We all have episodes from our past that we may not be proud of. Many are the exact behaviors we tell our kids not to do. Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t have sex, don’t pierce, don’t get a tattoo.
Luckily for us parents, MySpace, YouTube, and digital cameras weren’t around when we young, so maybe there is no publicly available evidence. But, we still need to decide what, when, and how much to tell our kids about our checkered past.
[poll=16]
Given the ruckus we had here this week, the choice for this week’s poll seemed obvious. Let’s put it to a vote!
And a reminder, if you have an idea for a future parenting poll, please leave a comment.
[poll=15]
I know of some 5 year olds who drink coffee. I have seen parents give sips of coffee to kids as young as 3.
I have never let my kids try coffee or soda. It’s not that I’m a health nut. We go to McDonalds, eat frozen pizza and candy. But coffee just seems a bit extreme.
[poll=14]
The idea for this week’s poll was suggested by 2lilpumpkins. It’s actually a topic I’ve been meaning to rant write about for a while.
There are many products which are so useful, time saving, and efficient, that we take them for granted. The light bulb. Air conditioning. Microwave ovens. Even something as simple as a fork. All these inventions have made our lives better. The improvement is so immense, the decision to use them is so indisputable, that nobody discusses it anymore. Or so I thought.
One such invention is the disposable diaper. Ever since 1961, when Pampers were introduced, parents everywhere have been relieved of the need to deal with cloth diapers. Yet there are still people debating which type of diaper to use.
Given the cheap cost and wide availability of disposables, why would any parent actually choose to use cloth diapers!?! Ok, I know I’ll get some reaction from the environmentalists out there, on how bad diapers are for the environment. Maybe disposable diapers aren’t helping the environment. But compared to serious dangers, like greenhouse gases, diapers are hardly topic #1 on Greenpeace’s agenda.
[poll=13]
Last week’s very popular poll about leaving kids unattended in cars came from an anonymous suggestion. So, I’m soliciting ideas for future parenting polls.
Have a parenting topic you want other parents to weigh in on? Leave the idea in a comment and I’ll consider it for a future weekly poll. Of course, you’ll get the blame credit and a link.
This week’s poll comes from an anonymous comment on last week’s poll.
Recently, there have been several moms who have been arrested for leaving their sleeping child in the car while they ran into the store, ATM machine, etc. What is Suburbandaddy?s take on this and it may be a good poll question. Its been tempting, but I have yet to do this.
Tempted, but haven’t done it yet? Sure. And that’s why you didn’t leave your name.
Take this case of a mother who was arrested for leaving her 2 year old sleeping in a Walmart parking lot. The doors were locked and the alarm was on. She didn’t actually go in the store. Just to the front of the store where the bell ringer was collecting donations for the salvation army. This does sound a little extreme.
Have I left a kid in the car for a minute? Of course not! Wink wink nod nod. Does leaving your kid sleeping in the car in the garage count? Yes? Then, I haven’t done it.
There are two types of parents: 1) Those who leave their kids in the car unattended, and 2) Those who say they don’t
[poll=12]
A seemingly harmless children’s book called And Tango Makes Three has caused quite a controversy in our local school system. The book was “pulled from the shelves”, which is a nice way to say it was censored.
The book is based on a true story of two penguins, a couple, who raised a chick who wasn’t their own. The two penguins happened to be male. Opponents said this “promoted a gay agenda”. Whatever that means. I can’t be the only one who thinks this is ridiculous.
[poll=11]
When I was a kid I played a lot of video games. My favorite games were (now) classics like Missle Command and Centipede. It was a simpler time for video games. The games were so basic. Nobody considered them violent at the time. But, I guess, when I consider the premise of those games now, there was an awful lot of “blowing things up”.
Today, there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding video games. Granted, the games are much more graphic and life like than in my day. But I’m still not sure what all the hoopla is about.
Are there games which are violent and inappropriate for kids? Of course. There are also inappropriate movies, television shows, and comic books. Yet I don’t hear (too many) calls to outlaw or limit those.
There are video game ratings to help parents, just like movies and TV. In the end, it is up to parents to decide what is appropriate for their kids to see, regardless of the medium. And also to limit how much time and when their kids watch/play them.
To paraphrase the NRA, Video games don’t harm kids. Their misuse does.
[poll=10]
Previous parenting polls of the week.