The boob tube

I love and curse the invention that is the television.  I love my HGTV and guilty pleasures like Desperate Housewives, all of which I wait to watch when B is in bed.  The American Pediatric Association says no TV for children under two years of age.  There are so many reasons given as to why this is and I agree, for the most part.  Children of any age shouldn't watch too much TV (or be on the computer or play video games); it's all about moderation.  There are too many older kids today that don't know how to play outside nor do they have the desire to go outside!  It's sad.  I can remember playing for hours and hours outside, during all of the seasons, even winter!  Even as a teenager I spent a lot of time outside, going biking or just sitting outside talking with my girlfriends.  Since this was my experience growing up, I just assumed that today's youth was the same way, boy was I wrong!  When I was teaching, I had made a comment to the last class of the day, saying "when you guys get home and go outside to play", I can't remember how the conversation started, but the looks I got you would've thought I had three heads!  The students then informed me that they would be going home to watch TV or play video games or go on the computer or a combination of all three.  YIKES!

So this brings me to B.  I don't want him plopped in front of the TV all day and I don't want him growing up thinking it's a vital part of his day.  I want him to think of it as something we might watch together once in awhile, a fun movie or a cute show.   So, even though B is under two, he has watched TV, and it only started recently.  We found Word World on PBS and I enjoy watching it with B once in awhile (we DVR it!).  When it's super hot outside or it's raining and we have played with every toy a million times, it's nice to just sit for 20 minutes and watch a show to break up the day.  We've recently discovered Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse (LOVE IT!) and Brendan LOVES it.  He loves Mickey, he barks at Pluto, and claps when they clap, and of course dances to the hot dog dance at the end.  So I've been recording Mickey Mouse.  I figure if he watches the 23 minute show once a day (in the morning while drinking his bottle of milk--his only bottle of the day) it won't kill him.  As soon as he sees Mickey on the screen, he breaks into a huge smile and bounces.  Once the show is over, the TV goes off (music goes on, I love Sirius on the TV) and stays off the rest of the day (unless I want to veg in front of it while he's napping and I want to pretend the laundry isn't sitting in a huge pile waiting to be washed).

Lately B has been wanting the TV on during other parts of the day.  He tries to grab the remote (it's out of reach) and then when I tell him we can watch TV again tomorrow morning he freaks out and throws a major temper tantrum.  He keeps going to the remote throughout the day and gets so upset when I deny it.  This scares me!  Why is he so addicted?!  Ugh, did I do something wrong?  He even takes his toy remote (old one) and tries to get the TV to turn on...  I'm not going to deny him TV all of the time, especially as he gets older (I can't wait to watch Disney movies with him!), but I don't want him to become a boob tube idiot!

Trying to turn on the TV with his remote.

This boy has a one-track mind!  My friend came to visit and spend the night this week and she brought a chocolate cake she had baked.  Brendan saw the cake when she got here and was obsessed with the cake the rest of the day.  That's what he pointed to during snack, during dinner (which he ate hardly anything), he just wanted the cake (not that I can blame him!).  He finally got some cake when we were done with dinner and he was so happy.  The next day he still saw the cake and wanted it instead of his breakfast and instead of his lunch.  I finally had to show him the cake was "all gone", by changing it's container and hiding it!

Hehehe, I win, I got cake!