Vomiting commercialism

Sigh. Lately, it's like the tv has just thrown up all over, everywhere. What? you ask, does that mean? My staunch stand on "no tv" sadly went out the window when I began "working from home". (Does my overuse of quotations bother you yet?) I was pleased with myself with the very little tv time I allotted in our home. Kian rarely saw tv and when he did it was "educational" (kind of an oxymoron when talking about tv) or something short, sweet and musical.

Two things happened and that strictness went out the window: working at home, and winter. No longer could I just open the door and go outside. No longer could I sit and make sure there was plenty of other things to do. Actually, a third thing happened...he discovered Handy Manny, and Cars became even more strongly cemented in his brain. Sigh.

I'm cool with the occasional movie as a treat. That's how Cars started. But, then he began seeing Lightning McQueen's face everywhere (refer to my previous posts about this nonsense!) Then he got grandma to buy him McQueen shirt, underwear, plate, silverware...then came Christmas and more Cars stuff followed (be sure that mommy and daddy love playing the Wii Towmater game as much or more than Kian, hehe).

So, there it was, all I loathed, throwing up all over my house. Seemingly helpless to the whole situation. I admit I did jump in and use some Cars vehicles as "assistants" to potty training around Christmastime, thus adding to my own problem.

Cars educational? Not so much. Good message about friendship, helping others, etc.? Sure. Handy Manny educational? Again, not so much. I allow him one-half hour of Handy Manny on Thursday morning and Friday morning while I "work" at home. He has picked up some Spanish words from it, and names of tools. But, again, do I really want these characters taking over my house? Not so much. (tools in general? sure, plain ones without creepy eyes!) At least, I feel less guilty putting on SuperWhy and Word World when I am making my calls from home. He learns letters, words, word recognition, sounds, rhyming, etc.

And the kicker? Last night when we were outside looking at my daffodils blooming, Kian saw a bug. He called it a bee. He says "like Lisa had bees all over." I was baffled, we don't know any Lisa's and he didn't say Aunt Elissa. Kevin starts laughing "he means Lisa on Simpsons, she had bees all over her mouth last night". Excuse me? Oh no no no! Kevin likes to watch that after dinner, I forbid it. I told him Kian picks it up, he says not. Guess who's right? Like always. That was it, over the line. The day my not even three year old can recite Simpsons? Shoot me now. Stick a fork in me, I'm done. Grr.

But, thank goodness spring is coming and I will be home now, because that TV is going to be unplugged. For a long time. I feel myself rotting. I've been feeling a little out of control, not being able to take care of the house as much as I need/should be, always stressed and uptight, eating random, thrown together meals on nights I work, etc. I wonder how women with 2 or more kids really are able to work and ever feel relaxed or "good" about everything they have to do? I can't. I know some moms out there are better moms for working, and others, like myself, are better moms at home. I am already feeling less stressed and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, with lots more promise in the weeks to come. And that means a big purging of the commercialism that has overtaken my living room of late. Goodbye tv shows, hello outside. Goodbye tv, hello learning. Goodbye brain rot, hello living.


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