ETA: We have a winner! Congratulations, MommyMae!
A few months ago, I mentioned that if you follow me on Twitter, you’ll notice that I finish nearly every one of my thoughts/tweets/whathaveyous with #momspotting. I also pointed you toward the awkward video I made to introduce myself AS a Momspotter.
When the Momspotting gig began, Rita Arens wrote a really excellent article explaining exactly what a Momspotter does. In a nutshell, twenty moms were hired to be part of a six month citizen journalism project that involves making daily observations about technology and parenting. These observations (or tweets) are being watched for trends. And I know it’s pretty confusing, so here: I get paid to be aware of technology in my daily life and how if affects my family. I employ Twitter fifteen times each week, and three times each month I post to the Family Connections community at Blogher. As a total bonus, BlogHer is syndicating a few of my blog posts. (One of them is right here! Hooray!)
To celebrate the final two months of Momspotting, Rita has written a meme and asked that we invite our readers to participate! And *I* have decided to sweeten the pot by turning the meme into a giveaway! (And before we get started, please know that Yes. These questions are geared toward parents, because this particular journalism project is geared toward parents. And I know that seems unfair to people who are not parents. And I get it. Believe me—for reasons I won’t get into right now, I really do get it. If you do not have kids, please skip the questions and go straight to the bottom paragraph of this post. You can still enter the giveaway!)
Here are the questions (with my answers):
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
None. I am one of those wicked parents who can’t really afford to replace expensive electronic devices, so drool and abuse are not tolerated.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None. Although, I know Gokul’s number by heart. Mmmmmm. Delhi’s Chaat.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
I would say my kids probably average about ten hours each week. Is that high? Low? I really have no idea.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
My theory on play dates? Do What You Need to Do to Survive and Stay Sane. We recently had a play date during which things got a little crazy. I quietly slipped a movie into the DVD player, and within minutes the girls were sitting down, snacking (on fruit! really!), and NOT arguing. After finishing their snacks, all was well, and the movie was turned off.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
250 miles. (We have never used electronic entertainment during car trips. Color me curmudgeonly!)
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
Three. Meredith was very ill when she was six months old, and I really don’t want to talk about it. Bad memories. (I spent most of that weekend rocking her in the rocking chair and reading East of Eden. Meredith LOVES that book!)
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
“My car is loaded with Delhi’s Chaat.”
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
I was going to write my OWN joke that had something to do with how Momspotters NEED iPads, but then I cringed and made hot tea instead. You’re welcome.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
A bottle warmer. I nursed both of my kids, and neither of them ever took a bottle. (Several years passed during which I couldn’t leave the house for more than two hours at a time. I was really fun to be around during those years.)
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
It won’t take long. My six year old is already using the Internet for research, and both kids know how to use the DVD player and the Wii. They’re fearless, which is key.
Okay. Here is where you come in. In one week, I’m going to knit a hat. If you answer the ten meme questions in my comment section, I’ll enter you in the drawing for the hat. If you answer the questions at your blog, leave a link in my comment section, and I’ll enter you in the drawing for the hat. If you tweet about it, leave the link. You’re entered. AND, if you do NOT have kids, leave a comment below just telling me that you want the stinking hat! You’re entered! (Let’s make this official. I’ll do the drawing on February 7! AND, if you win, we’ll pick out the pattern and color together!) In the meantime, feel free to visit the BlogHer Family Connections Forum! ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
yes. i just want the stinking hat.
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
None. My kids are 6 and 8, and seem to have better control over the care and use of electronic devices than I do.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None, although I know Pizza la Villa’s number off by heart.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
Maybe 15? They generally watch a good hour or so after school to unwind from being social and interactive all day.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
Yes, but my theory on life is “whatever works for you,” so it is fine that they are Liar McLiars.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
120o miles. And then back home again. We’re fond of epic journeys. I will add that we now own a portable DVD player, but they only get one or two movies per 12 hour driving day. Because we’re mean. And because we had to look out the windows and smell crayons that had fallen down the back of our seats and melted in our non-air conditioned station wagons back when our parents took us on their epic road trips.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
One. This past week, in fact!
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
“I already made the kids’ lunches.”
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
I think Mad TV has that covered!
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
The Diaper Genie. I’m sure the garbage men really appreciated long smelly snakes of used diapers.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
It’s entirely possible that they already are…
I had a hard time answering some of the questions ~ our life is so atypical. LOL But I’d really like to enter for the hat. :) I’ve never had a hand-knit *anything*!
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
None.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
n/a
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
Never had a play date. :D
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
A couple thousand? We don’t use e-tainment in the vehicle. :)
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
6. She wound up in emergency surgery at midnight that night. Bad day, dude. Bad memories.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
“I cooked, cleaned the bathrooms, and you can go to bed as soon as you eat.”
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
That failblog photoshop I saw the other day. When I heard about the iPad, I wondered if it had wings. lol
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
Hasn’t happened. :)
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
1 million.
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
My two-year-old has ninja skills. I try to keep all expensive electronic devices away from her, but she often eludes me with her speed and wit, and has most recently destroyed my Blackberry. Argh.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None. My husband does all ordering and pick-ups.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
Maybe 10 or so. She watches Sesame Street daily with her breakfast (we Tivo it). On weekends, sometimes we add an episode of Clifford.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
Yes. However, as the Queen of Justification, I’m willing to accept anything that helps someone sleep at night.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
Never. We always have music.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
Two, followed by a late night run to the E.R. Awful, scary experience with our then-6-month-old who was having difficulty breathing due to extremely high fever.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
Daughter has already eaten, brushed her teeth, and bathed and is now waiting for Mommy to tuck her in. Love that part of my night.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
Sorry, I’m 5 months pregnant. I got nothing.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
Wipe warmer. Received it as a gift, never used it, donated it to goodwill.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
It’s imminent…
I don’t have kids but I do like hats! Yayyy, hats!
1. My Blackberry. She’s played as many games of BrickBreaker on it as I have.
2. None. We don’t do take out more than a few times a year. Which doesn’t mean I cook … we eat a lot of PBJ and pasta (which doesn’t count) on work nights.
3. I don’t limit TV, because that means I’d have to limit the amount of TV I watch. My daugther’s not into the shows I watch (except AI), which keeps her doing other things, like coloring, and homework.
4. The Mayors of Liarville, seriously. “TV” means anything moving across that big flat screen.
5. About 50. Both kids have Nintendo DS games, but I think on longer trips (the few we’ve had) we talked, sang or played Would You Rather for as much time as they played their games.
6. I’ve never called them … but then, my mom is a retired pediatric nurse so I don’t have to. One night when Lauren was about 4 days old and screaming for hours, she finally just got out of bed and came to our house instead of answering phone call #23.
7. Um, I can’t post that here. It’s a family blog …
8. Me, tell a joke and get it right? Never!
9. The manual breast pump. Oh. My. God. Ouch.
10. Never!! I hereby publicly resolve to never be that mom ;)
Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
None. Eldest even gets flung off the PC if I find her deviating from her homework.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None. We drive to the fish and chip shop. God, it’s like the DARK AGES.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
Ten? Maybe? I don’t know. At weekends they might be up from 6 watching it and I wouldn’t notice till 8.30.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
No. I think they’re choosing what they watch. And they must have more cash than me, because I can only afford to buy about 2 dvds a year. So I hate them.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
We did used to have incar DVDs, but had to stop using them because they made Littlest throw up. This was not a choice.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
One. Sorry.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
I have wine.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
Um…
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
I never bought it, but I did once see something you warmed your baby wipes in. Fgs.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
Forever, if I keep throwing them off the PC.
Here’s Mine!
http://www.misszoot.com/2010/02/01/technology-and-motherhood/
Thanks for helping me out with blog material this Monday morning.
Okay, I have kids BUT they are really too old for this meme to apply. Can I still get the stinkin’ hat? Because I WANT IT.
Kids=no. Hat=yes, please.
I would love your hat! I did blog with my Digital Parenting Meme already. here is the link ~
http://texasebeth.blogspot.com/2010/02/digital-parenting-meme.html
I tweeted too! Does that let me enter twice?
Twitter name – TexasEbeth . Don’t know how to put in a twitter link…did I mention I’m practically a Luddite?
I do not have kids but I’m going to answer two questions anyway.
#2: I have probably 5 take out numbers in my phone. My favorite decadent thing to do is go out for a drink after work then head home realizing I’m super hungry. I’ll take a cab and call in an order to the take out place while I’m in the car then have the taxi drop me off at the take out place so I can pick it up and go straight home to devour it.
#8 I’ll admit to making up my own iPad joke/tweet last week after the announcement. “OTOH it’s marketing genius because I’ll automatically think of Apple at least one week a month.”
Also my ears are cold and I would like a hat, please. Thank you!
I just want the stinkin’ hat.
Please.
1. My husband lets the kids use his iPod Touch, although they are pretty safe with it. I have no gadgets of my own.
2. None. But I have a folder chock full of menus in the kitchen.
3. Waaay too many. Maybe 15 hours each. Sometimes more. But they LOVE books, too. Really!
4. A lot of playdates theses days seem to end up involving Wii, at other people’s houses and at mine. But I really limit that to a small portion of the playdate. Whatever gets you by!
5. Does that include kids’ music on the iPod? Because we always play kids music on trips. We also have a portable DVD player…usually one movie per 450 mile trip.
6. Four- when my son was an infant with possible dehydration.
7. We don’t text each other. But he could send me an email that said, “Bringing home Thai food, baby.”
8. I’m trying not to make any. Too oogie.
9. A microwaveable bottle sterilizer…I also nursed exclusively, and never used it once. Second would be a wipe warmer. ?
10. They are 9, 7 and 4, and already amazingly proficient. I think we will be having a constant conversation about how to be tech savvy and tech safe over the next several years.
I’m in. :)
http://kenandbelly.blogspot.com/2010/02/digital-parenting.html
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
Our portable DVD player, which has withstood the abuse surprisingly well.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None – but if we did, it would be for a pizza place.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
Depends on the week and the season – I would say around 5-8, maybe? Some evenings there’s no TV in our house, but then we make up for it on the weekend.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
Yes. So are the people who say “we watch no TV” but then let their kids spend the evening on the computer at PBS Kids. Screen time is screen time, whether it’s “TV” or not. And I’m OK with that. Why lie?
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
Probably about 300 miles… we made it most of the way to Iowa one Thanksgiving without the DVD player. We try to keep it hidden until everyone’s gone a little crazy, and then we’re all “Hey! How about a movie!”
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
2? 3? Probably 2 — and that was back when Bel was a jaundiced newborn and the doctors were calling *us*.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
My partner doesn’t text, ever, so he could text me “hey baby” and I’d fall off my chair.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
Someone on NPR said “you know they didn’t have a woman in the room when they came up with this,” and it’s SO TRUE. The name itself is joke enough, isn’t it?
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
The baby monitor. Our house is so small, I really didn’t need it. It made me feel better though to have it on at night.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
My son just turned 5. I estimate I have maybe 6 months to claim superiority of any sort in the techno world. He taught himself how to mouse when he was 3, he can open a browser and type in PBSKids, he can use the remote to browse the DirecTV menu and pick out his shows, and he plays games on my husband’s iPod. Really, anything he learns to do from now on will be more than I know.
I would LOVE an Angela Pudding hat and if I had human children instead of furry children I would fill out your meme….I don’t, so I have to go the lame “pick me, pick me” comment route instead.
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
The TV remote. They aren’t too expensive to replace. and it makes the toodler happy.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None. we are too poor these days for takeout.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
about 10. mostly on the weekends.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
yes. just come out and say “we might watch a DVD” and quit the sham.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
600, pre DVD. we have a built in DVD player in the car. And I think it has saved our family from killing each other.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
2
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
“I cleaned the house”
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
hhhmmm, none yet
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
a cup that was supposed to be more stable for teaching kids how to drink not from a sippy. yeah, they still dumped it right out.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
They are there already.
Answers over here: http://luciajoy.blogspot.com/2010/02/meme-me-baby.html
That was fun!
No kids yet, but I would love a hat!
Haha, I also thought of combining a #momspotting and #ipad joke but I didn’t think Sprint would find that very funny :)
Here’s the link to my meme:
http://bonggamom.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-do-you-use-technology-in-your-daily.html
I’m a fellow Momspotter but getting a shot at a hat is a total bonus. I love freebies!
PS: great minds think alike — anyone who leaves a comment on my meme is entered to win a Chocolate Cheerios gift pack! :)
Sorry I left a typo in my link!
http://www.momofjack.blogspot.com/2010/02/im-trying-to-win-hat.html
that should be correct. Sorry!
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
My boys have every cutting edge game system, top-of-the-line current games, and each has a better iPod and computer than either my husband or me. Spoiler alert … wherein I am the spoiler.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
Two. Imo’s & P.F. Chang’s.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
No restrictions. Bad mommy, Bad.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
I am COUNTING on electronic amusements for playdates. And I don’t know any parent who doesn’t. Television = DVD.
p.s. Outside, shmoutside.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
I can’t remember, because I am more than a decade away from baby-times. My kids have iPods and DSes — but they are also voracious readers and don’t get carsick when reading. And for God’s sake, it’s not like I’m looking over my shoulder constantly to see if they are Half-Pinting it — I need to nap (if I’m not driving)!
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
Five. When you’ve got a kid with a chronic incurable disease, ya just got to call when things go wrong.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
“Do you want me to pop your back?”
True dat: for Christmas he bought me a massage-a-week-for-a-year — a keeper, I tell you.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
Don’t have one, but if I did, it would lean toward the pad thai, not the maxi.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
Educational electronic toys — leappads and such exist as a guilt buy, not as a something my kids would fall for based on their interestingness factor.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
Oh, please. This is no lie — my older son taught his preschool teacher how to reboot when he was four. My kids are the ones who get the calls from friends about how to game/fix/cheat. So far, no hack.
I’m a little (ok a lot) verbose: here’s the link: http://ngunderground.blogspot.com/2010/02/tech-savvy.html
I just want the stinkin’ hat (especially if I could give it to my husband and pretend that I knitted it myself).
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
Does my key-fob count? None, really, and even the keys are out b/c I drop my keys on the ground 20 times a day.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None here. I had a few in St Louis but none since we moved 3 years ago. We almost never get takeout.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
TV: none. DVDs:maybe 3-4 hours over the whole week.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
I am that person. But we really almost never watch those and it’s just old-school sesame street at most so I don’t really think it’s worth getting that long answer.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
600–we refuse to put a DVD player or any hand-held devices in the car, though we DO use ipods to play kid-friendly music; does that count? if so, we once drove 300 miles without even turning on the radio b/c we were all just happy chatting and sleeping. Seriously. A 2 year old and 4 year old.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
1
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
I hate texting. We don’t text. He could facebook chat me a nice offer for a backrub though.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
I live under a rock.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
I’m with you on bottle warmers for the same reason; though we did use with our son who came home at 20 mos on bottles so maybe not. The out of tune cheap electric keyboard from grandma earns a lot of hatred.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
At this rate, a lot. We make them carve toys from wood or something to that effect.
I have no children but I could happily make it all up (who hasn’t answered this: What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day? “I ordered Pizza”. Easy.
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
None. My kids are teenagers and do not drool anymore. Much.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None. We don’t do takeout because we are poor, but McDonalds is within easy walking distance.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
Neither of my kids are into tv. My son watches movies that he illegally downloads (I’m so proud) on his tv, and my daughter might watch about a half-hour a week. She’s too busy on her Iphone texting.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
I absolutely think that people who do not allow their kids to watch TV are nuts. I grew up without a TV and it sucked. I do not believe for one minute that any child in the Western World is completely TV-free.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
Every single mile I’ve ever driven. We do not have a DVD player in the ancient car I drive and yet we drove all across the country when my kids were nine with absolutely NO electronics except my cell phone.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
Never more than once. I must be the world’s calmest mother, but as the daughter of a pediatrician, I never called our ped unless there was something REALLY serious going on. I do have medical books galore at home tho, and read them when there was a crisis.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
Babysitter will arrive in an hour. Driver will pick u up at 7 for overnight stay at the Ritz. In Paris.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
I was going to write my OWN joke that had something to do with how Momspotters NEED iPads, but then I cringed and made hot tea instead. You’re welcome.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
A bottle warmer. I nursed both of my kids, and neither of them ever took a bottle. (Several years passed during which I couldn’t leave the house for more than two hours at a time. I was really fun to be around during those years.)
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
Opps, I fucked up. 8-10 are your answers so here are mine.
8. Ipads are itouchs for the elderly.
9. A wipe warmer. What a ridiculous waste of electricity, especially since I used cloth wipes and cloth diapers.
10. One already is, and I worked in comp sci for 22 years. The other one…never.
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
Definitely my Blackberry. Emily plays games on it (even though she now has her own phone!), and Matt likes to randomly dial numbers and talk to whomever he happens to reach!
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
Two — pizza and chinese.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
I couldn’t even tell you. 15?
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
Yup.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
The kids are only able to watch DVDs in the car if the trip is longer than a 45 minute drive.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
One. This really surprises me as I really always thought I would be a worry wart way more than I am!
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
“Don’t worry about dinner…I’ve got it covered!”
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
“Will women send their husbands to the Apple store to buy iPads?”
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
Baby wipe warmer. That was quickly returned. What a waste of money!
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
I have managed to stay ahead of my 12 year old daughter, but I am a total tech nerd!
1. My Wii. Yes, it’s mine. My philosophy is All expensive items in the house are mine and I let them use them as long as they fulfill their portion of our agreement (get good grades, behave and don’t wreck MY stuff).
2. None. It’s easier to cook than to find a place that doesn’t break the budget and that everyone can agree on.
3. 12 or so… although we are beginning a new thing of no TV on Tuesday or Thursday (applies to all of us)
4. Yup. Doesn’t matter were the signal comes from because YOU ARE WATCHING IT ON A TV!
5. Whew, not far. We are all techies so, maybe 30 miles?
6. I don’t call them. I am married to a nurse.
7. ” Hey, I’ve been thinking it over and I’d love to go for a long ride with you on the Harley to any BBQ joint you want to go to.” The Bike scares her and she’s very healthy. My motto ” live life with white knuckles!”
8. iPad. Pfft. sounds like a feminine hygiene product. Just turn in your set now dude!
9. Any toy that cost more than the box it came in. The box is ALWAYS the better toy.
10. If we include knowledge of the iPod… 2 seconds. otherwise, wont happen.
Edit: #10 – Ipad not iPod. sorry
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
baby gets the iphone. she likes the diego app. she thinks he’s her boyfriend
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
we’re try to curtail the tv viewing. today was the first day of no tv for the boy. i’m hoping to keep it to weekends and then only 3 or 4 hours.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
oh, yes.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
nothing shorter than 100 miles needs it. more than that & we have to have something to keep 4 kids from screaming at each other.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
it was 3. jilly had croup at 19 months & i had no idea what it was. kinda scared by the wheezing.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
i’ll take the kids. you go to sleep
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
the madtv skit was pretty funny & was the first ;)
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
diaper genie
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
the almost 8 year olds are going to be there by middle school.
I want that (stinking) hat.
Non-parents get cold heads too!
(Also, question 10.
I am 22, and fairly tech savvy. I work in a classroom with kids aged six to nine. I’d give it less than five years until they all overtake me.)
Cheers,
– alice
1) TV remote
2) My phone is a stupid work phone and has to be reset all the time – no point in programming. My husband has Davannis on his phone (his is not stupid – it’s an iphone).
3) My kids watch more TV than I was allowed to watch- I did not agree with my parents on this topic. BUT – that is the reason that they are miniature foodies.
4) Doesn’t matter to me. They will bear the burden of having their children’s spouses laugh at them when they fail at multiple categories of trivia because they never watched TV.
5)250 – to my folks house. We did take DVD players on a longer trip once – it was more trouble than it was worth. CDs and loud singing are the way of the world in our car. “Why are we marching? WE ARE ANTS!!!”
6) I used to be more paranoid. Record is probably when my son with Type 1 Diabetes got the first virus after his diagnosis. Nightmare. We’ve learned a lot and gained a lot of confidence since then.
7) “I was thinking we’d turn on a a show for the children.”
8) I think all the ones I’ve heard are pretty juvenile . .. there was a funny one on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, but I don’t remember it. . . .
9) We relied on the advice of friends and didn’t buy a lot initially – I would say our bigger mistakes were in what we waited TOO LONG to get (exersaucer, boppy)
10) I’m pretty tech savvy – I hope to keep up with them for a while yet (they’re only 7, 5 and 2).
I so totally hope I win that hat!!
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
None. I got her, her own kids kitchen and table and chairs to play with so that she won’t play with my toys.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
Just one. Chosen Village Chinese for the best chicken lo mein ever.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
Way too many. My husband’s been home with her so it’s easier for him to let her watch tv than to argue with her. Now it’s gotten so bad that she wants noggin on even when she’s not watching it.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
Yes, but who cares. Sometimes you just want them to sit for a minute and stop screaming together or at each other (or at you).
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
From Long Island, New York to Engelwood, New Jersey. How many miles is that? We listened to Fisherprice music the entire time.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
Three. We ended up at the emergency room.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
“I made dinner, went grocery shopping and cleaned the house.” I’m still waiting for this to happen.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/join-it/videos/byte-it/the-original-ipad.html
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
The music mobile for crib. She didn’t sleep in her own room until she turned two and by then she had a bed.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
She already knows where the play and stop buttons are on the remote.
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
Nothing expensive. They do pretend that the cable remote is a phone on a regular basis.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
2 -pizza and indian
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
The rule is no more than 1.5 hours/day. There are days when they don’t watch any, and occasional days when they watch more. I’d guess it averages to 10 hours/week.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
I try for no screen time on play dates.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
I go with no electronics if the trip is less than 2 hours. Anything over 2 hours though and back-to-back movies is cool. Especially if I am the only adult in the car.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
2 I think. IN general, if I call back a second time, we get seen, or sent to the ER.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
Text? I don’t think we’ve ever texted anything to each other.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
My mind is still boggled.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
Wipes warmer. I realized after she was born that there isn’t an outlet anywhere near the only place in the bathroom where the changing table would fit. So I never used it. Maybe they have battery operated ones now?
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
Savy to how to make it work? Not many. Savy to the real world consequences of the internet world? A long time, I think.
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
The most expensive electronic devices in our house actually belong to our child. He doesn’t abuse or drool on any of them.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
Zero. I cook dinner 98% of the time AND we all sit down as a family and eat dinner together and talk about our day.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
He cannot have the television on during school and that usually takes up an average of 4-9 hours per day, six days a week.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville? YES. and really WHO cares?!
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
ALOT… The only time that we use electronic devices in the car are when we are travelling. (I-Pod, DVD player, DS) We usually only travel like that once a year… IF That.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
I’ve called the pediatrician before, when Eli was a baby. I think it was only once in a day though.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
This question does not apply to me. We don’t have cell phones. He does call me once a day from work though to see how my day is going and to tell me that he loves me. I have the best husband in the world!
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
No joke. I wonder how many people feel that they just HAVE to HAVE this device… THAT is a joke.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
I think that there are alot more gadgets on the market now than when Eli was a baby 13 years ago. I’m sure that I bought something that wasn’t needed back then though. I remember when people would get those signs and hang in the windows of their cars “baby on board”… I never had one, but thought those were kind of ridiculous.
Oh… I can remember one… it was when Eli was around 9-12 mos. old. I thought that I absolutely had to have one of those thermometers that takes the temp in the ear. It turned out that thermometer was such a hassle to use. We used it a handful of times and then it spent the rest of its life in the junk drawer. I think I spent around 90 dollars for it back then also. Live and learn!
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
It didn’t take many. The good thing about it now is that he teaches me!
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
My DSi, but since it was technically free, it’s not really the most expensive. Other than that, I’d say the Wii. I’m not sure why they feel the need to put the microphone for American Idol IN their mouths.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None. That’s what the internet is for!
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
Way way too much. Probably 20-30 hours/week. Does it help to know that it’s mostly educational shows like Sesame Street, Cyberchase and Word Girl? No? I didn’t think so.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
Our friends don’t watch TV at playgroup simply because the kids generally have too much other stuff to do, like exploring someone else’s toys.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
~150 miles, but he was a baby so I’m not sure that counts. Otherwise, we do employ the Leapster. We’ve never used a DVD player in the car. That’s what windows are for.
/Get off my lawn!
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
Probably not more than two. Particularly when there was some doubt on our part as to whether our puking/pooping baby was technically dehydrated. After those 2 calls, she sent us to the ER.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
“The kids are with my parents so let’s do dinner and a movie!”
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
There was some comment about the some iPad adapter being called an iPon. heeheehee
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
A wipe warmer. Serious, my hands are so hot, I could hold the wipe in my hand and do more good than that moldy thing.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
That will be hard to do since both hubby and I are pretty computer savvy. It probably won’t take our oldest more than 5 years to out-tech me, but he’s got a long way to go to out-tech daddy!
1.The kid is 12 and I don’t let him touch anything, except our IMac.
2.Just one-pizza
3.No cable here, just proves he will watch ANYTHING, about 5/week.
4.No, and don’t you dare question me.
5.Many, but none without a book. God help us if we run out of books. Its true, I swear.
6.Just one, I’m a pharmacist and Grandma is a nurse, between the 2 of us, we got it covered.
7. I’ve hired a maid.
8. Introducing the IPAD.
9.So many books, and educational video games.
10.Six years ago.
Um, you didn’t actually answer #4. I mean sure, your response was funny…but the question wasn’t about playdates. It was about whether you think people lie about the amount of television their kids watch.
So? Do you think people are lying?
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
In desperation I will allow them to use the iPod Touch, but only if they are sitting and not near any food or body of water.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
Too many, since I still have the ones from our last residence, and we moved 1.5 yrs ago.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
Bad week or good week? Bad week they veg on the weekend, good week they get about a half hour a day, we are plenty busy on other things.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
Nah, it’s all about the definition of “TV” you see. Meh, do what you have to do to survive a play date, but I hope it’s not ALL video games and tv, cause that will make my kid kind of an a-hole afterwards.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
45. Anything more than that…refer back to maintaining your sanity
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
Two? Kid #2 had poison ivy near his eye.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
Kids are bathed and in bed and I have a hot dinner ready for you.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
They’ve all been made, cause seriously, any women in that room when you picked that name, Apple? Didn’t think so.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
Baby sling. No offense to those who love them, but my kids never fit in them and I got a serious neck crick from it.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
*sigh* I count that in months…
I want the hat just so I can wear it and then one day run into the man from your daughter’s school and show him how cool it is to wear a hat made by you!
no kids, but I do have a head that could use a hat.
ok–I love your knitting so I’ll answer your meme–(also, my eldest is out swimming with her dad, my middle one is sleeping, as is the 2 month old so I have 5 MINUTES FREE!!!)(Maybe)
*Ahem*
1. Our remotes, the portable handset for the house phone and my cell phone
2. We generally just do pizza but I haven’t programmed ANY numbers into our phone so our children don’t accidentally call anyone–see #1
3. Far too many hours a week–I don’t want to count it because then I would officially be a bad mother!! They watch tv everyday…no morning tv…I can’t count how many hours…
4. They are completely lying liars from Liarville–heck–they’re probably mayor and council members of Liarville
5. The only entertainment available in our car is the radio/cd player and we drove to my parents and back–3 hour drive each way–without the radio…this is before the 3rd child arrived–any electronic toys in the car would probably drive me crazy…
6. 2–my daughter was young and I had no idea what to do with her coughing and fever…
7. he could say “I’ll watch the kids for 2 hours and you can have a bath with no interruptions–and pizza for dinner”
8. what’s an iPad?
~~~
time’s up–they’re both awake but i’ll try to finish
9. a peepee teepee–adorable but useless! also a stroller connector to connect two strollers instead of getting a double stroller–never figured it out…
10. my 3yo is getting there already–by the time she’s 6 I’m sure….
I love your blog–and because of you I’m teaching myself to knit–when I get a minute or two…(hint hint–I’d love a hat!!)
~~~
I did it! Nadine is just calmly waiting for me and my baby, Max, is eating so I’m hunt and peck typing with one hand!
Happy 3-days after groundhog day!
1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?
None. My 3 year old has a pretty screen-free (although not completely!) existence.
2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
None. We live in the sticks. There are only 2 places that do take-out around here, and they are both pizza.
3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?
We don’t own a television. But we watch movies occasionally. Maybe my daughter watches at most 1 hour a week.
4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at play dates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?
I don’t care. In my mind there IS a difference between watching television and watching specifically chosen, commercial-free media.
5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?
300 miles.
6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?
Zero. I think we’ve called the doctor about our daughter maybe 3 times in her life.
7. What’s the sexiest thing your partner could text you after a hard day?
We don’t have cell phones, but he could say “I am taking Phoebe out to the library and dinner and you have the house to yourself” to me and I would just about die.
8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?
That is doesn’t do Flash.
9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
The second monitor to replace the first that broke after 3 years. I really didn’t need a monitor for a three year old.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
Many. I’m a huge geek and she’s living a pretty Waldorf-y life so far.
No kids. Love hats. Infact I just rejoiced a little because I found one of my favourite hats – it has ears and is possibly made for 8 year old. I wear it anyway.