The stars finally aligned themselves and I was able to cut Squeak's hair. D was the photographer, I was the stylist, and a Baby Einstein DVD (gasp!) was the distraction from the scissors. Yes, I am such a bad mother for letting my child watch a DVD, even with the knowledge that too much TV time for youngsters contributes to ADD/ADHD problems. We hope she recovers!
Here are some "after" shots
Squeak's pretty excited about her new 'do! We also think she looks even more like her dad (and his sisters) now that she has bangs. 
Squeak's pretty excited about her new 'do! We also think she looks even more like her dad (and his sisters) now that she has bangs. 
Some "before" shots. She didn't inherit the hairy back from me!
Notice how fixated she is on the DVD. Yikes!
I had some trouble rearranging the photos. That is to say that after I uploaded the photos, I couldn't switch them around. Too bad!
Notice how fixated she is on the DVD. Yikes!
I had some trouble rearranging the photos. That is to say that after I uploaded the photos, I couldn't switch them around. Too bad!
8 comments:
Come on TL, I hope your are mostly sarcastic because, despite what your studies say, I feel that moderate TV will not ruin your kids. Colin loves Baby Einstein and PBS kids is awesome. We mostly try to watch with him and ask him question, make it more interactive, etc, and he does learn things. Brian and I watched a ton of TV growing up and we both have graduate degrees. Cute hair cut though.
I must agree with Ann on this one. Michael Anne knows so much amazing info that she has picked up from tv. Of course I watch with her most of the time too so we can talk about it but she has gleaned an amazing vocabulary from the likes of Scooby Doo and Bindy the Jungle Girl. In fact tonight at dinner, we had a BBQ with Derek's parents, she made it her mission to expunge our taste for meat. She went downstairs and got a bag and put blocks in it and tried to get us all to vow to never eat animals again by pulling out a block to show that we vote for saving the animals!! :) The other day she was schooling us on the extinction of dinosaurs. Another day it was all about how when it is light here it is night in China. One night I made one-eyed jacks for dinner (toast with an egg in the middle) she took one look at it and said, "how peculiar." She knows all about Cleopatra and the Egyptian pyramids and wants to be an archeaologist. Today while Derek cooked our dinner on the grill outside we were lying on a blanket in the grass and she gave Addison a leaf to look at. Addi was thrilled and held it out in front of her examining it for quite a while. Michael said she was being scientific and must want to be a botanist when she grows up.
Anyhow, there are countless things she has learned from television. A better argument and one which I suspect the studies also entail is that parents need to be involved with their children and rather use the tv as a learining medium instead of a babysitter. I'll also admit that I have used it as a babysitter when I've been in bed with a horrible migraine or sick as a dog while pregnant with Addison, but again she only watches things that are appropriate, mostly things we have DVR'ed for her and I know they are okay.
It all boils down to one thing...be there with your children and be a part of their world rather than letting someone or something else parent them without supervision.
TV isn't bad but a lot of things on it are.
Well, I must ammend my comment. You said that tv can lead to ADD/ADHD not that it couldn't teach kids stuff. What I've read over the years supports that in that tv sets a young brain to receive information in a fragmented manner due to the constant interruptions with commercials. These interruptions cause the mind to switch focus so often that the child becomes less able to focus on one task or topic for longer periods of time that activities like playing outside and imagination foster.
This is why Michael watches her shows on the DVR or DVD because they ommit commercials and stay with the story. This is also why I've really enjoyed beginning to read chapter books to Michael Anne. Right now we are reading The Case of the Flaming Footprints. She really likes mysteries and it's fun to listen to her comprehension skills at work.
Anyhow, I've also read that kids with ADD/ADHD show significant improvement in on-task behavior in direct correlation to the amount of outside play time they get each day. Seems to me that would be obvious...get your wiggles out running around outside and leaving you more able to accomplish tasks that require extended periods of attention.
TL,there is some truth to what you say but I think Squeak will be alright!! What a cutie she is.
I'm with you T! I don't know exactly how the brain works, but I think it's more than just commercials that interrupt that trains the brain to expect changes. Scenes on TV change way faster than they do in real life. Fortunately, my first son doesn't pay much attention to TV at all. Not so with #2 - if it's on he's staring at it! Scary... :) BTW - was it squeaks first haircut? I just did my baby's first the other day. OK, so he is over a year old and now actually looks like a boy...
How cute!! Squeak is looking more like a little girl every day instead of a baby girl. Okay, so I feel like I have to comment on the tv thing now. I just was going to comment on the cute hair do, but this has apparently become a tv do's and don'ts blog. I think a little tv is A Okay!! I was anal with Hunter and never let him watch tv, by # 3 I wasn't soo much that way. I will say that Isabella watched way too much in here younger years and now she could sit and watch it all the time if I let her. We no longer have tv so it really isn't an issue, so we normally have a movie night on the weekends and she and I will watch a movie during the week sometimes as well. I have a friend who grew up without tv and hated it and is of the belief that it is okay to let her kids watch it whenever they want....WELL I must admit that you can tell her kids watch a lot of tv and play too many videogames, because when we go over to their house my kids are soo bored due to the fact that they want to do nothing but stare at the tv or computer. I have another friend who is constantly complaining about how her kids watch too much tv or play too many video games and I am always telling her, you are the parent you can control it. I believe that without that stuff kids are more imaginative and understand how to play with others better as well. BUT, I also like the tv as a distraction for me when I need a break from kids during the day. That may sound rude, but I do spend a lot of time with my kids and it can burn me out and so I like to have some personal time too. You just have to do what works for you and your family. I just think that too much of anything can't be healthy!!
Yeah! Hair cutting is so much fun, right? I just cut the boys the other day and Tucker wiggles like crazy! He says it tickles.=)
As for my opinion on the tv viewing, I will make it short:
Moderation and supervision! Some shows are educational, and never let them watch without you knowing what they are watching! Less shows with commercials, even better! But don't forget that TV as well as books come with a vast variety of what they offer. Don't be afraid to be selective.
I just wanted to let you know I did get your "happy" tag and have been thinking about it quite a bit, actually, and am planning on fulfilling my tag duties as soon as I can get on the comp long enough... didn't forget, nor ignoring you. ;) Hope y'all are happy up north! We miss seeing y'all around.
PS: Did you hear about the Throops? Email me for details and keep them in your prayers. Thanks!
Awesome! She looks so cute. We love Baby Einstein here. I don't mind it seeing as how it has beautiful music and mind stimulating pictures. My kids have been very sick and fussy at times and that is one of the things that has truly helped.
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