Comments on: Confession: Sometimes I’m Too Much Like My Boys http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/494/confession-sometimes-im-too-much-like-my-boys/ Tips, Advice and Resources to help you turn on your parenting skills and tune in to your kids. Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:30:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Functional Father http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/494/confession-sometimes-im-too-much-like-my-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Functional Father Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:46:54 +0000 http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/?p=494#comment-13 While my daughter is only 2-years-old right now, she's a television addict much like her father. I of course use it to my advantage from time-to-time. If I need to do something in another room of the house, I know that with Yo Gabba Gabba on, then she essentially be a zombie in the den for 20 minutes. If she's not eating her meal at the dinner table, I pull out the laptop and load up a playlist of Sesame Street songs - she proceeds to eat everything. Trouble is that she's so addicted now that she's conditioned to ask, insist, and cry for the television numerous times per day. She now knows that if she throws a fit in the car, I'll be at her mercy and stuck turning on her favorite Kermit video. The roles have reversed.<br><br>In my opinion, the TV shows/videos have contributed to her ever-growing vocabulary, but her dependence on it and her ability to manipulate me by using it as an ultimatum (turn on the show or I'll keep screaming) frightens me. <br><br>Recent NY Times article described how children with no limits on entertainment and media devices in their household grow up with more issues in school than kids who have strict limits on TV, video games, computer, etc.<br><br>Hopefully I'm not building bad habits - your post is a bit of a wakeup call for me. While my daughter is only 2-years-old right now, she's a television addict much like her father. I of course use it to my advantage from time-to-time. If I need to do something in another room of the house, I know that with Yo Gabba Gabba on, then she essentially be a zombie in the den for 20 minutes. If she's not eating her meal at the dinner table, I pull out the laptop and load up a playlist of Sesame Street songs – she proceeds to eat everything. Trouble is that she's so addicted now that she's conditioned to ask, insist, and cry for the television numerous times per day. She now knows that if she throws a fit in the car, I'll be at her mercy and stuck turning on her favorite Kermit video. The roles have reversed.

In my opinion, the TV shows/videos have contributed to her ever-growing vocabulary, but her dependence on it and her ability to manipulate me by using it as an ultimatum (turn on the show or I'll keep screaming) frightens me.

Recent NY Times article described how children with no limits on entertainment and media devices in their household grow up with more issues in school than kids who have strict limits on TV, video games, computer, etc.

Hopefully I'm not building bad habits – your post is a bit of a wakeup call for me.

]]> By: Michael Hawkins http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/494/confession-sometimes-im-too-much-like-my-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Michael Hawkins Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:20:25 +0000 http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/?p=494#comment-12 Hey "Mom" ... good idea: hide the electronics. I've threatened my family that we may go Amish for a week and see what happens. No electric, no running water. Ha! See how much we appreciate the simple things. <br><br>Reading? Yes! Both my boys are avid readers. And have been for a long time. I am very happy about that. :-) Hey “Mom” … good idea: hide the electronics. I've threatened my family that we may go Amish for a week and see what happens. No electric, no running water. Ha! See how much we appreciate the simple things.

Reading? Yes! Both my boys are avid readers. And have been for a long time. I am very happy about that. :-)

]]> By: Michael Hawkins http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/494/confession-sometimes-im-too-much-like-my-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Michael Hawkins Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:18:11 +0000 http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/?p=494#comment-11 Ah yes, the vortex will pull you in....and not let go. It's crazy. Ah yes, the vortex will pull you in….and not let go. It's crazy.

]]> By: surprisedmom http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/494/confession-sometimes-im-too-much-like-my-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-10 surprisedmom Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:37:00 +0000 http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/?p=494#comment-10 I like checking in on blog for comments. I'm addicted to that. I also Tweet. I have a FaceBook page and I belong to Dad-Blogs. I started to go overboard on the Internet, so I took a two month hiatus. It put things back into perspective, something I don't believe kids or teens have. They are so plugged in. Sometimes I would like to hide all the electronics and see what they would do. One thing makes me ridiculously happy, my girls are voracious readers. They have been reading since they were little. Now it's time for me to watch TV. :) I like checking in on blog for comments. I'm addicted to that. I also Tweet. I have a FaceBook page and I belong to Dad-Blogs. I started to go overboard on the Internet, so I took a two month hiatus. It put things back into perspective, something I don't believe kids or teens have. They are so plugged in. Sometimes I would like to hide all the electronics and see what they would do. One thing makes me ridiculously happy, my girls are voracious readers. They have been reading since they were little. Now it's time for me to watch TV. :)

]]> By: bdr0126 http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/494/confession-sometimes-im-too-much-like-my-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-9 bdr0126 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:05:42 +0000 http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/?p=494#comment-9 I hear ya! My kids are almost impossible to pull away from video games and TV. I myself get inside this vortex and can't get out...I am in the ZONE man! Great Blog! I hear ya! My kids are almost impossible to pull away from video games and TV. I myself get inside this vortex and can't get out…I am in the ZONE man! Great Blog!

]]> By: michaelhawkins http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/494/confession-sometimes-im-too-much-like-my-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-8 michaelhawkins Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:49:50 +0000 http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/?p=494#comment-8 Thanks for the comment. I completely agree. My kids are teaching ME things when it comes to electronic gadgets like iPods and the like. It's amazing. Thanks for the comment. I completely agree. My kids are teaching ME things when it comes to electronic gadgets like iPods and the like. It's amazing.

]]> By: steelydad http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/494/confession-sometimes-im-too-much-like-my-boys/comment-page-1/#comment-7 steelydad Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:31:37 +0000 http://www.topnotchparents.com/blog/?p=494#comment-7 I try to teach my kids a lot of things, reading, writing, etc. but one thing I'm not concerned with teaching them is anything computer related. They just look at an electronic device and instinctively know what to do with it. They don't need our help except in matters of moderation when it comes to that stuff. I try to teach my kids a lot of things, reading, writing, etc. but one thing I'm not concerned with teaching them is anything computer related. They just look at an electronic device and instinctively know what to do with it. They don't need our help except in matters of moderation when it comes to that stuff.

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