Yearly Archives: 2011 Miriam at 10 1/2 months old in her adorable headband from Pink and Pigtails. Check out all of their adorable headbands on etsy! Miriam is growing and changing so much. Here is what she is up to lately: She is cruising all over the furniture, crawling, and climbing. Out of all 3 kids, she has […] November 29, 2011 - 5:10 am
Beautiful picture. You are amazing.  I can assure you that the flower and pose were all her own idea, but I must admit that I am doing a somewhat cheesy pose with a rose in a senior picture. Never too young to practice baby wearing. Sofia wanted us to dress alike and both carry our babies in the picture. Sofia […] 2 comments November 29, 2011 - 5:07 am
I love that her favorite place visited is Disneyland. That means Chris did a great thing by sacrificing a trip out here. November 29, 2011 - 5:11 am
Beautiful picture. You are amazing.  I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. Sorry that I have been MIA, but I have just been busy living life without extra time to document it all. We had a very nice and simple Thanksgiving this year. We had a mellow day at home most of the day, went to the studio to […] 3 comments November 27, 2011 - 1:21 pm
The pictures of your kids are adorable, as usual! November 27, 2011 - 9:25 pm
Your kids are adorable Kara! That is so cool that T.J.’s did that!! November 28, 2011 - 10:32 pm
Thanks Holly. I am hoping they will do it again! Chris and I have been having some discussions lately trying to figure out what is appropriate for our kids to watch, but before I dive into those conversations, here are some of our tv stats: Sofia and Gabe are allowed to watch an hour’ish (give or take a little) of TV each afternoon after they […] 21 comments November 15, 2011 - 9:40 pm
Our TV habits are about the same as yours, except my kids mainly watch from Netflix. I am also thinking about cutting it, because there is just SO MUCH available, and it becomes something they beg for, which drives me crazy. They are never satisfied because there is always something new they haven’t seen. My main issue with Disney, Pixar, etc is the merchandise the movies put out. Again, there’s just SO MUCH of it and it’s everywhere (Cars!). I don’t mind the “dead parents” theme – it seems to be common in kids’ stories since before there were even films. It’s typical childhood fantasy/fear stuff. Kids afraid of being abandoned yet overcoming adversity and learning to cope… The most damaging thing I’ve noticed about movie/TV watching is the attitude. Many shows (even that are supposed to be for under-7) have main characters that are very disrespectful to their parents and siblings. I hear my kids copying this, talking back to me, rolling their eyes at me, etc. and again it drives me CRAZY. November 15, 2011 - 11:29 pm
Yes, my kids used to beg for Netflix all of the time. I have such a love hate relationship with screen time for the kids (only thing I love is that it gives me a break to get stuff done). Yes, the consumerism that goes with Disney and many kid’s shows is annoying. November 15, 2011 - 11:38 pm
I bought all the Fairie Tale Theater series (PBS circa early 80′s) on DVD. It is slow moving, but I’ve seen it captivate a 6 year old. Some are a little more frightening than others, but they are generally more like watching live theater. I don’t show it to Hazel yet of course, but Hazel is allowed to see Mr. Roger’s for fun every once in a while! I think you are right about Disney, I was terrified of my parents dying after seeing Bambi and Land Before Time when I was a child… Toy Story seems universally heartwarming and teaches lessons that are appropriate for young children. November 16, 2011 - 12:34 am
My kids only watch television when they are sick or getting haircuts. when they do watch, it is nature videos (documentaries) without commercials. I have experimented with letting them watch more but when they do I see an increase in behavioral problems–and whining for more of the “magic box.” There’s already not enough time in the day for school, activities, free time and meal time. Disney generally has a lot of really objectionable messages regarding gender, class, race, etc. So do other movies that are intended for children. How many children’s movies have positive female protagonists? I want my daughter seeing role models for her to be a strong leader, not a cute sidekick. November 16, 2011 - 12:35 am
P.S.–I did promise my 6 year old that he could watch Star Wars when he’s 7. That’s how old I was when I saw it. I may have to find an edited version. November 16, 2011 - 7:28 am
We did zero t.v. until the age of two with both kids, and I think that helped set expectations with them. Now that they are 6 and 4, yes they watch some t.v., but they don’t watch it every day and it’s not something they ask for or expect regularly. We’ve done some Disney movies, but the only princess movie Mia has seen is Tangled. Don’t get me started on the princess movies! Kara, have you visited http://www.commonsensemedia.org/ ? This website has been extremely helpful for us in determining what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. You can look up movies and it tells you the “common sense rating” which is an age at which kids are ready to watch the movie. It tells you what to watch out for, what to talk to your kids about, etc. We use this before we watch anything. It’s hard when you have different ages, though, b/c I think we are a bit more lenient with what Alex watches now. Check out this article too: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/12/news/la-heb-spongebob-squarepants-children-brain-20110912 Disney online has some cute shows my kids like: Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Little Einsteins, Oso, etc. and we have Netflix, but we do not have cable. My kids get so annoyed when they go to the grandparents and have to sit through commercials. As for the Spiderman – I know Nathan will let the kids watch the 1960′s Spiderman – I think the older ones are OK and less violent. November 16, 2011 - 8:46 am
I will probably be the black sheep here. Both my husband and I have studied pop culture – him as a hobby and me as my degree. We also only have netflix and our movie selection or things from the library so Maeby isn’t just watching whatever on TV. She does watch more than she probably should, but not every day. We go days and days with no TV which is awesome, but there are also days (like today when I’m feeling super sick) that we snuggle up and watch cartoons on netflix or movies together. That’s the big thing for us – its NEVER a babysitter – its a family event. We LOVE movies and TV and pop culture – we named our daughter after a character in a TV show (Arrested Development if you’re wondering)! So for us, its part of family time. We do lots of other things too – we bike, walk, swim together every day too so I feel like we have a balance. We have a wide variety of things we watch together too. We love the Planet Earth series and the Life series but we do watch most Disney films. The thing is that we also talk about them and what message they’re leaving. For example – Beauty and the Beast basically is a message that “If you stick with that mean abusive man he’ll eventually turn into a prince if you just love him enough” and we talk to Maeby about how we should let people treat us and what is and is not ok. She may be 3 but she does get the message. I have issues with ALL Disney movies. Even ones we love but for me they were such a part of both of our childhoods that we want to share some of that with Maeby. We also skip over some parts too – like in Peter Pan when they’re with the native tribe and there’s the very racist song about “the red man”. One thing that we seek out are those movies and books that have strong positive female characters – like Mulan and Jessie and even Ellie (from UP) who don’t wait for everyone else to take care of them. On the other hand we are also HUGE superhero nerds and Maeby (hasn’t seen) but knows all about Batman and Superman and Xmen. The girls in Xmen were a huge influence on me – being strong, independent women – growing up. Maeby is not old enough to watch those cartoons yet, but we tell her stories about them and we play together and she knows what they look like. I don’t think that movies or tv are any worse than many toys out there – like Barbie, Bratz or other things that are around – they’re just another medium. Kids are going to be exposed to much of this and I’d rather talk to Maeby about it and corral it more in my home then have her come home from a friend’s house or a cousin’s house with her little mind blown. I could say a lot more on this (like I said, this was my degree) but I will stop – I get a little long winded. I will suggest Sean the Sheep as a great cartoon for anyone who is looking for something not annoying for their kids to watch every once in a while (its one of our favorites). November 16, 2011 - 8:49 am
My 3 are allowed to watch about 1.5 hours spread over the day. Kaleb (4) wakes up pretty early so I let him watch Little Einsteins in the morning. I have banned Hanna Montana and Victorious from the house. I don’t think my 8 & 10 year old need to be watching high schoolers that are often disrespectful. I will occasionally tolerate iCarly. I have to shamefully admit that we all watch Sponge Bob as a family. November 16, 2011 - 8:58 am
Diana, November 16, 2011 - 9:09 am
OK i know I’ve said a lot – but I was thinking about age appropriateness. And I think that it (like so many other things) goes back to your child’s temperament and personality and it’ll change on their age too. Some kids might not be phased or even register things that would devastate other kids regardless of their age. Its all about what their personality. I have a niece who is 9 who can’t handle watching animal shows/documentaries because “they all die” but her little sister who is 3 has no problem watching the sharks eat the seals. Knowing your own child and what their sensitivities are is a more important gauge than anything else. November 16, 2011 - 9:45 am
I also prefer the older, “slower” movies. The movies today have that flash effect that I can’t quite explain. Movies from the 80s and 90s don’t have. November 16, 2011 - 9:50 am
BTW I love how Jennifer talks about embracing TV as a family event. That is great. I want to adopt this. I also love pop culture and feel that we need to educate our children about it. Thank you. November 16, 2011 - 9:51 am
Oh Kara! I absolutely LOVE shows/cartoons with little to no dialogue, or a narrator. I find that these shows have a broad appeal across ages and cause the children to laugh. If my kids are laughing, loudly, I am happy. Of course, it is usually because an anvil dropped on someone’s head – but they are simple themes. I am tempted (now that Henry and Miles are in school – ages 6 and 5) to have absolutely no TV during the day for June (age 2). It may take a month or so for her to get used to it, but I believe she will replace it with other quiet activities. I will save the TV for when they are all watching or Movie nights. If there is no TV during the day (and when I say TV, I mean streaming shows and DVDs, no cable/channels in our house) then Movie Night can become a much more anticipated event. Even going to the theater will be a big deal. Favorites – (could others share their favorites as well?) Harold and the Purple Crayon (HBO series from the library or purchase, so good!) SpongeBob – (not a favorite, BUT Casey has worn me down on this one, and I have found him rather likable.There is a documentary on the show that is interesting) Talk to you soon! November 16, 2011 - 10:16 am
So glad you asked this because I have been wanting to get Wyatt a few of the older (non princessy)Disney movies, but also feel as many of them aren’t super appropriate- but one I’m thinking of is Lady and the Tramp..Some of the newer ones that seem ok are Toy Story, Ratatiui(?), WallE. As for TV, we DVR WonderPets, Calliou, Peppa Pig and Some Mickey Mouse clubhouse. One my dad introduced Wyatt to was Tom and Jerry- thanks Dad. He loves it but so not super appropriate LOL. Of course Wyatt LOVES it. So Wyatt usually gets to watch an hour-ish of t.v. in the afternoon while I’m prepping dinner or picking up. Some days its more and some days its none. It just depends on our schedule and how good of a mommy I am that day November 16, 2011 - 10:44 am
Our time habits are the same, but we also watch Mr. Bean , Psych, and The Office (they really only watch when there is music to dance to and then they go and play until the next song). We almost always watch things before we let the kids watch them, and if we haven’t we turn it off if we feel it is inappropriete. I don’t worry about the parents getting killed or young girls getting married because as a little girl these aren’t things I noticed. I hate the merchandising and try to avoid it by buying Dvds or downloaded on Amazon. November 16, 2011 - 12:24 pm
I used to worry a lot about how much TV my kids watched and beat myself up if it was too much. I’ve relaxed. I still monitor closely WHAT they watch. I find that as they get older and are busier, I don’t have worry about watching too much because they don’t have time. And they aren’t even old enough for homework. But I think that a lot of this depends on your child. My kids don’t veg. They do not sit still and are not very mesmerized by TV or movies. Often times, they watch a show or two and turn it off themselves. If it was an issue, I’d definitely have to regulate more. I find for Macartney, she really needs some down time to relax when she gets home from school, so she’ll got watch a show or two, sometimes by herself. Then she comes upstairs happy and relaxed and ready to talk about her day. I’m sure that reading with her would be a better option, but with 4 kids, that is a busy time for me trying to get dinner ready and such. I will admit that there are some mornings when Vienna (3) watches too much TV, while the older two kids are at school and the baby is sleeping, so that I can get things done, like take a shower! November 17, 2011 - 2:33 pm
I’m going to resist the inclination to let this post/discussion convince me I am a bad mom. I know there are days my kids watch way too much tv. But there are days they don’t watch any. I do monitor what they watch, but I’m not as stringent as other moms out there, I guess. Some days having them watch too much tv is better than the alternative. i.e…me going crazy and strangling them. I kid, I kid. But really, some days are rough…let’s be honest. November 17, 2011 - 7:50 pm
Amanda N., you are absolutely right. That’s why I stopped beating myself up about it a few years ago. I always have room for improvement, but sometimes, it is definitely better than me yelling and being impatient, because I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’d rather my kids remember that they watched a little too much TV at times than that I was always impatient with them. Obviously neither of those are ideal, but life is rarely ideal. Sorry, Kara, for having so much to say, I just wanted Amanda to know that she is NOT alone and this does NOT make her a bad mom! November 18, 2011 - 8:47 am
What a great topic! All are carried by the library. So many good messages about respecting elders, your parents, being responsible, etc etc. And no real “bad guy target”. November 18, 2011 - 10:01 am
Amanda, November 19, 2011 - 8:34 pm
Thanks for such a stimulating post, Kara.  A while back I did a review/giveway for a Zoey-Oh bib. Danielle from Zoey-Oh is generously offering a holiday special of free shipping on her bibs. All you have to do is become a fan on facebook if you aren’t already, and when you check out, make sure to enter the special code: FBHOL11FREESHIP. I love […] 1 comment November 14, 2011 - 10:57 am
I love these too! They are a great size (they fit my 4 and 1 1/2 year olds) and they wash up so easily in the washing machine. |
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Right now, the kids are actually more interested in playing games than they are in watching TV. We have the Xbox Kinect, so they’re each allowed 30 minutes of play time depending on their attitudes and how the homework went. I think it’s all about balance. I expect them to spend a certain amount of time outside, even if that means they have to put on rain boot and rain coats. They can’t fall behind on their homework (including 30 minutes of reading) and a bad attitude will result in no TV or video games at all.
I’m with you on the no commercial thing.. Gotta love DVR for that 
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