My angels!

My angels!
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts

Friday, April 29, 2011

Life changing day!

I got a new mattress from my moms today. It isn't new but ours is horrible so were gonna try and see if it works for a while.  We'd buy a new one, but we just got a new car, and when we get a new mattress I want to go all out! I want the best mattress money can buy even if it takes me 4 years to pay it off.  My hubby has serious back problems.

Anyways this is way off the topic. Evie went upstairs because she wanted to put the pillows back on my bed.  Topher went upstairs because Evie went upstairs.  I have no idea what exactly transpired.  I was still downstairs.  I didn't think anything of them being up there alone.  It wasn't for long, and I was coming up soon. 

I heard screams and crying from both kids.  So I ran up.  Evie was on the floor with one pillow under her and one above her head holding her hair down.  She was hysterical, and stained with tears.  Topher was behind the pillow that was over her hair.  It was slightly on his lap.  He was crying to.  I immediately asked what was going on.

It was difficult between all the hysterics to understand, but after a few moments I got the idea. Topher had apparently held the pillow over Evie's face!  She said she couldn't breath and was scared.  I asked Topher, why he was crying.  He said he was crying for his binkie. 

Apparently she was trying to put the pillows on my bed and he was trying to take them downstairs.  So they fought.  My son is only 3, but I have had difficulty holding him back when he is after something. The boy is a tank.  So she didn't stand a chance. 

This was very traumatic for Evie because about a half hour later she just started crying.  I asked her why she was crying.  She said when you love someone sometimes you cry.  She is 4!  Where is this coming from I thought?  I just held her and told her I loved her.  She said she was crying because she loves me and her daddy.

Approximately 30 minutes later I was putting them to bed.  Evie started talking about the incident with the pillow. So I asked, "How did it make you feel?"  She said "scared" "I thought I had to go to the hospital and then the clouds and I would never see my mommy and daddy again."  She thought she was going to die.  My daughter seriously thought her brother was going to kill her this evening.

After she said this I hugged and kissed her.  My son then said, "I was killing her."  I know he has no idea what that really means, but still I was shaken to my core.  I said "No we don't kill anyone.  It is against the rules.  It is absolutely unacceptable behavior. Promise me you will never put a pillow on someones face again."  His response was "promise me you wont hit, kick, or spit."  These are all rules we have posted on the fridge.  I constantly tell him when he breaks them that you don't do these things because they are the rules and point to the fridge for a visual. I think that is why he brought them up at this point.  I said "Ok I promise now you promise me too."  He said "trust me"  at this point in the conversation I was floored!  Who am I talking to I thought?  I said "promise me you won't put pillows on peoples faces any more"  He did.  So I hugged him and said "I trust you."

Then I realized we need to make big changes here.  No longer will Topher be allowed to play any type of violent games.  I removed his army guys, toy swords (he has 2 from medieval times), toy shield, and one hand craved wooden toy gun.  We are gonna have to be careful of what he watches.  He loves transformers, but even the cartoon is really violent.  We are gonna have to watch how he plays.  He is not to be alone with either of his sisters.  I don't know what else to do.

Know don't get me wrong.  My son is very sweet.  He is rough and tough.  He has sensory processing disorder.  He doesn't realize how strong he is.  He loves deep pressure, and bumping into things.  He doesn't understand that things like that hurt others.  He also has a high pain tolerance.  Therefore doesn't understand that things hurt others because it doesn't hurt him. 

Also he does not seem to understand the emotions of others.  He is very caring and worries about others.  He just doesn't seem to get the social cues from people to get whats going on.  I don't know if that really makes sense.  I'm trying my best to explain it, but I don't understand it fully either.  I do not think he realized what was going on, and the ramifications of his actions.  He doesn't seem to understand consequences at all.  He has severe impulse control issues as well. 

He is a good boy but very challenging (aka a hand full).  He is supposed to be in occupational therapy and behavioral therapy, but we can't afford it.

Also,  A couple weeks ago he was trying to hold her head under the water in the bath to. I feel like a failed mother.  How did things get like this?  Where did I go wrong?  What do I do? How do I fix this? 

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

media and childhood

I know my kids watch to much television.  I am actually working on reducing our TV time.  I came from a large family.  I am the oldest of 7.  I am used to noise and lots of it.  So I usually just leave the TV on.  If the kids watch whats on then they watch it. I try to have it on appropriate shows for their ages.

I am currently participating in a free online conference called Feed, Play, Love.  If you are interested sign up its free.  They have live conversations set at certain times by experts in that topic.  It is amazing.  The conversations are available for 48 hours for free.  I missed the first 3 and am so bummed because the 2 I have listened to were amazing.  They are selling them on mp3 but even thou it is not expensive I don't have any extra money right now! Bummer. ( I did not get paid nor was I asked to say all that.  I really think it is awesome and if you read this post you should check it out. Plus its free!)

Anyways yesterdays talk (I just listened to it) was about media and its effects on kids.  I know to much TV isn't good and have been concerned for some time.  I didn't know exactly how bad it really is and why until now!  Now I am really worried to how do I know if the supposedly educational programming I do allow my kids to watch really is beneficial!  That is my biggest question because I will cut down TV time.  Now I plan on having set times the TV will be on. I still control what they watch to.  Most of what I allow is Disney Jr and nick Jr.  They (Disney & Nick) advertise these programs as being "like preschool on TV", but is it really?  What am I teaching them by letting them watch these shows?

I have started paying closer attention to the shows they watch and the list of banned shows has grown, but others concern me.  For example look at some Disney movies (step mothers are always evil, bad guys are always dark and ugly, good are always light and pretty)!  After watching the Princess and the Frog my 4 year old (Evie) had nightmares!  I should have watched it first, and I would not have allowed her to watch it.  Way to scary for a young child. 

In our society today media is everywhere and everything.  How do you escape it or limit it successfully? Are there really any good shows?  What am I teaching my kids really? One thing I know for sure they are not getting what I want them to get out of these shows.  It does give me a break now and then which is good for my sanity!  I think at this point we are seriously gonna consider scaling back even more than I had already done!  Perhaps we will return the DVD players for the car!  (Maybe not a quiet car trip is really a necessity!)