Sunday 26 August 2007

She Has Your Eyes

When a car cuts me off, speeding on the freeway, I don't curse at the driver. I make a conscious effort try to hold back the curses instead of throwing them out into the world. Why? That driver may be on his way to the hospital to meet his baby in the NICU or say goodbye to his wife at the airport or any number of things that are pretty important. I pray safe passage for that traveler. I apply this to many things: moms having a rough day with their kids, rude people, etc. I try to see it in a different way and pass on good tidings to them instead of it making me grumpy.

BUT.......

Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about children + TV. Help me out here. At x family dining experience we saw a mom put a portable DVD player in front of her three year old (only child with them) as they sat down. It was on through the entire meal. They handed him food instead of giving him a plate and letting him eat. Really, that makes sense with the expensive electronic parent on the table. No one talked through the entire meal, not to baby, not to each other. It was painful to watch. Tell me there is a medical reason to plug a child in to Elmo while eating out? I need something to stop the cursing. Right now all I could think of was a prayer for a spilled drink and that's not very nice.

The whole thing has me thinking again of pitching our TV or locking it in a closet, but we use it as a tool not a parent. Sometimes it is nice to cuddle with Lil'Bug and watch Beauty and the Beast.

Oh, and funny unrelated tidbit: Lil'Bug declared at the end of Sunday night dinner (baked fish, squash, green beans, and carrots), "That was nice Mom. It tasted like hot feet."

From the mouths of babes. Next time, less Slap Yo' Mama. :)

3 comments:

  1. i don't understand how parents can do that. i love interacting with my son and eating out together is a special experience.

    hot feet? too cute.

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  2. oh, i love the way your blog is looking.

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  3. Thanks Laura! :)

    Also, I have received a couple emails about Slap Yo' Mama- it is a seaoning mix of salt and pepper and cayenne from SW Louisiana. It is yummy yummy yummy.

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A blog about farming, unschooling, feminism, 22q deletion syndrome, cooking real food, homesteading, permaculture, and motherhood.