The Evil returns...
Honest to GOD... I've seriously HAD IT with these ridiculous 'absent parent/insert toy' type toys that seem to CONSTANTLY resurface regardless of time or generation.
When I was a kid it was THIS creepy ass toy that parents thought was just amazing, yet I recall it SCARING THE SHIT OUT OF ME!
"Uh, Ma? I really prefer my stuffed animals NOT TO COME TO LIFE & TRY TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION WITH ME ABOUT OUR FRIENDSHIP... EWWW!"
(Why am I having awful CHUCKY flashbacks?)
IF IT'S FUZZY & A DOLL, DON'T GIVE IT THE POWER OF BATTERY INDUCED SPEECH!
Christ, that's enough to send MOST OF US spiraling into a pit of therapy the likes of which you've never seen!
Thankfully my Mother was none too impressed with that evil number, thus he never made his way into the Italian house to spread his Ruxpin funk on anyone!
It's now, over 30 years later, and the marketing genius that is Hasbro, thinks that
THIS CREEPY TEDDY #2 IS JUST WHAT THE ABSENT PARENT ORDERED!
C'mon people, what ever happened to YOU reading a book to your child?
A novel idea I'm sure, but think for a second...
Can any toy EVER in the HISTORY of Toys take the place of some quality 1 on 1 time between you & your child?
Not! So! Much!
Honestly everyone... can't YOU just read to your children?
Don't sit them in front of yet another battery powered 'babysitter' to occupy their little impressionable minds so that you can get one more fax sent or one more dish washed or one more ANYTHING done.
Because I'm here to tell you that when those little impressionable children become adults & someone asks them to remember what stands out most about their childhood...
I can GUARANTEE you that it's NOT going to be the hours upon endless hours they sat in front of some stupid talking, story telling, battery sucking bear...
Life isn't that hellish that you need an electronic babysitter to occupy your child for a few minutes so you can get something accomplished.
I am a single mother who works a FULL week as a Nanny to 1 YEAR OLD TWINS in addition to my 2 year old toddler. I get my work done, I get my OWN stuff done & not ONE of those children ever needs the aid of a talking storytelling bear.
AND I take it a step further & prepare all the meals I serve them from SCRATCH!
No, I'm not claiming to be Betty freakin' Crocker, but what I AM boasting is my ability to KNOW that it's the little things like this that matter.
It's the little things that children take with them into their adulthood.
It's the home cooked meals, the stories read, the giggles shared, the time spent...
And on top of all that, when the twins or Ruby wants a story read...
I read it to them.
I do.
Me, myself & I!
And you know what? They SIT for the story!
They LOVE being read to, hell, I'M 34 AND I STILL LOVE A GOOD STORY!
Doesn't everyone?
It's something that none of us outrgows... ever.
Is whatever it is that you need to get done, really that pressing a 'thing' that you need to get 'it' done RIGHT NOW?
Can't it wait?
I mean really, is your life going to come to a screeching halt if you don't get those last dishes into the dishwasher or run that vaccum one more time?
Trust me, eventually your child will nap.
Maybe not during the day like you had hoped, but surely at night, hell we all gotta conk out at some point, yes?
Thirty years ago my Mom did those things with me, and trust me... I remember.
Everything.
Thirty years from now, if we ask our children what they remember most,
what do you think they'll say?
What do you HOPE they'll say?
Are you hoping for " Man my mom was so kewl to always let me sit & listen to that super kewl bear read me stories... Huh, what's that? How did Mom tell it?
Uh, I dunno, she never read the books to me, it was always just the bear..."
Or do you want it be a little something like this:
"My Mom used to read to me my favorite book over and over even though I'm sure it drove her a little nuts! She knew how much I loved it and no matter how many times I wanted to hear it, she'd just smile & keep on reading it because she loved me.
AND she did all the voices herself! Talk about a memory & one hell of a Mom..."
No kid is going to say, "Man am I ever psyched that I spent every weekend in front of that electronic freakoid bear thingie, those were quality stories. Oh, my mom? I dunno, she was probably busy... but oh that bear, let me tell you about the bear, good times!"
NOT!
Please people, at the end of the day, the first thing I think about isn't the stuff I got accomplished, because it's just that, stuff.
The things that stick to the roof of my mouth like really good peanut butter, are the moments my daughter & I giggled together, the stories I read her over and over that she NEVER seems to get sick of & ALWAYS appreciates my attempt at the silly voices & sound effects, the small but powerful gesture of simply her grasping hold of my finger as I push the shopping cart through the market tonight & upon feeling her touch, I look down to see her gorgeous coal colored almond shaped eyes glistening up at me with a smile so big it nearly masked her adorable ears... as she said 'Uh Voo Momma', while I'm picking out which rice cakes to buy.
Those my friends are the moments that matter not only to my child, but to me.
The time spent with them, TIME...
Not money.
Not toys.
Not clothes.
Time.
So this christmas when someone says to you "OMG have you seen that adorable new talking bear... blah blah blah? Aren't you going to get one for your child? It's the hottest new toy you know! All the mothers are trying to get their hands on one!"
Smile & politely say, "Eh, I'm pretty sure my little one won't be interested in that, anyways... she's already got a pretty good storyteller at home, and I don't require batteries."
When I was a kid it was THIS creepy ass toy that parents thought was just amazing, yet I recall it SCARING THE SHIT OUT OF ME!
"Uh, Ma? I really prefer my stuffed animals NOT TO COME TO LIFE & TRY TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION WITH ME ABOUT OUR FRIENDSHIP... EWWW!"
(Why am I having awful CHUCKY flashbacks?)
IF IT'S FUZZY & A DOLL, DON'T GIVE IT THE POWER OF BATTERY INDUCED SPEECH!
Christ, that's enough to send MOST OF US spiraling into a pit of therapy the likes of which you've never seen!
Thankfully my Mother was none too impressed with that evil number, thus he never made his way into the Italian house to spread his Ruxpin funk on anyone!
It's now, over 30 years later, and the marketing genius that is Hasbro, thinks that
THIS CREEPY TEDDY #2 IS JUST WHAT THE ABSENT PARENT ORDERED!
C'mon people, what ever happened to YOU reading a book to your child?
A novel idea I'm sure, but think for a second...
Can any toy EVER in the HISTORY of Toys take the place of some quality 1 on 1 time between you & your child?
Not! So! Much!
Honestly everyone... can't YOU just read to your children?
Don't sit them in front of yet another battery powered 'babysitter' to occupy their little impressionable minds so that you can get one more fax sent or one more dish washed or one more ANYTHING done.
Because I'm here to tell you that when those little impressionable children become adults & someone asks them to remember what stands out most about their childhood...
I can GUARANTEE you that it's NOT going to be the hours upon endless hours they sat in front of some stupid talking, story telling, battery sucking bear...
Life isn't that hellish that you need an electronic babysitter to occupy your child for a few minutes so you can get something accomplished.
I am a single mother who works a FULL week as a Nanny to 1 YEAR OLD TWINS in addition to my 2 year old toddler. I get my work done, I get my OWN stuff done & not ONE of those children ever needs the aid of a talking storytelling bear.
AND I take it a step further & prepare all the meals I serve them from SCRATCH!
No, I'm not claiming to be Betty freakin' Crocker, but what I AM boasting is my ability to KNOW that it's the little things like this that matter.
It's the little things that children take with them into their adulthood.
It's the home cooked meals, the stories read, the giggles shared, the time spent...
And on top of all that, when the twins or Ruby wants a story read...
I read it to them.
I do.
Me, myself & I!
And you know what? They SIT for the story!
They LOVE being read to, hell, I'M 34 AND I STILL LOVE A GOOD STORY!
Doesn't everyone?
It's something that none of us outrgows... ever.
Is whatever it is that you need to get done, really that pressing a 'thing' that you need to get 'it' done RIGHT NOW?
Can't it wait?
I mean really, is your life going to come to a screeching halt if you don't get those last dishes into the dishwasher or run that vaccum one more time?
Trust me, eventually your child will nap.
Maybe not during the day like you had hoped, but surely at night, hell we all gotta conk out at some point, yes?
Thirty years ago my Mom did those things with me, and trust me... I remember.
Everything.
Thirty years from now, if we ask our children what they remember most,
what do you think they'll say?
What do you HOPE they'll say?
Are you hoping for " Man my mom was so kewl to always let me sit & listen to that super kewl bear read me stories... Huh, what's that? How did Mom tell it?
Uh, I dunno, she never read the books to me, it was always just the bear..."
Or do you want it be a little something like this:
"My Mom used to read to me my favorite book over and over even though I'm sure it drove her a little nuts! She knew how much I loved it and no matter how many times I wanted to hear it, she'd just smile & keep on reading it because she loved me.
AND she did all the voices herself! Talk about a memory & one hell of a Mom..."
No kid is going to say, "Man am I ever psyched that I spent every weekend in front of that electronic freakoid bear thingie, those were quality stories. Oh, my mom? I dunno, she was probably busy... but oh that bear, let me tell you about the bear, good times!"
NOT!
Please people, at the end of the day, the first thing I think about isn't the stuff I got accomplished, because it's just that, stuff.
The things that stick to the roof of my mouth like really good peanut butter, are the moments my daughter & I giggled together, the stories I read her over and over that she NEVER seems to get sick of & ALWAYS appreciates my attempt at the silly voices & sound effects, the small but powerful gesture of simply her grasping hold of my finger as I push the shopping cart through the market tonight & upon feeling her touch, I look down to see her gorgeous coal colored almond shaped eyes glistening up at me with a smile so big it nearly masked her adorable ears... as she said 'Uh Voo Momma', while I'm picking out which rice cakes to buy.
Those my friends are the moments that matter not only to my child, but to me.
The time spent with them, TIME...
Not money.
Not toys.
Not clothes.
Time.
So this christmas when someone says to you "OMG have you seen that adorable new talking bear... blah blah blah? Aren't you going to get one for your child? It's the hottest new toy you know! All the mothers are trying to get their hands on one!"
Smile & politely say, "Eh, I'm pretty sure my little one won't be interested in that, anyways... she's already got a pretty good storyteller at home, and I don't require batteries."
9 comments:
Hello Ruby
I certainly agree with what you are saying about reading to your children 1 to 1. It never did my two children any harm and now they are 19 and 14 (Both beautiful Girls)
You sound like a fantastic mother Ruby.
Keep up the good work and take care.
Andy
Thanks Andy, but I'm Amy... Ruby is my daughter. LOL =) And it's refreshing to hear that another parent in the world just 'gets it'. Nothing can compete with 1 on 1 time between us & our children, period.
Thanks for checking in... I'm off to sleep now, Ruby wakes up at around 7ish these days, not much time left for this Momma to lose herself in a good dream or two. G'night!
-Amy (& one sound asleep & SNORING Ruby Cate!)
Preach it SISTA!!! I back ya, all the way. My kids are gettin a trampoline (much to my husband's horror... he feels we be living in the emergency room with Harry!) and they got a quad bike (4 wheel motor bike) a few weeks ago, as an early gift. Expensive, yes. Enjoying the outdoors, yes. Quality time with kids, yes. I say it's worth it. No freakish talking plush toys for us!!!
What? You don't take batteries??
Hee...
I'm with Lee-Anne. Preach on, friend, preach on. And OMG, I so remember being freaked out by Teddy Ruxpin as a kid. Thanks in advance for the nightmare-induced insomnia I will probably have tonight thinking about that weirdo toy.
~Karen
Hey Amy - tell us how you really feel. Lol
I agree 100 percent with you. I have ready Taylor's favorite bedtime story, Guess How Much I Love You, so many times that she practically has it memorized. She even hands me the book. I lay her down in her crib, put her blanket on her, read the story and off to dreamland she goes. I want to be the last thing she hears before she shuts her eyes.
Hey Amy,
Thanks a lot for that post. It really close to home for me. I am a stay at home mom, as you know, and the type of woman who is ALWAYS busy with things other than reading to my children. Christina is in the 1st grade, and it is very important now that she gets reading time to help her learn to read. Thanks Amy, I'm gonna go rad to my children now.
Love,
Lisa
While I absolutely agree that reading and spending time with your child is the very best thing you can do, I have to offer my opinion on the issue.
I am not a stay at home mother. I am a single mother that has to go into the world and work a full day outside the home in order to support my child. Sometimes that work comes home with me because I prefer to be at home with my child as opposed to in the office while my child is babysat by someone else, but absolutely have to get that last report finished up to ensure I still have a job to go to in the morning.
It's not perfect, nor is it what I would want in the world, but it's unfair to insinuate that anyone who buys these toys for their child is a bad parent. It's an unfortunate necessity some times that I give my child a toy that will entertain them while I finish the last few things that need to be done around the house, such as putting dishes in the dishwasher so I can have clean plates for my child to eat from in the morning. And yes, I do have to run the vacuum one more time to ensure my child isn't walking on anything foreign in the carpeting.
I'm not putting these things in front of caring for my child but I do think of them as being a PART of caring for my child. And sometimes, we all have to do things in place of others to ensure the health and well-being of our children, while still making sure we get the sleep that WE need in order to get up and go to work the next day.
At the end of the day, would I prefer that I spend every waking moment with my child? Absolutely!
But I also prefer not to be judged for what I have to do in order to care for my child. And sometimes, that involves a talking bear. I prefer, instead, to know that the time I spend with my child is a blessing. I am there to tuck him in every night, kiss him on his forehead and make sure he knows his momma loves him. I am also proud of the fact that I set an example for my son by going to work every day and showing him responsibility. These lessons are just as important as sitting down to read to my son in the middle of the day because both will help him grow up and be a functional, healthy, contributing member of society. I'm sorry to see that you and your readers feel that I'm somehow ruining my son by going out to work, ensuring he has food and clothes and for thinking about buying him an electronic talking bear to entertain him for the 20 minutes it might take for me to finish wiping down the table to ensure there's nothing he can accidentally put in his mouth and get sick from left on the table after dinner.
I won't be reading your blog again, I'm sad to say. But I prefer to read in my spare time that which encourages me as a single mother, not something that makes me feel worse for having to leave my child behind while I go to work in an office all day.
Margaret,
Make no mistake, I too have toys that make noise to occupy my Ruby when I need to get some things done. I am not always her source of entertainment. It's just that for me, this one point sticks & sticks hard because as a child, I remember my friends who had this silly bear & they didn't learn a thing about reading and I remember my mother reading to me, so it's something that means alot to me to also show my daughter that, even though I'm a single mother who works a full week, I will make the time to read to her. Dishes can always wait till after she's in bed asleep, after our story.
I'm sorry you feel that you can no longer enjoy reading my blog but I will not apologizme for it's content, as I'm generally the type to speak my mind & usually, I say what most others are thinking but aren't brave enough to voice.
I'm sure your son is a wonderful child & you're a fantastic mother to him. Good luck in your future.
-Amy & Ruby Cate (who is currently in the kitchen playing with her Nanna, my mother... reading a book.)
Wow, you're getting alot of drama over the teddy, aren't you there, chickadee?
Hahahaha...Oh man, guess you've lost a reader. Over one post. You know your blog's getting good when you get some good 'ol teddy bear drama.
Later,
Auntie K.
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