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YO BABY(SHRINK)!
I suppose it had to happen. Sooner or later, our discussions would ruffle some feathers. It seems that the folks over at Stonyfield Farms were a little perturbed about the whole TV-watching issue. The general consensus over here was that TV can be bad OR good…it’s just not that simple. And given the real-world challenges of parenting, being able to pop in a Baby Einstein DVD from time to time makes a whole world of difference.
In the "Baby Babble" post, they manage to malign both my fabulous BabyShrink fan Katie Kat, AND poor Dr. Zimmerman, my TV expert. The bloggers over at Baby Babble should really do their research first; Dr. Z’s credentials are unassailable. And they have "spun" Katie’s question so wildly, it doesn’t even resemble what we actually talked about in the post and comments!
The truth is, I have a fresh 6-pack of Yo Baby yogurt in my fridge right now. (And I promise they didn’t pay me to say that….AS IF they ever would!) Yo Baby is organic, has no high-fructose corn syrup, and is perfectly wonderful. But you know what ? I also have some CostCo chicken nuggets in the freezer, for when I am a tad too frazzled to fret over trans-fats and just need to get something on the table for my starving horde.
That’s what BabyShrink is all about….striving for the best, but being satisfied with "Good Enough".
This kind of "tsk-tsk" coming from Stonyfield is exactly the problem that we bemoan; the high-and-mighty, sanctimonious attitude that conveys that this parenting thing is a competitive sport we must win…and unkindly judge the others who don’t quite live up to our standards of perfection.
BabyShrink, I have to say that your site in general is so refreshing. I think the internet has so many amazing resources for parents, but it can really be a source of angst and anxiety when all parenting is presented as aspirational- we must be perfect or we FAIL as parents! A professional saying, “Yes, it’s OKAY to relax about some of these things” is SO helpful. I sometimes think that parenting resources think we’ll take it as carte blanche to park our kids in front of the TV if anyone ever comes out and says, “You know what? A half hour of SuperWhy, even on a regular basis, is not going to kill nor permanently damage your kid for life.” I just really appreciate your common sense approach to things- it allows me to let myself off the hook sometimes.
Okay, outpouring of gratitude shutting up now. To the point at hand- Katie Kat and BabyShrink rock! So take that, misrepresenting Stonyfield Farms haters!
Yes, they were a wee bit snide and condescending, but hey, if they’re perfect and have perfect kids, good on them. I’ve let my kids watch tv and my son knows who Kanagawa is (this is still his favorite piece of artwork and I had it as my desktop until my computer crashed), he’s familiar with classical music, and my daughter…she used the word “situation” properly at the age of two. She’s in the talented and gifted program at the public schools. My son is currently on the same track in terms of language usage and academics. Guess what…..I think genetics and language usage WITH the kids have a lot to do with language development also. I never ONCE babytalked my kids. I tend to use big words in everyday conversation anyway, and I never stopped when I spoke to my children. Maybe if tv is so bad, and genetics has a play in intelligence and language….maybe they should also encourage never EVER sleeping with someone who might dilute your aspirations for a tiny Einstein. Whatever. I have little patience for the kind of attitude espoused over there. Everything in moderation, including finger pointing and mocking parents who are trying to do their best.
What would be great is if some of the readers at Baby Babble decided to come read THIS blog and then realized that they actually relate MUCH better to common sense and reason than preaching and judging!
HI PATRICIA:
I am so glad to be holding up the banner for parents like us who want a practical, realistic approach to parenting. I agree with you; some of the parenting “advice” we read comes off as condescending and obviously slanted; like we “can’t handle the truth”. Like we’d go off willy-nilly and install a permanently-on TV with surround-sound in our toddlers’ bedrooms if they just gave us half a chance.
What we’re trying to do here is to get educated on the issues, and then learn to trust OURSELVES to make the best decisions for our unique kids (and for ourselves) in each situation.
Thanks for the support!
HI LL:
Interesting. Really, what is the ultimate goal of the thinking they have over at places like Baby Babble? That we should all point judgmental fingers at each other until we’re all just too ashamed to admit the reality of our day-to-day struggles?
Perhaps putting on Backyardigans while we make dinner allows for perhaps a more sane/happy parent, leading to more sane/happy kids, and maybe an even more nutritious dinner, since we actually had time to pay attention to it, while the kids were being entertained with something really cute and innocuous? (and maybe even educational?)
What’s the big whoops?
KATIE KAT:
I think we ARE getting readers from over at Baby Babble. BabyShrink’s page views today are huge!
It’s all good!
I put my two cents in over there. What a load of crap. Stonyfield won’t be getting our business.
MBD
MBD:
I love it! You’re great. Thanks for the support.
Amen, sister! Exactly why I’ve become a fan of this site. Keep up the good work.
FWMAMA:
Baby Babble seems to have moved their post down awfully quickly, following the reaction here at BabyShrink. Hmmmmmm…if they can’t take the heat, why did they start the argument? I looked back in their history a bit, and I noticed they had ANOTHER recent post on the evil TV demon; but the vast majority of the comments said what we are saying here. Yeah, don’t leave it on all the time. Yeah, don’t show the kids violent stuff. But let’s lighten up a little!
Thanks for the support!
Babyshrink,
Thanks so much for alleviating some of the guilt imposed by the “perfect” parents. I absolutely hate the competitive nature of parenting. My daughter (now almost 4) has always watched a little TV while she gets her shoes on for school and in the evenings while I get dinner ready or before bed with a little snack. I will never forget when she was 2, upon seeing a smokestack belching steam, piped up from the back seat, “What’s that mama?” My answer was “a smokestack from that factory.” Her response, “No, it’s a volcano. That’s what volcanos do. They steam before the lava comes out.” Of course, I asked if Miss Kiki (her teacher) had been talking about volcanos at school. I was quickly informed that not Miss Kiki, but Dora had told her all about volcanos. I immediately felt better about the whole TV thing and haven’t worried much about it since. Although, I do still hear about how a friend’s “Little Johnny” never watches TV, or drinks juice either. Of course, in a very condescending tone.