Opening the door

When I wrote the Dora entry, I thought that it was a pretty funny way to end the week. Lilli started singing along to songs she recognized and we were excited to share her new talent with others. Neither of us were concerned about Lilli's speech or what she was learning from singing along to the Dora song, but it made for a funny story. I should have been aware of a potential reaction to my toddler watching television, developing a stutter, and/or mocking a beloved television character.

When I started this blog it was merely an outlet for my thoughts and ideas through out my pregnancy and now being a mother. I was going through a lot during my pregnancy and so I started writing for me, no one else. After Lilli was born, I decided to open up to the rest of my family and friends when I was inspired by others who had done the same. Recently, a wise friend told me that when you open yourself up like this and let people in, you invite their opinions and ideas. I just didn't see it coming.

Unfortunately, I am a pretty sensitive person, especially sensitive to other's judgement of my parenting. Then again, find me a mom that hasn't questioned their decisions as a mom at least once. I found myself upset and flustered (for a lack of a better word). I didn't see my sarcastic joke turning into such a debated topic and was taken back when it spiraled beyond what it was intended.

I received emails, messages, comments, text messages, etc. I started to become defensive. Then I sat back, relaxed and thought about what was really bothering me in the situation. People didn't get my joke. My sarcasm didn't translate well in print. I debated whether to make my blog private again, I started to think about censoring my topics to things that were more uncontroversial. I sat on it for a few days before deciding what I wanted.

I wanted a place to share with my family and friends. I wanted a place to say my peace uninterrupted and uncensored. I'm unapologetic for how I feel, what I think, and the way we raise our daughter. We do the best we can given our situation. We love our daughter more than anything and give her every second of our attention, which is more than most parents do these days. Our lives are not the same as anyone else's and for that reason alone I have to learn to accept other people's views. So feel free to share your thoughts and opinions, just understand this a place for me to share, vent, and document our family's life.

"Song of the Entry"

Two Atoms in a Molecule by Noah and the Whale

Damn you, Dora!

We're not against television in our family. I'm not ashamed of it, I love to watch TV with Lilli. We sing songs and talk about what's going on and the characters. I point out things she knows and related them to whatever she has picked up that week. She learns a lot and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we interact with her, it's a tool not a babysitter.

However, once in a while we read about something that turns us off to a show. For example, Curious George teaches children how to misbehave by saying it's o.k. because he's a monkey. We monitor what she watches, we pay close attention to what she is picking up and try very hard to ensure that she's not being exposed to anything we wouldn't want to teach her ourselves.

Her favorite part of a show is the introduction song. Most of the time she will sing the song and not pay any attention to the rest of the show unless there's singing involved. She has recently started "singing" along with anything she recognizes, whether it be a song we sing together or a theme song on a show, she tries to mimic the sounds of the song. Of course most of the time they sound nothing alike, but it's adorable.

Her (and my) favorite show is Sesame Street. She loves Elmo and will stop dead in her tracks if she hears an Elmo song. She also watches Nick Jr. and Sprout from time to time. I'm not a huge fan of all of the shows she enjoys, to be honest I turn them off if I can't take any more. Dora was never a favorite of mine, but it's on right before bed and gives us an opportunity to clean up after dinner, get her pj's on, put away all of the day's toys, etc. She learned the word "backpack" and she has a Dora and Boot's tub toy that she learned how to "wash" while we wash her. All great learning tools... right?

Well, for those of you who have not heard the theme song to Dora:

Please note the "D-D-D-Dora" part... Dora the Explorer has taught my daughter to stutter. Needless to say, Dora is off of the regularly viewed programming list. Lesson learned.

"Song of the Entry"

Long Gone by Fourth of July