by It’s amazing how many things you learn about yourself from raising children. Right now, I’m sitting on Father’s Day after hearing a Father’s Day message exorting me to be a more involved and loving dad thinking about the many things that my kids teach me about myself, and wondering what things they do that imitate me that I’m not even aware.
One of the things that hit me as far as something that grown people continue to do, and yet we tell our children that they shouldn’t do it was evident this morning on our way out the door to church– even though it started yesterday.
Yesterday we were off to a graduation party, and I was going about putting my children’s shoes on their feet. The oldest brought a pair of Spiderman sneakers to me in hopes I would put them on him. Of course, they were too small for him now, but would fit his younger brother. This wouldn’t do for the older brother, and so he cried. It was fine for him to wear the Spidermans, but not for his brother. So, they had to wear their matching Thomas the train in their repective sizes.
How much like us are they in our non-contentment or when we wish that we had or could do something that others can do but we can’t because of prior committments or our responsibilities. It should challenge us to be the adults we want our children to be.
Boy, that sounds awfully familiar, but my kids fight for toys. It always seems if one has a toy the other wants it and vice versa, arghh… then they both lose the toy, if they can’t agree to take turns.
Yep, as adults I can see where that can be the same.
Just curious….
Why do you let your kids wear media?
Do you think that it is possible that the media hype associated with those particular characters, is what makes it so hard for them to share? Would you find the same problem with plain white sneakers?? I think it would be less likely.
Im surprised that you let your kids watch those shows, and that they know who these characters are. Thomas the train often talks about magic, and i know it is like imagination, but they dont call it that. And I didn’t know they made a spiderman show for kids….
My son barely knows who either of these characters are. and we never buy them media hyped clothing. My child is not an advertising board. I try to teach him that advertisements want us to spend money on things they tell us we need, but that we dont really need.
I hope I have not come across as too bold or rude. They are your kids and I am not trying to imply that you will ruin them by letting them wear media. Really, it isnt THAT big of a deal… just something to think about.
Mrs Meg Logan
Thomas the Tank Engine is something that my mother-in-law thought the children would like the toys of. She was interested in purchasing something that the kids could play with that could be added on to and so except for two DVDs that she purchased, my kids mostly know of Thomas through the toys. I have seen the DVDs– and they are dull. I have not seen any magic per se?
Spiderman– I don’t think the kids have any clue who that is– they certainly haven’t watched the movies that I can recall, though I know there used to be a cartoon that he was in.
My oldest has the tendancy to latch on to whatever is new and like it. He has Tigger Pjs he really likes. We have a total of four Blues Clues episodes that he has seen, and he likes to wear this shirt that looks like Steve’s.
Obviously marketers realize that kids see media and want to relate or wear something that relates them to it– even VeggieTales admits that it has products that kids like.
My favorite shirt growing up was a sports shirt that didn’t have anything on it– can’t really remember why I liked it.
We tend to let the children pick what they’d like to get, and maybe we shouldn’t, but to some extent we have to let them have some choices to teach them good ones. If the toothbrush is the same cost as a generic, what’s the problem?
all very good points.
like i said, im not looking to question your authority or anything i was curious about your reasoning though. thanks for explaining