I dread it, I long for it.

Today, after one year and a half of television-free life, I accidentally introduced Diego to the small screen. I obviously have some issues to work out because it’s a true love-hate situation. See, my other son, Pablo, gets plenty of outdoor activity time, including very frequent trips to the beach and the mountains; however, once he sits in front of the damn T.V. we’ve lost him. Be it cartoons or Nintendo he becomes temporarily hypnotized and is sent subliminal commands to ignore any order we may give him.

Well this morning, while trying to get some work done at the computer and waiting for the nanny to arrive, I turned the television on so I knew when the soccer match began. Diego was hanging out with me, goofing around and being his adorable little self when all of a sudden he grabbed the remote and changed it to some kid channel et voilà! The catchy tune was what initially caught his attention, then there was the big, fluffy bear talking and singing… right at him! Next thing I knew…


I’d lost him.


But suddenly he wasn’t demanding my attention like any other toddler would, suddenly I could actually get work done without continuous interruptions… Is this something I really want? Is this any good for Diego?

I’m telling you, yes, all of you parents out there falling prey to this temptation, beware! While I don’t think it’s all that bad for kids to sit down and watch SOME television during the day, we’ve had to really give some thought to the total time we allow Pablo for this. If you can avoid introducing your kids to screens in general do so. I know it requires a lot of creativity to provide activities that will keep them entertained time and time again during their young lives, but it’s worth the try. And if not, you can always use it as an occasional distraction that will allow you enough time to, for instance, get some work done on the computer!