Why Be Anti Anything?

When something is bothering me and I can't get it off my mind I know I need to write it out. It's the only way I know of to get things out of my head. This particular "bug" has to do with anti-mormons.

More then a few years ago I had someone very near and dear to me leave the church that I am a member of. He walked away from the LDS church and I held no judgements towards him for doing so. I believe that we all need to choose the path, religious or not, that is best for us. I was still friends with him and all was well. Until it wasn't. He began to let bitterness enter his heart. He started posting anti-mormon articles. He joined the protesters at General Conference. He started saying horrible, destable things about everyone and anything to do with the church. It got so bad I knew it was time to cut ties with him. Because here's the thing- you don't have to believe it anymore, but I still do. And if he had an ounce of respect for any of his friends or family that still were members, he would have never spread such hatred. This was a man who served a mission. Someone who taught the most inspirational lessons. Gave the most spiritual talks. Helped others through times of doubt. And now? Now he has turned bitter and resentful. 

If you want to leave the church, that's your business, do what is best for you. But what I don't understand is why people can't just walk away and be done with it? Why attack something you once cherished? Especially when loved ones still cherish it? Why be anti anything? I know there are people out there who have been hurt by Mormon members. Like any other church on the planet, we are made up of imperfect people. People who have agency to choose evil and hurt others. But why let it destroy who you are? Why put hate into your life like that? Again- why be anti anything? What good does that do anyone, really? There is so much negativity, hatred, bigotry, racism, etc.  in the world today, why would you want to fuel those fires?? 

Let me just be blunt for a minute. A lot of LDS people are known for being oposed to gay rights/marriage. It's a hot topic with a lot of people. I have friends who are gay. Do I love them less? No. Do I think they are bad people? Nope. Do I think they are going to hell? Of course not! Does every Mormon have the same feelings as I do and treat their gay brothers and sisters with love and respect? Unfortunately, no. Imperfect people remember. It is definitely a two way street. It goes both ways. Bullying in church is actually kind of a sore spot for me. It infuriates me that so many members of the church I participate in feel justified in treating their fellow men so badly. I'm definitely not condoning that kind of behavior. But what I don't understand, is how people can turn around and become bullies themselves? It is quite baffling to me. 

Instead of being anti-mormon, anti-gay, anti-whatever... can't we be pro-something? pro-love? pro-acceptance? Pro-kindness to everyone. Seriously. Stop being anti anything. 

Topsy Turvy World

I live in a strange world.

A world that celebrates life on Mars,

but destroys life in the womb.

A world that values a gorillas life

over a small boys.

I live in a world where we give money

to the lazy

but ignore our vets, refugees, 

and poor.

If I believe officer's lives matter,

then black peoples don't.

Instead of creating a third bathroom,

we open the doors for all to enter.

I live in a world where celebrities,

and felons,

can run for office.

If you don't do parenting my way,

you are doing it wrong!

A world where "medical use"

is undervalued to "prescription use".

Though both can help and hurt equally.

I live in a world where "Christian"

means bigot.

And don't even get me started on

"those damn Mormons".

When it comes to sex

everything goes:

Pornography

Trafficking

Affairs

Child Molestation

One night stands

Rape

It's there, but lets not talk of uncomfortable things.

Instead, let's portray sex in our media

as fun, meaningless, and carefree.

While we are at it

lets put violence in our video games

and then wonder why in the hell

people kill people.

Let's worry about things like

bathrooms, gorillas, and parent shaming

while there our shootings, hunger,

and terrorists.

Common sense, kindness, human decency

are things of the past.

Let's take a selfie.

Let it Go

I have been putting off writing this blog for a while. I was hoping that the ‘Frozen’ epidemic would die out, because I didn’t want to be one of those people.  You know who I am talking about. The kind of people who are filling up youtube with their own ‘let it go’ parodies.  Yes, I own the movie.  And yes, I own the soundtrack. But let’s be honest, I mean really honest, that movie is WAY overrated am I right? And that song… heaven to betsy… it is in competition with any of Taylor Swift’s hits for being wonderful at first but so overplayed you kind of start to cringe every time it comes on the radio. Yes, radio. I blame you for ruining some of my very favorite songs for me.

But I am getting off track. Because dissing on Frozen is NOT what this blog post is about.

This blog post is actually a TRIBUTE to the song ‘Let it Go’. (Hypocrite much?) *sigh, I know.  Because you see, there is a reason why that song touches so many people. And it has nothing to do with a beautiful Disney princess and little girl dreams. But it does have everything to do with the fact that there is something in every single person’s life on planet earth that they need to let go of.  Something they are ashamed of themselves for, something they try to hide from other people. I read one blog post that was circulating Facebook about how the song was referring to gay people and their struggle to “come out of the closet”.  And where that is all fine and dandy for them that is NOT what the song meant to ME.

You see, for me, the song described how I feel about having depression to the tee.

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside

Couldn't keep it in;
Heaven knows I've tried

Don't let them in,
don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel,
don't let them know
Well now they know

So In case you were wondering why all of this is coming out tonight, it is because tonight my husband and I went on a date to see ‘Night at the Museum 3”. This is supposed to be a funny movie, but as the credits began rolling and “A tribute to Robin Williams” popped on the screen, my chest began to constrict. I started bawling big fat tears on the way home.  It may sound so weird to other people that I was mourning the death of a man that I have never even met, but I have felt what he felt. I have felt hopeless. I have felt friendless. I have felt suicidal. And he felt all of these things. I wonder how many people knew this about him. He seemed like such a happy and jovial person on the outside “Conceal, don’t feel” – that is what was going on. But if he had just “let it go” how many people would have helped him I wonder? He touched the lives of MILLIONS of people- not only his fans, but the fellow actors that he worked with I am sure. But in his final moments, he didn’t feel like there was one single person on the planet that he could turn to for help. It breaks my heart. Not only for the loss of his life, but for me too, because I know how it feels.

In high school I was completely humiliated that I suffered from depression. I felt tainted, like if other people knew the thoughts that came into my head sometimes it would scare them off and they would want nothing to do with me. I tried so hard to live the motto “fake it ‘till you make it’. It’s how I lived my life; never allowing myself to feel what I was really feeling, keeping everything bottled up inside, trying to hide my true emotions and plaster a smile on my face.  It is a very lonely way to live though. “A kingdom of isolation, and apparently I’m the queen.”  But there is a reality to my way of thinking. Who wants to be around someone who is sad, depressed, self-loathing, and pessimistic all of the time? I really felt that I couldn’t be myself and have friends at the same time.  And I have also been on the other side of that spectrum. In college I had a friend who was so emotionally draining on me. All she did was complain about her life and vent to me. I understand that venting is part of friendship, but I needed more than that from her. I also need fun and laughter and support in MY life, not always me giving it to her. It truly was a one sided friendship, so believe me when I say that I understand both sides.

But when you are in a deep depression your way of thinking is warped. You have tunnel vision. You question everything. You are afraid to tell people how you are feeling because you fear even more rejection. So you isolate yourself. I don’t know if you do it to protect yourself, or protect your friends from yourself. Probably both.

But there is a catch to this, and it is called social media. Social media allows depressed people to seek approval from their peers, without actually having to interact with them. It is SO easy to “fake it till you make it” on social media. You post all happy stuff in hopes to hide your true agonies, because getting “likes” and happy comments makes you feel good about yourself, if only for a moment. Social media is a way to filter your life. You have complete control over it, over what people see, so you begin to create the image of what you want to be, but not necessarily who you are. The damage that this can cause is severe because your friends only see the happy stuff and may never know what is really going on.

I don’t think anyone knew what was really going on with Robin Williams either. His death was 100% preventable. If only he had gotten help and not been ashamed of himself for having this mental illness. In 2009, the last year for which statistics are available, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. That year, there were nearly 37,000 suicides, and 1 million people attempted suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control. I can only imagine that those numbers have grown at an alarming rate every year.

The only way I can see to stop suicide, is to be open about mental illness. To educate people on how they can not only get help for themselves, but how to help others. People need to know the warning signs, and not always judge people from what they see on facebook. We need to talk openly about it, and shout from the rooftops that there is nothing to be ashamed of!

My name is Kristi and I was diagnosed with depression when I was ten years old. And there is no shame in that, not anymore. 

To learn more click here

Jumanji

Patch Adams

Mrs. Doubtfire

RV

Dead Poets Society

Father's Day

Aladdin

Night at the Museum 

Popeye

Nine Months

Ferngully

Flubber

FRIENDS

Hook

To the women of America

I love this article. Please take the time to read it, and if you agree, which I hope you do, share it. Spread the word.

To the women of America: 4 reasons to hate 50 Shades of Grey | Page 2 of 2 | The Matt Walsh Blog

The Butler

Have you seen the movie 'The Butler'? As I was watching it today I really really liked it. But then the last ten minutes or so I just got really mad and I felt like those last minutes of a great film ruined the whole movie for me. The movie is about a black man who serves as the White House butler for more than twenty years- serving the different presidents as they come and go in office. It also depicts the Civil Rights Movement and how persecuted the black people of America were at that time. The entire movie completely moved me and there were spots that definitely brought tears to my eyes. The Civil Rights Movement was a terrible time in American history. Many people died and were hurt fighting in a war for equal rights on their home soil. All of the actors did an amazing job in their roles and I really did love this movie.

BUT then it comes to the time when Barack Obama is up for election. After watching an entire movie dedicated to Civil Rights, it ends with Obama. The hero of the story talks about how he could have never imagined a world where a black man could have a real chance of becoming the president of the United States of America. He talks about how he and his wife walk past the city office building every night to see where they will go to vote for Obama- they are that excited to be voting for a black man. Then when he wins the election they start crying because they are so happy that finally, after years of fighting for equal rights, there is a black man in the Oval Office. I think the point they were trying to make was how far black people have come since the 1960's, but that's not what I took away from it at all.

Here is my problem with it. They always use the world 'black' when talking about Obama. The sole reason they are voting for Obama is because of the color of his skin. Does this rub anyone else the wrong way?? Because I was under the impression that The Civil Rights Movement was to create equality among the races, but here we are in the 21'st century electing a president merely because of the color of his skin. There was no mention whatsoever about his politics, his beliefs, what kind of man he was, NOTHING. All they focused on was that he was black. Whoop-dee-doo. Maybe we haven't become as color blind as we would like to think. And I'm sure it goes both ways. I have no doubt in my mind that there are white people out there that didn't vote for Obama merely on the color of his skin. Here I am rooting for this struggling family the whole step of the way, and in the last ten minutes I lose all respect for them because they choose race and ignore politics. It's people like that that are going to drive this country to hell. It's not Obama. It is the people that elected him.

What are your thoughts?

Majority vs: Minority

Let’s talk about majorities and minorities for a minute. Do you ever feel like being in the majority isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be? That being a white, middle class, Mormon in Utah isn’t always peaches and cream? Sometimes I feel like the freedom of speech law only applies to the minorities in our society. They can say whatever they want, but if the average middle class white man speaks out they get called a racist or a bigot. Let the minorities shout out their beliefs from the rooftops, but the majority better zip their lips.

But it’s more than just freedom of speech. Can you imagine for just a moment what would happen if someone suggested that we have a white history month? Or an entire parade dedicated to straight people? These things are not two way streets. And what if we said things like “White Pride” and “Straight Pride”? How is this different from “Black Pride” and “Gay Pride”? But somehow, it is. It is very different. Because in our society, the majority is so worried about being “politically correct” and not offending anyone, that somehow the same rules do not apply to the people who we are trying so hard to not offend.

And let’s go one step further. The rules that apply to the majority do not apply to the minority. Here are a few examples of what I am talking about.

-#1: When I was in the ninth grade I broke my knee jumping hurdles in gym class. My gym teacher yelled at me to stop crying and being such a baby. She also made me crawl on my butt, dragging my broken knee, across the wet and muddy soccer field so I would be out of everyone’s way. My doctor told me that if they had called an ambulance and not moved me, I may not have had to have surgery on my knee. We had every reason to sue the school, but we knew that their defense would be “You’re just doing this because the gym teacher is a lesbian”, and we knew we could never win that battle in court.

#2: We went to a supposedly family friendly restaurant for dinner one time. In the booth next to us were two women who were making out- to put things nicely. But it wasn’t just kissing. There were limbs flailing about, inappropriate noises being made, and petting of the most intense kind. It was quite the spectacle. When someone close by complained to the manager about this, the manager simply said, “We can’t afford a lawsuit against the LGBT community”. Um… what?! If this was a man and a woman doing this, you know for sure they would have been asked to leave. Double standard!

#3: At the library we can help patrons with computers to a certain extent, which means we can help them with the basics. We don’t have enough time or staff however to sit down and do everything for them. We just have too many people to serve. Well one day I was trying to help a Latino women print off some documents but after I helped her I had to go help some other patrons who were waiting at the desk. She eventually got mad at me for not sitting down at her computer, designing her entire project (which would have taken at least an hour) and then printing it out for her. When I told her I could only help her print it out but that she needed to design the layout herself she got mad and said, “You just don’t want to help me because I am Latino”. I don’t care If you are blue with purple polka dots, I simply cannot do what you are asking, and you would be better off going to a copy center where that is in their job description.

And maybe this is just me, but do you ever feel like the minorities look down on YOU because your race/ethnicity enslaved/tortured/ridiculed/etc THEIR race/ethnicity? It’s like come on. I didn’t make you work in my corn field, take you to a concentration camp, or make you live on a reservation. And I am sorry that that happened to those people but here’s the thing: #1: I wasn’t there, and #2:  Neither were you! So… do we have to live with the mistakes of previous generations forever? Because last time I checked there were evil people of all races, ethnicities, and cultures.

Lastly, let us talk about labels. I hate labels:  white people, black people, gay people, straight people, religious people, and atheist people. Want to know what I notice about all of those labels?  They are all people. Say Whaaaaat? Imagine that. All of them are people. Human beings who feel love and hate and anger and generosity, who have families and hopes and dreams, and who are all (for the most part) doing the best that they can in a cold and cynical world.

So what is my solution to the whole majority vs: minority battle you ask? It’s pretty simple really. Let’s forget the past, forget who wronged who because we weren’t there. Let’s be able to speak our minds about our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings without fear of causing offense, because it’s our uniqueness that makes us special.  Let’s drop the labels and see each other for our similarities rather than our differences. And let’s build each other up rather than tearing each other down. What a thought right? It will never happen right? Well, YOU can make it happen. And one person changing themselves is one step closer to changing the world, just saying. 

Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. Aaaaaagggghhhh!

Have you heard the kids who wear squeaky shoes? Can I just send out a question to the internet void? Why in the H-E-double hockey sticks would you buy these shoes for your kids? Do you hate humans? Do you want to annoy people so much that they finally crack and become a raving lunatic? Because honestly, that is the only reason I can see to buy these 'menace to society' footwear. But if your are a gluten for punishment, and want to listen to the squeak, squeak, squeak sound all day long, PLEASE! in the the name of all that is holy, take them off before you come to the library!

 The End.

Work Smart AND Hard

I read such a good article today- I just have to share it with you. It is called 'How many are following the worst advice in the world' by Mark Rowe. In the article he talks about how our society is constantly selling the idea of higher education, and he explains that in doing so, we have come to the belief that one size fits all. But when has that ever been the case with anything? Nothing in this world is one size fits all because every person is different, and education is no exception. His idea is that we need to stop selling higher education and start selling a strong work ethic. Too many people these days are in debt from school and when they graduate they can't even find jobs that they were trained for. I myself know several people who have graduated from a major university but are not working in their studied fields because there were no jobs available for them. Just because you get a degree doesn't necessarily guarantee you a job, but that is the mindset that we have come to know.

Also, the whole selling education idea, has come to make people without degrees feel worthless or like they are second class citizens. Because if you don't have a degree, you must be stupid right? But the thing is is that we all have different talents. That's why society works so well. We can't all be doctors and lawyers. Who would fix our cars for us or grow our food for us? There HAS to be "blue collar" workers for everything to balance out.

I guess this article hit kind of close to home. I myself had to take out student loans to pay for college but ended up never finishing school. So I am in debt without a degree. I have referred to myself as a "dropout" before which honestly sounds like a "stupid person" term, but I do not consider myself as stupid. I am smart in my own ways, college just wasn't for me. If I could just take English classes than I would be back in a heartbeat, but math and science kick my butt. I hate taking those classes and I REALLY hate paying thousands of dollars to take subjects that I loathe completely. It wasn't worth it for me. I have never excelled in the scholarly world, even back in high school. But there are times when I feel like a big fat failure because I never got my bachelors degree. Mark Rowe's article definitely made me feel better about that.

I think this is a must read. Especially for teachers and parents. I think we should stop selling education and start selling a strong honest work ethic and gaining skills that are actually marketable. We need to teach our children that if they don't go to college, that it is okay, as long as they are working hard and doing the very best that they can. College is great. It really is. But it is not meant for everyone and we need to change our mindset that it is the ONLY path to success.

You can read the full article here (and please do, it's a good one).

My Statement about Phil Robertson and Gay Rights

Thanks to Phil Robertson the issue of gay rights has once again spread itself all over the media and social networks. Phil’s name seems to be on everyone’s lips these days with everyone debating back and forth. In this blog post I would like to share my thoughts on the world’s reaction to Phil’s interview and to also, finally, share my belief about gay rights.

First I would like to state that Phil’s suspension is completely ridiculous. I do not believe that this is a gay rights issue whatsoever, but a freedom of speech one. It is completely unfair that someone asked what Phil’s personal beliefs are on an issue, and then attack him for his answer. If you don’t want to hear his truthful answer, don’t ask him the question in the first place. Secondly, the show Duck Dynasty is a reality TV show, which means it explores the beliefs and lifestyle of the Robertson family. They should not have to adjust their beliefs or lie to the media about them to appease the world. I for one am disappointed in the A&E network for not standing behind Phil and his right to express himself freely. And thirdly, Phil was not trying to force his beliefs on anyone. He was asked a question and he answered it honestly. He did not attack the LGBT community- he just stated his opinion. Phil Robertson said, "I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior," he said. "My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the Bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together."However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other."

Phil stated that he would never treat anyone with disrespect because they are different from him. Doesn’t he deserve the same treatment in return? Doesn’t he have a right to believe what he wants? Because I sure as heck think so.

Next I would like to tell you what I believe about gay marriage, but to do so, I need to tell you a little about my religion and what we believe. You see, I believe that before we came to this Earth we all lived together in a pre-mortal life. While we were there, there was a great debate about how this world should be run. Two plans were presented to our Heavenly Father, one by Jesus Christ and the other by Satan. Satan wanted us to come to Earth and be forced to choose the right. Sin would not exist and so all of us would be saved. Jesus Christ’s plan was completely different. We would come to Earth and we could either choose to follow good or evil. Heavenly Father didn’t choose what plan He liked best, instead, He let His children choose for themselves. 1/3 of the people decided to follow Satan, the others decided to follow Jesus Christ. Majority ruled and Jesus Christ’s plan is how we run things on this Earth today. We had the right to choose for ourselves, clear back from the time when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden when they had to choose to eat the forbidden fruit.

You may now be asking yourself what that story has to do with gay rights, am I right? Well folks, here it is. It is a little something that I like to call AGENCY. We have the God given right to choose for ourselves what we do with our lives and what we believe in. This includes choosing who we love and who we marry. Now, God may have the right to tell someone who they can love and marry, but I myself, being an insignificant human being, do not. I may believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, ordained of God, but I would NEVER force that belief on anyone else, or think less of them for believing differently than I do. I would NEVER bully, harass, or judge someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. And I for one think that there is too much of that going around these days. I do believe in the commandment to love one another and I do believe, no, I KNOW that God loves EVERY SINGLE ONE of his children. The suicide rate among LGBT teenagers is shocking. It breaks my heart. It needs to stop. It is something that I feel very strongly about. So to sum things up: I am a Mormon. I believe in the Family, a Proclamation to the World. I believe that the LGBT community should be allowed to love and marry whoever they want to. I believe that the bullying needs to stop. And I KNOW that God loves you no matter what you believe.

A Working Momma

When I was going to college I always felt like I was preparing for a future that I didn’t want. A career was always my back up plan to being a stay at home mom. I felt like the only reason I was getting an education was for the ‘what if?’ in life. For example, what if my husband dies, leaves me, has a terrible accident (etc. etc. etc.) and I have to be the provider for our family? It was a dreary reason to be going to school to say the least. I didn’t want to work. I wanted to be home with my babies and that was that. Of course, I was saying this while working all of my crappy retail jobs. You know, the kind of jobs that are so miserable from day to day that they almost force you into college so that you don’t end up working there forever. Those were the days when going to work was a drag… each and every single day. I hated my coworkers, my hours, the job itself, the pay. Pretty much everything about it was barely tolerable. And then, miracle of all miracles, I got a job as a librarian. My dream job. A job where I look forward to going to work every single day. A job where I actually begin to miss my coworkers over the weekend. A job where I love what I do and feel good about doing it. It may sound cheesy or cliché or whatever, but there are days where I feel like I actually put a little good out into the world by doing what I do. It’s those times when I help a teenager who doesn’t really like to read find their new favorite book. When I help kindergartners find the books that they can learn to read in. The days when I get into book discussions with a patron and we share our recommendations with one another. These are the days that I cherish. The days that make my job worthwhile. My job gives me a sense of accomplishment. It is my reason to get up in the morning and get ready for the day. But have I worried about the affects my working would have on my son? Of course! Sometimes I worry that he won’t develop as fast as he needs to because I am not there everyday to teach him the new things that he needs to learn. Sometimes I worry that he will notice my absence and it will affect him negatively.  Let’s face it, being a mother is a big fat worry fest all of the freaking time. But there is not much I can do about it anywho. We simply do not have the means for me to stay at home. I may not contribute much to the family income, but it is enough to help put food on the table and pay the bills. But what if we could afford for me to stay at home? Would I want to? Would I make a huge sacrifice and quit my dream job for my children? The answer... probably not. Does that sound selfish? It probably does to some people out there. But let me explain. My entire life I have battled serious bouts of depression. I honestly worry that if I were a full time mom I would slip back into that depression very easily. I can imagine myself staying in my pj’s all day long, not showering, not putting on make up, and not doing my hair. That’s depressing. Plus I would most likely stay at home all day long. That’s depressing too. I wouldn’t get much girl talk like I do everyday with my coworkers, and a girl’s gotta vent yo! It would just be no bueno. Bottom line, my job keeps me sane. Capeesh?

So where is this all coming from? Well I read this article that I found on Facebook today, and I loved it. It made me feel good about my choice to work. But I definitely agree whole heartedly that Americans need to have a better maternity leave for woman. Most jobs, mine included, offer six weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Six weeks for you to heal from the trauma of giving birth, six weeks to bond with your baby, and six weeks to try to get that baby on a sleeping schedule so that you are not a zombie when you have to go back to work. Um… that’s not enough time! Health wise six weeks may be long enough for your body to recover from birth if everything goes smoothly. But what if it doesn’t? What if you have to have a C-section? That’s major surgery!  And what if there are other major complications? OR, what if something is wrong with your baby and they have to be in the NICU for an extended period of time? You don’t want to be worrying about your job at a time like that, but a lot of moms have to and I’m sure a lot of women have lost their jobs because of it. It’s a messed up system and one that I hope changes very soon. Women need time to heal. They need time to bond with their kiddo and reconnect with their husbands. And most importantly they need time to SLEEP! Going to a full day of work is not exactly a picnic when you have been awake all night with a screaming baby, trust me, I know!

Well, I think that sums it up for this soapbox rant. If there is ever a politician who will fight for a better maternity leave for women you can bet they will have my vote!

THE END.

Too Young for the ‘Tube’?

I have recently read some news articles about the effects that watching television can have on infants. Many studies have been done on the matter, and I am finding that I have been introduced to information overload on the subject. I first became curious about this matter when someone told me that ‘Baby Einstein’ is facing a major lawsuit due to their false advertising of “increasing infant’s intellect”- which it does no such thing. In fact, studies have shown that it can actually cause attention disorders later on in life, usually starting around the age of seven. Most experts agree that children under the age of two should stay as far away from television as possible because it can stunt their brain development.

This is a subject that I feel pretty passionately about because more and more parents are letting the ‘tube’ become the babysitter in the home. Children need to be actively engaged and have human interaction. They need stimulating toys- and no, this does NOT include apps on your ipad, phone, or other electronic devices! I was sitting in church one day when I noticed that a parent handed over their ipad to their child who was not even two years old yet. Really?! Whatever happened to fruit loops and board books? Anyway, this led me into trying to research the effects that ipads and other such devices have on children and this area has much less research. I did find one article that I really liked (link here) that says that some apps can actually help children quite a bit, but is usually recommended for older children and not infants. It also talked about how ipads can either be beneficial or harmful if it is either encouraging ‘talk time’ with the parent or taking away from it. In other words, if you and your child are interacting together with the device, it is much more beneficial than if the child just uses it alone.

Perhaps I am extremely old fashioned in my views on this matter, but I just don’t agree with exposing your children to media at such a young age. I definitely do not wish to offend anyone, but I do think that if you are a parent than you should research this for yourself so that you can make an educated decision. ‘Baby Einstein’ got away with claiming that their dvd’s were educational since 2004 before anyone called them out on it. It is highly likely that parents believed them and actually think they are helping their children become smarter. This is definitely not the parents fault. I think that most parents do the very best they can, they just don’t know any better. So if you are a parent, I would ask that you make yourself know better and educate yourself before you let something educate your children for you. And that’s the end of this soap box rant. Ta ta for now. 

Other sources:

No Einstein in Your Crib

Media Use by Children

Educational TV for Babies? It Doesn't Exist

No Television for Babies