Subtitle: I'm going to kill my mother...
My mother is very much of the opinion that as much television as possible is just GREAT for kids. She is very disrespectful of my opinion on the issue. A few months ago, she showed up with a copy of Monsters Inc. and gave it to Talia before I could see and object. A few weeks later, she showed up with Finding Nemo. I intercepted that one and told her she might as well take it back to the store. She got all snotty and said "Oh, she'll just see it at somebody ELSE's house." I said, "I don't care, I don't want to own it." So, my mom kept it for "herself". Which, of course, meant she kept it to try again later.
Mind you, I'm not 100%anti-television, just anti-marketing, anti-Disney and anti-six hours of television a day. Call it 98% anti-television.
So, yesterday I was out with Mom and she started in again on how "When the new baby comes, I can give you Nemo, and it'll keep Talia occupied while you take care of the new one." I gave her a litany of reasons why I didn't want it - including I found it too violent for a toddler, I don't like the merchandizing blitz that's still in full force, and I just don't want it. So, today she shows up and Talia runs to meet her on the porch. She comes running back in squealing "Mommy! Nemo!" carrying the dvd. My mom comes in and says "Oh, I brought it in my purse so you could look at it first, but Talia looked in my purse and took it herself." *cough*bulldookie*cough* My Mom is a well established liar, and I know when she gets it in her head to do something she'll do whatever it takes to get away with it. So, I'm pretty certain she simply gave it to her; Even if she didn't, obviously she brought it along knowing Talia would find it (knowing full well that Talia always looks in her purse.)
So now we have this dumb dvd that I don't want at all, and Talia is *screaming* for it constantly. For a child who spends most days with no television, and even on rainy days is lucky to see a two hour movie, she has literally watched it five times. Every time I refuse she screams until snot runs out of her nose and her face turns purple. Now, mind you, she has *never* screamed for something like this before, and anytime she's ever even started demanding something like that, she hasn't gotten anywhere. I swear, I don't think I've ever seen a junkie as desperate as she is over this stupid movie.
So I'm trying to decide whether to take the dvd back to my mom and tell her to stop defying my authority, and take all the weeks of whining and griping that will ensue, or use a very mom-like tactic and just break it, then lie and say that Talia got ahold of it and did it.
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My mother is very much of the opinion that as much television as possible is just GREAT for kids. She is very disrespectful of my opinion on the issue. A few months ago, she showed up with a copy of Monsters Inc. and gave it to Talia before I could see and object. A few weeks later, she showed up with Finding Nemo. I intercepted that one and told her she might as well take it back to the store. She got all snotty and said "Oh, she'll just see it at somebody ELSE's house." I said, "I don't care, I don't want to own it." So, my mom kept it for "herself". Which, of course, meant she kept it to try again later.
Mind you, I'm not 100%anti-television, just anti-marketing, anti-Disney and anti-six hours of television a day. Call it 98% anti-television.
So, yesterday I was out with Mom and she started in again on how "When the new baby comes, I can give you Nemo, and it'll keep Talia occupied while you take care of the new one." I gave her a litany of reasons why I didn't want it - including I found it too violent for a toddler, I don't like the merchandizing blitz that's still in full force, and I just don't want it. So, today she shows up and Talia runs to meet her on the porch. She comes running back in squealing "Mommy! Nemo!" carrying the dvd. My mom comes in and says "Oh, I brought it in my purse so you could look at it first, but Talia looked in my purse and took it herself." *cough*bulldookie*cough* My Mom is a well established liar, and I know when she gets it in her head to do something she'll do whatever it takes to get away with it. So, I'm pretty certain she simply gave it to her; Even if she didn't, obviously she brought it along knowing Talia would find it (knowing full well that Talia always looks in her purse.)
So now we have this dumb dvd that I don't want at all, and Talia is *screaming* for it constantly. For a child who spends most days with no television, and even on rainy days is lucky to see a two hour movie, she has literally watched it five times. Every time I refuse she screams until snot runs out of her nose and her face turns purple. Now, mind you, she has *never* screamed for something like this before, and anytime she's ever even started demanding something like that, she hasn't gotten anywhere. I swear, I don't think I've ever seen a junkie as desperate as she is over this stupid movie.
So I'm trying to decide whether to take the dvd back to my mom and tell her to stop defying my authority, and take all the weeks of whining and griping that will ensue, or use a very mom-like tactic and just break it, then lie and say that Talia got ahold of it and did it.
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So far all the ideas here have good merit... I'll keep pondering all of them.
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I do agree with the toddler power struggle. We went through this for awhile with Nemo. After about a week straight it went away and the kids haven't asked to watch it since.
