Sesame Street, Move 360, and The First Lady...

Over the past few years I've been amazed at what I'm seeing on TV, hearing on the radio, and experiencing in every day life. I guess it's been more than a few years. First, about six years ago, I was a housekeeper and tended to work in some higher end neighborhoods, as well as middle income areas. During the summer I would drive through these neighborhoods and see these expensive basketball hoops in the driveways yet there wasn't a single child outside. My kids played outside every single day, whether it was riding their bikes, climbing trees, playing ball in the yard, or swimming in the creek. Where were all the kids?




Something called Move360 started coming on the commercials. There were athletes telling kids to go outside and play for 60 minutes a day. Since when do we have to tell kids to go play? Perhaps, we, as parents, need to remove or at least limit television and video game use. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, came out trying to get kids to move, eat better, and drink water. I'm still confused over why it is taking professional athletes and the President's wife to get kids playing. Stay with me, I have a point.




This morning on the news they announced that Sesame Street has had a small makeover. The puppets now talk about eating healthier foods like vegetables and fruits. They're trying to get kids to move. What happened to the Cookie Monster? I heard he was now the veggie monster. WHAT?




Okay, I'm coming to the point of this post. When did it become the responsibility of everyone BUT the parents to get kids to get off the couch and eat better? I buy snacks, I buy treats, but they're limited. I'll buy a huge bag of apples or oranges, but only one small bag of potato chips. If we're the ones doing the grocery shopping, why do we need to convince the kids to eat less junk food? Just buy less, or stop all together. Why do we need celebrities to get our kids to get up and move or go outside and play? We're the parents! Turn off the video game, computer, TVs, and take away the phones. Hell, if you have to go out with them. We adults could use some more exercise, too.




I have a problem with the way society is raising our kids. It's become everyone else's job but our own, and some are complacent to allow teachers, daycare workers, actors, singers, etc teach our kids values, morals, and life lessons. You're upset because Miley Cyrus is supposed to be a role model and twerked on TV? SHE IS NOT YOUR CHILD'S ROLE MODEL!!! YOU are! You are responsible for how your child is raised, for what they eat, how much exercise they get. Don't tell me you can't because you work. We all work in way or another. Once the kids are done with their homework take them outside and play tag, throw a ball, ride your bike with them. Believe it or not, they follow your lead mom and dad. They need YOU to direct them, NOT Grover, Miley Cyrus, or Michelle Obama!

Okay, So I'm a Hypocrite!

Yep, I'll admit it. It turns out I'm a total hypocrite. I complain endlessly about how there is no chivalry, how men and women no longer have defined roles. Tonight, I went to the grocery store, and was standing in line to check out when an older gentleman complained about the young girls outside gathering the carts from the parking lot. He said it wasn't safe with all the weirdos. Without a second thought I blurted out "I can't believe you actually just said that. Don't you think we women can take care of ourselves in this day and age." The moment it escaped my lips, I realized I had become part of the problem.

How can I, a self professed traditional housewife, declare chivalry is dead when I single-handedly shot it dead in one grocery trip? That man was doing exactly what those of us with old fashioned values crave, yet I very vocally stopped him in his tracks. Now, I wasn't rude about it; I was smiling and joking with him, but you could tell by his body language I had made him uncomfortable. So, how do we break ourselves of these "worldly" and "feminist" thoughts when it's been drilled so hard into our heads?