ecomum: Television is ok. Ok?

Monday 16 April 2012

Television is ok. Ok?

Urm... I feel that I need to make a slight correction to my earlier blog. I was harping on about how Peppa Pig is bad for the kids and that TV when I was growing up was like far more superior, yadda yadda yadda. But I feel I need to re-state my view on this rather contentious subject.

Television watching for children has been rather unfairly thrown into the same box as drink driving for adults. Evil and something the stupid people do. Its something that parents who can't parent do. A past-time for simple folk. Its not enough for mums to be worried about breast feeding, getting back to work, vaccinations or any of the other ka-zillion things we worry about in early parently, watching TV is another one. There has been many a time where I've had friends over and The Boss starts interrupting precious gossiping time so I guiltily pop on the goggle, hoping no-one will judge me. Its a magic tantrum stopper sometimes, and who, in their right mind, wouldn't want to exploit that?

It isn't really about watching TV though, is it? Its about what is watched, how long its watched for and what the kids are NOT doing whilst watching. Lets make sure the television being watched is educational. The Boss has developed a fondness for the Beatrix Potter films of the books, the infamous stories are a delight, the olde English language mesmirising (One of The Boss's favourite words is 'Gracious'.) We watch Disney films together (the happily ever after theme is another post entirely..) and when I am trying to clean the house there is Mr Tumble and Show Me Show Me and Peppa Pig (yes, I am now condoning it). A limit of a couple of hours a day is probably enough too. You've seen how children become monsters if they've watched a bit too much.. Its like sweets.. too much E101 and they start spouting gibberish. Scary stuff. Lets read more, play more and get covered in glitter lots more too.

Try reading this book 'The Toddlers Busy Book; by Trish Kuffner. There's one for Pre-schoolers too. A wonderful activity book packed full of ideas to keep little people entertained. What I loved is that everything they suggest can be achieved using stuff you've probably already got in the kitchen cupboards and it requires recycling the recycling box. Re-using the rubbish. So cheap and green. Right up my street.

In conclussion, let it be known from this day forth, and it sort of pains me to say this, but I quite like Peppa Pig. It drives me completely mad and the rambunctious marketing that surrounds it is beyond surreal, but The Boss loves it and so do all small people. It can't be that bad.. can it?

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Welcome to Ecomum!

Hello!
So, i'm going to be a mother. i can't actually believe i've just written that down. hang on.. i need to read that through.. yep. i'm gonna be a mum. not that this might be very interesting to you. its pretty interesting to me. and the people around me. lots of smiles and tears and shocked faces all round. you see this wasn't a planned person. no. a complete surprise actually. a nice surprise though. when the little pink line came up on the stick.. i mean, the line didn't take 3minutes like the test says. boom, it came up straight away. and i bought the cheapest test you can get. don't believe the hype about getting the best most expensive test for a correct result. if you're pregnant that thing is going to tell you. standard. no messing about. there i was, almost homeless, jobless and penniless with a little person growing inside me... bloody hell. there was no going back on this, no 'choice'. this is how it is. my new life will be as a mum. i'm up for it.

i spent the first few days frantically trawling the internet looking for likeminded people going through a similar experience - to which i never found. so i spent days looking at askbaby.com, newbaby.com, prettybaby.com blah blah blah.. typing in the date of my last period and thinking oh god i've created a saggitarius (theres some history there. i won't go into it). but the whole time thinking that i must be some kind of freak as all the sites i saw seemed to cater to the opposite kind of woman to me. have you seen those sites?? don't get me wrong but its like as soon as women have children they become a pale comparison of their previous self. a parody. a carbon copy - and the fifth carbon copy at that.

it got me thinking. and i thought i'd start up a blog to air my views.. if anyones interested. its for women who love life, like to be green and ethically aware, and have or are having kids. there seems to be some great things out there for dads. that bloke in the sunday times style supplement, hang on let me go get it from the loo... thats it, andrew clover, seems to have fathering off to a tee and he makes it seem pretty funny too. who do us ladies have?? Nigella Lawson, Melanie Sykes, Lisa B. all amazing women but really, really really. what do their lives have in common with ours? they've given birth. tick. they have hormones and have shouted at their friends and partners. tick. they like to be ethically aware. tick. but what we really don't have in common is that they have nannies, pa's, hubbies credit card, beautiful houses, not a money worry in the world. I trawled through the book selection at borders, only to find books by all the above women and many more just like them, trying to give us regular folk advice on bringing up baby. sorry ladies, but i can't and won't be taking advice from you. I want to create my own place. for people like me. people who are living life without a goldcard and with an ethical conscience.

So here it is. Ecomummy. i wanted ecomum but someone else has that name in new zealand, so its ecomummy. its fine. i'm over it.

I'll be posting randomly about life being a pregnant woman, tips on how to cope with it all, whether i find somewhere to live, how to live on a budget and most importantly of all advice from the ecofairies who will be giving their precious knowledge on babies, pregnancy and being green as you go. and other stuff like new bands i'm into.

bye. x