What is about today and this extreme need for technology? I remember the simple joys of playing outdoors, the relaxing tendencies of coloring in my books and that special time a day where you got to play Super Nintendo after doing your homework. Today, you take a stroll through your neighborhood and are lucky if you see one child even peep it's head out of the window. Now, don't get me wrong. I love video games and adore the internet but not to the extent where I could sit indoors for hours and lose track of the day. Yes, there is a need for a lot of the technology out there but think about what its doing to us and the effect its going to have on our kids. Hello? Has anyone see Wall-E? If you haven't please stop reading this right now and go watch it. It'll prove my point. This constant need for a new phone, faster speeds, bigger screens...its causes more waste and less activeness. Doesn't it tell you something when a child knows how to use the computer when he doesn't even know the alphabet yet? Shouldn't the fact that we are buying teenagers $300-$400 cellphones so they could text their friends who they see all day at school raise a red flag? I had a beeper in high school. A beeper. And guess what? When I lost that, it was the end. I never would've dared ask my mom for another one. I would've gotten my teeth slapped out.
There is no value in things anymore. It's always new, better, bigger, faster. So it is any surprise that kids are never satisfied with what they have? Is it really that mind boggling that they keep demanding newer and better things regardless of the price? Everywhere you go people are so busy connecting themselves on whatever network they are on that they are disconnecting from the actual world around them. No one makes contact anymore. No one bothers to look ahead of them. The world around us is moot. We are so concerned about what Annie Bitches A Lot is up to today on Facebook today yet the person next to us who is dying from cancer is of no concern or even worthy of a small hello. Again, yes technology helps us do a great many things but when you're talking about a person almost running you over with their car because they are too busy texting, the argument sort of changes.
My son is a year old and every time he sees my phone he goes bananas because he knows that there is a Snoopy video stored inside. This, people, is not normal for a toddler. There are apps to keep your kid busy, apps to help them sleep and apps to even teach them but shouldn't we be doing this? I've fallen victim to this, I admit, but that doesn't mean I can't see that its wrong. Already I'm telling him "Rely on technology. Don't do anything for yourself." A child watching TV all day is not going to be any smarter. I don't care how "educational" the program says it is. A child should be playing and exploring; they should be creating and expressing themselves. TVs, computers, tablets, phones...they don't teach your child anything but how to be lazy. Like everything in life these things are fine in moderation. An hour of video games is fine. Browsing the internet and doing homework on the computer, more than acceptable. Now, a 9 year old with a phone and/or laptop? That seems like a big no-no to me.
There are so many wonderful things out there to do and see and we are missing out because we are either glued to a TV screen, a phone or a computer. Indulging every once in a while is not a bad thing. I mean, this is the modern world. We should enjoy the luxuries that we invent and crave but we shouldn't let them take over our lives. To continue being smarter, faster and generally competent we need to step back from the everyday things we collect to help life be better for us. In reality, its not helping. It's only slowing us down; reverting evolution. Think with your brains, not with your smart phone. Don't assume we want to know what you had for lunch. And, please, for the love of all things good, entertain and teach your children themselves. Mickey Mouse and Kid Piano can only go so far.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Blog Cherry has Popped
So here I am, my first blog. I can't say that I am exactly writing with any preconceived idea of what I am going to say. Just kind of pulling it, if you know what I mean. I'm not anyone exceptional. I haven't done anything note worthy nor do I have the kind of life that everyone dreams of but I like to think that I have a interesting life, albeit it's not always a good kind of interesting. I'm a mom, just like so many out there, so I share the thoughts and feelings of many. Still, I stand out from the cookie-cutter crowd. I am, and always have been, a little bit of an oddball. Yes, I obsess about my weight like most women, I fuss over my son's well being, yell at my hubby for not picking up the room, trash, etc. and I am addicted to shoes, meaningless TV shows and manicures but I think that's where the similarities end. I am in the small group of moms that go against the grain. We love to rock our sneakers instead of heels, have tattoos and are considering more, and generally don't care if our kid happens to drop a piece of food on the floor and then put it back in his mouth. I'm a believer in the 5 second rule. I encourage the hubby to buy his video games and comic books and actually enjoy watching him play. And, yes, I actually like watching basketball games with my hubby and, at times, the occasional football game. We are kindred nerds my love and I.
My son is so independent, he surprises people. Adventurous and eternally curious, my little man always throws himself into the fray; always ventures out into the unknown. He's not exactly a social butterfly but he knows who he likes and who he trusts enough to be around. He's always learning and smiling and playing and I'm with him every step of the way. That is my full time job; raising my child. I accept my son as he is and would never try to change him, regardless of the unsolicited opinions of others. Let him be hyper, independent, a lover of animals and an explorer of all things wonderful and new. This is his personality.
What's wrong with that anyways? Shouldn't we be teaching our kids to be individuals? Shouldn't we be encouraging them to be unique and to be themselves no matter what? We don't mold our kids into what we want them to be. We only show them they way, guide them through life's obstacles. And maybe, just maybe, we are lucky enough to learn something from them along the way. My son is already an individual and I love that about him. He's headstrong, self sufficient and knows what he wants. He is his own person and at a year old that's pretty impressive. Sure he's not really into cuddling and kissing all the time but when he does give me that squeeze it means so much more because I know he wants to. He's sweet and happy and his face lights up whenever me or daddy walk into the room. But I can tell my son won't be a pushover and I'm proud to think that me and his dad taught him that. Love but don't let your guard down. Defend yourself but don't be cruel. Be a friend but don't allow betrayal. That's what I want my son to learn. This might not work for everyone and it might not be what people want for their kids and I respect that. No one should tell you how to raise your child, unless you're a scum-sucking child abuser. But that's a story for a different day, kids. You do what's right by your kids and I will do right by mine. After all, not every child is the same and mine is living proof of that.
Now I don't want people that i'm too laid back either. Hell, at times I wish I could change him...just a little bit. I wish I could make him participate and play with all the other kids but he isn't like that. He's not the kind to sit still or throw kisses or even smile at you every time you open your mouth. But when he likes you or something is funny, you'll get the most adorable giggle you could ever imagine. He understands a lot because I talk to him like a person. He loves Snoopy and Dora and Mickey Mouse but will he sit down for a second to watch them? Not a chance. He bites and scratches and pinches me when I reprimand him and no matter how many times I say no, he will just look at me with pure contempt and keep on doing it. But that's my son. I love him, crazy as he is. And I know many kids are like this. Mine isn't the only one. He isn't more clever or smarter or the first child to ever do these things but he does them. He may not be spectacularly different but he is different. As a mom I know that too. My child will never be calm. My days will be filled with calls from school. And i'm sure that he will have the ferocious attitudes his father and I share.
But I accept it, people. My son keeps me on my toes and makes me smile like no other. And, you know, children won't always stay the same. The will change. They will go through phases and change their minds over and over again and it is our job to be there and say "it's okay, we love you no matter what." If more people did that then we wouldn't have children bullying each other in school. I've never given any stock to anything people have said about me. I know who I am and I don't give a rat's *** what people think they know about me. So whether my son becomes a football player, a chef, an administrative assistant, gay, straight or a live-in with me until the age of 27, I will always encourage him to be him; to think outside the box and color outside of the lines. I will always love him and will always accept him for who he is...whether it drives me crazy or not.
My son is so independent, he surprises people. Adventurous and eternally curious, my little man always throws himself into the fray; always ventures out into the unknown. He's not exactly a social butterfly but he knows who he likes and who he trusts enough to be around. He's always learning and smiling and playing and I'm with him every step of the way. That is my full time job; raising my child. I accept my son as he is and would never try to change him, regardless of the unsolicited opinions of others. Let him be hyper, independent, a lover of animals and an explorer of all things wonderful and new. This is his personality.
What's wrong with that anyways? Shouldn't we be teaching our kids to be individuals? Shouldn't we be encouraging them to be unique and to be themselves no matter what? We don't mold our kids into what we want them to be. We only show them they way, guide them through life's obstacles. And maybe, just maybe, we are lucky enough to learn something from them along the way. My son is already an individual and I love that about him. He's headstrong, self sufficient and knows what he wants. He is his own person and at a year old that's pretty impressive. Sure he's not really into cuddling and kissing all the time but when he does give me that squeeze it means so much more because I know he wants to. He's sweet and happy and his face lights up whenever me or daddy walk into the room. But I can tell my son won't be a pushover and I'm proud to think that me and his dad taught him that. Love but don't let your guard down. Defend yourself but don't be cruel. Be a friend but don't allow betrayal. That's what I want my son to learn. This might not work for everyone and it might not be what people want for their kids and I respect that. No one should tell you how to raise your child, unless you're a scum-sucking child abuser. But that's a story for a different day, kids. You do what's right by your kids and I will do right by mine. After all, not every child is the same and mine is living proof of that.
Now I don't want people that i'm too laid back either. Hell, at times I wish I could change him...just a little bit. I wish I could make him participate and play with all the other kids but he isn't like that. He's not the kind to sit still or throw kisses or even smile at you every time you open your mouth. But when he likes you or something is funny, you'll get the most adorable giggle you could ever imagine. He understands a lot because I talk to him like a person. He loves Snoopy and Dora and Mickey Mouse but will he sit down for a second to watch them? Not a chance. He bites and scratches and pinches me when I reprimand him and no matter how many times I say no, he will just look at me with pure contempt and keep on doing it. But that's my son. I love him, crazy as he is. And I know many kids are like this. Mine isn't the only one. He isn't more clever or smarter or the first child to ever do these things but he does them. He may not be spectacularly different but he is different. As a mom I know that too. My child will never be calm. My days will be filled with calls from school. And i'm sure that he will have the ferocious attitudes his father and I share.
But I accept it, people. My son keeps me on my toes and makes me smile like no other. And, you know, children won't always stay the same. The will change. They will go through phases and change their minds over and over again and it is our job to be there and say "it's okay, we love you no matter what." If more people did that then we wouldn't have children bullying each other in school. I've never given any stock to anything people have said about me. I know who I am and I don't give a rat's *** what people think they know about me. So whether my son becomes a football player, a chef, an administrative assistant, gay, straight or a live-in with me until the age of 27, I will always encourage him to be him; to think outside the box and color outside of the lines. I will always love him and will always accept him for who he is...whether it drives me crazy or not.
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