can.
Hilarious post, as I saw myself in each ‘no-no’ you described.
Sabrina recently posted..OWFI Low Contest Entries
I used to feel bad about how much I’ve slacked off in the parenting department with our youngest. But then I realized that he’s the forever youngest. Which means extra cuddles, extra lenience, and extra playmates (big brothers). That makes up for parking him in front of the tv while I blog instead of making dinner.
I seriously think views about tv watching should be updated. When I was a kid it was Roadrunner and Tom & Jerry. Lots of violence and nothing educational. Today its ALL educational. Dora & Diego teach Spanish, Backyardigans teach imaginary play, Team Umizumi (sp?) teach reading and spelling, etc… Why is this so wrong!?! I was strict with my oldest (boy twins) and not with my youngest (daughter 19mos younger) well because I had 3 age 3 and under, but guess what? She learned colors, shapes, and counting before they did!!! No joke. Technology and TV has changed so much in the last 20 years, so should our point of views. :)
This post made me laugh harder than anything I’ve read in a long time!! Thanks!
Suz recently posted..Stretchy Suz
Thank you, Suz!
Arnebya recently posted..I Want To Have Sex With My Shoes
Hilarious! Yup I am guilty of the tv as babysitter thing though I do make all four children suffer when I turn of the tv during the week.
Hilarious
Gayletrini recently posted..A few things…
My friend and I were just talking about this. She has three, I don’t have kids. She was worried about their TV watching and then we got talking about how much TV we watched as kids. Turns out – a lot! We both came from homes with two working parents and regularly had babysitters. And we weren’t watching a whole lot of educational TV – more like cartoons, sitcoms, and 80′s movies. Our parents were lenient with TV rules and with babysitters that is all we did! And you know what – we are both college grads with good jobs, we have friends and don’t live in our parent’s basements…….Not saying TV is great or that it is right for every family, but I don’t think it is as evil as it is made out to be sometimes.
I have three daughters aged 10, 7 and 2. It is just how you described. I think the oldests only TV was the today show or soap operas at the sitters ( ugh) . Then you lighten up a little when you have two kids 2 years apart, they discovered movies! mostly barbie ( ugh). I bet our youngest would have a blast trying to see who could hang off their moms belt loops the longest. Hence, the baby tv while i’m trying to feed the family! The only difference is that I let the older two watch a little TV after homework is done. Oh well, I watched way more tv as a kid!
I have 2boys, the second one is 6mths and my tablet is his favourite toy! And I have discovered this game which locks the screen so I let him play without worrying that he’ll send inappropriate emoticons to my boss! And yes, it keeps me sane……
what is this miracle app? I have been using the iPad to read interactive children stories to my 15mo but all he wants to do is push the button on the side, quit the story, and go back to the home page. I only have one child, but having grown up as the oldest of six kids I can fully relate to the phenomenon of “no, maybe, yes, absolutely, why do you even ask, go away and do what you will – just don’t burn down the house”.
I adore Youtube! The girls have a cannon of songs and video’s that they want to watch. They even give them special titles such as ‘the goofballs’ (Outcast) or ‘the chickens’ (The muppets Bohemian Rapsody).
Tinne from Tantrums and Tomatoes recently posted..I hate misery so that is way I made these cupcakes
The boy is currently going through YouTube’s vast assortment of very early Sesame Street and Muppets. Kermit is a very faded green and Cookie Monster has yet to meet a vegetable.
Arnebya recently posted..Writer’s Workshop: The Real Me
The TV isn’t a babysitter?? haha! When my twins were little, I made sure all of the television was educational. I loved all of the Baby Einstein movies and then they progressed to The Little Einsteins. I refused to let them watch cartoons where the characters used improper grammar or endorsed baby talk. As they got older, my husband and I grew more lax. Fortunately, their favorite cartoons are Tom & Jerry and Bugs Bunny. They now constantly want to play video games and I just want the TV to have a few complete sentences coming out of it occasionally and maybe some music that isn’t on a continuous loop. But when the video games get to be too much for me, I reserve the right to turn the whole thing off and banish the munchkins to the back yard!
Amanda recently posted..My Recent Conversation with Ed
Man, you done brought it to Jill’s place, Arnebya.
So proud of you, and love how you are working so hard t get your writing out there.
From your first comment at my place, I could tell you were something unique.
This is great stuff: and your personality comes through: smart, clever, snarky, the real deal. No shiny pretend glitter stuff: just real, messy life.
So happy to see you here and I know you’ll get lots of visitors that will become followers.
Also: people? Arnebya is GREAT on twitter.
Alexandra recently posted..You Can Blame Me
Thank you, thank you, and thank you again.
Arnebya recently posted..Writer’s Workshop: The Real Me
So true! My second born gets away with so much more than my first!
Johanna recently posted..Proof of Love
Thank you!!
My eldest and middly always point out that I let my youngest get away with more. I feign a puzzled look and simply deny it. ;-)
Vivian recently posted..Super Shopper
I don’t think it’s lazyness at all. We have these ideals of how we think we should parent–most of it based on external pressure to be the perfect mom. And as we age we realize some of those things really don’t matter.
As the oldest, yes, I complained when my youngest sister was getting privileges that I had to wait a decade for. My oldest complains that her brother is watching PG13 BEFORE HE’S 13. (Teen angst emphasis added).
If TV rots their brains, well, that may not be a bad thing. Both of my kids are wicked smart, my son’s IQ is upwards of 150. If they were smarter, me and hubby would be in deep crap because they would totally own our asses.
Headacheslayer recently posted..Welcome to The Crafty Angel!
You are too funny! I love it! I just found your blog today and i’m instantly attracted..I needed to know that i’m not the only one with a messy playroom and who’d rather write a blog than fold laundry. My house is a disaster but my kids are happy and life is still pretty good. Keep ‘em coming!
Thank you, Suzanne. Filthy house/happy kids. I just don’t have visitors much.
Arnebya recently posted..Writer’s Workshop: The Real Me
HA. I just made this whole, “no tv til 5:30″ thing in my house last week because I thought they were too busy watching. And then I realized that I couldn’t get anything done. So now they play wii.
That’s different, right?
LeAnne recently posted..Things I don’t do for my kids
It is whatever you want it to be, LeAnne!
Arnebya recently posted..Writer’s Workshop: The Real Me
When my kids asked if they watched another show this morning after watching several, I said they could play an “active” game on the Wii. I sure hope it’s different. :)
Recovering Supermom recently posted..Capturing Me
“It’s dairy. Like yogurt, only cold.” Fricking brilliant!
MamaBug recently posted..Metamorphosis
I have tried SO hard to not do this. LOL But, with a now 13 y.o. she has to have her facebook every day and the younger one is 10 and not allowed to have it, yet. She doesn’t understand that it’s facebook rules and not mine. Yet, I could give in and do the ‘lying’ thing that other parents allow so she could have one… but I don’t want her to know THIS early in life that I will lie for her. I picture that in five years I’ll be lying as her alibi… I don’t want that! LOL
Dawn recently posted..The true test of a relationship is in the handling of the baggage.
I try so hard to limit the tv and just electronics in general. I have four boys and the older three they would use electronics 247 if I let them.UGH! They sure do come in handy sometimes when Im trying to get things done.
I think each child you have you tend to get a little less strict and more laid back. It just happens, it keeps you sane.
Modern Style Mama recently posted..Baby Boy Turns One…My Life In Pictures
Oh, my goodness. You are hilarious! I also have three kids and you have spoken to my heart. “Just spare me and most of the Fritos.” Love it!
Recovering Supermom recently posted..Capturing Me
Wowser! We have four (10,8,6 and 4) and this is really how it goes down at our house. Sometimes I almost want to call the people on myself! It is kinda inevitable if you want to get things done. Quickly.With No interruptions. A nap here and there is good too.
Jasmine at MrsSays recently posted..How to Inspire Your Husband: 20 Ways
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