Link between early television exposure and later problems with attention span?

I do think kids are exposed way too early these days to television (and generations of ADHD kids are propagated), but blaming dvds for lazy parenting is an all new low. I mean, I've seen minivans on the road with infants in carriers watching tv in the backseat. (BTW, I notice because the carriers should be facing the other way, but don't get me started on those parental units.)

How is it a scam to sell dvds that at least try to be educational, since you're plopping your kid in front of the boob tube anyway?

Little girl Phillies fan tosses Daddy's ball away.

Seriously, how nice is this guy? I'd probably be drunk and yell at my daughter if she did this. Know how rare it is to get even a foul ball in a stadium? And from a hitter on the team you root for? Yep, I'm a mean daddy.

On the other hand, no way would a take my daughter to a game where the seats are front row balcony!

McNair not a hero. Not much of a father either?

I thought an article/editorial on the death or murder of Steve McNair made a good point about the America's tendency to "hero-ize" less than moral celebrities once they've died:

What we do know is that McNair had four sons. And based on the observations and comments of Kazemi's neighbors and neighbors at the condominium McNair rented, McNair spent so much time with Kazemi over the past few months that people assumed they lived together.

You see, this is my problem with McNair, with American men as a whole.

We shirk our responsibilities as fathers. We don't have time for it. We think it's a part- or no-time job. We think our career is more important. We think charity work is more important. We think some young tail is more important.

We foolishly believe we're unnecessary in the rearing of children. This mindset must die.

It's also a good highlighting that state of being a father in this country has been downsized in importance over the past couple of decades. No longer respected or even feared in most households, a father is simply a sperm donor in this day and age. Sad.

Gotta love babies, right?

Babies puking. Enough said.

Firing up the synapses.

Honestly, I have the mind of an 80 year old. So I definitely need to know about potential brain foods.

In the Parenthood

Being a father who's life has been turned upside down (in a great, but chaotic way), I had to post this preview for a new NBC show in development. I loved the movie Parenthood, which it seems like had more comedy than this tv show version, but this looks good too. Plus, my daughter loves "Pop Goes The Weasel," so how could I not post this video!

Where The Wild Things Are trailer

Wow, kind of deep for a kids book turned movie. Not sure if I'm as interested in this movie now. I was expecting there to be some metaphors for escaping reality and unleashing the inner wild thing...but emotional abandonment? Neglect? Deep stuff from a bunch of fancy mascots.

The weather channel girl, with her perfect hair and curl...

...is talking cold, cold, cold. You can't get out of bed, you can't remember what she said, you're feeling old, old, old.


I'm taking a quick vacation and so excited. I NEVER go on vacation. I've been working crazy hours to keep my job so I need this. Funny, because when I work long hours, I never post on here. I'll probably be posting out my butt on vaca, but hey it's my time on my dime!

Put ur sk8s away.

As a father, I go back and forth as to how much technology is too much technology for kids. On the one hand, kids have resources now that we didn't as kids ourselves and they need to keep up with the times. Additionally, the world is faster now and the old ways to learn don't exist anymore. On the other hand, why force technology when your kids will be exposed to it eventually? And is it even possible to buy toys or instructional tools without lights, sounds or buttons?

That all being said, I saw this article from the New York daily news about a new device Leap Frog developed to teach kids 3 years old and up how to "text" message. Now, it doesn't really send text messages, but rather teaches kids how to type on a pda/smartphone-like device. In that respect, it's no different than a Speak n' Spell, right? My main objection has more to do with a quote from the article itself:

"I would definitely consider getting one for Pete - in the vain hope it would keep him away from my cell, which he thinks is the seventh wonder of the universe,"

Why is it so hard to tell your kid that a cell phone isn't a toy? That its "mommy's" or "daddy's" and they can't play with it? Instead of teaching them limits, we buy kids a kiddy version hoping it'll delay their craving for little while longer. Genius. How about being a parent to begin with and telling your kid "no?"

Oh, and 3 years old is way too early to start kids down this road. School age (6 or 7) at the earliest, IMO. What do you think?