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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

If the TV Isn't a Babysitter... What the Hell Else is it For?

There are a few dearly held words of wisdom that I question, that have never made sense to me. Today I will isolate one that particularly stupefies me: Don't use the TV as a babysitter. Why on earth would you turn on the TV for your kids if not for a break for yourself? My problem? I am using my "babysitter" too much.

As seen in the past, this little blog becomes somewhat of a mini-confessional for me. It is a place where I can admit my wrongdoing in the hopes of going forward without committing the same ills. So with this admission of guilt, I realize that now I need to right my wrongs, I just don't know how right now. The weather has turned cold, Annie is fighting off some respiratory ailment, and I weigh 6-zillion pounds and have no desire for physical activity. None. Enter glorious television.

I remember when I was pregnant with Michael and facing the same malady, I confided in a neighbor. She was a loud Long Islander with definite opinions on all topics. I said to her, "I just feel so guilty for letting the kids watch TV so much." And she delivered one of my most quoted pieces of advice, "So WHAT!? Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to get by." And so now I find myself in similar waters: same guilt, same aches and pains, same cable television crutch. No solution - just wondering what people mean when they quote that little babysitter barb. TV is neither constructive nor educational - it is a (sometimes necessary) brain-drain. Plain and simple.

The next quotable quote I intend to address goes a little something like this: Never drink to get drunk. HUH?? I need a few glasses of wine before I can adequately address this one. 7 weeks and counting.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

From personal experience, sometimes your kids would RATHER watch TV than spend time with their mother. So enjoy the solitude !

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