When technology and toilets mix it up

If you have children in your life, then there is no doubt you remember the absolute hellish experience of potty training.

Sitting next to tiny toilets, pull up diapers, lots of stickers on reward charts, guzzling liquids, wet floors and messy baths.

But the experience is about to get sooo much easier because in this day and age when we can not do ANYTHING without bringing a piece of technology with us comes the iPotty.

Yes, for about 40 dollars you can buy a special toilet where there is an attachment for your iPad.  Might as well start them early.  I'm mean what do people do when they are doing number two?  Just sit there and THINK?

There are some that would say it is no different than reading a book or playing a game on our phone.  

But really? Seriously?

Do we really need to hand two year olds, who have little to no control over their bodily fluids, an expensive electronic device so that they can play games for so long that they finally go to the bathroom?

Do we need potty apps and special iPad attachments to toilets?

I don't know.  It seems weird to me.

And can you imagine the germs on that iPad?

Losing the ability to THINK

So a friend from high school announced on the last day of 2012 that she would be quitting Facebook.

Her reason? She realized that even when she was physically with her family, she was on the phone or on the computer learning what was going on in OTHER people's lives instead of noticing what was happening right in front of her face.

I'd even take it a step further.

Social media and the internet have become so pervasive that when big moments in life happen, they are often seen through the lens of a smart phone, which is taking the picture or video.

And then the moment almost don't seem real unless you post about it online.

Social media leads to connection, but also a kind of self-imposed separation between you and what is happening right in front of you.

There is something to be said for just being in the moment. No phone, no Facebook...just you and the moment.

Because that is when AMAZING things can just pop into your head.

So when my daughter wants to play a game on my phone even when we are just taking a quick trip to the store...I tell her no, be present, be in your own mind.

Because how can we have our own unique ideas when we spend so much time reading the daily thoughts of others?

New Year parenting resolutions

It's a new year and a time for reflection and resolutions.

And looking back at 2012,  there are things I, and many parents I talk to, would like to improve.

Top of the list...patience.

This is a resolution I will probably have to make every day.  A parent's day is full of all kinds of emotions and stresses.  But in 2013, I want to breathe more, count to ten...do whatever it takes to remember life is short and we should all cherish those minutes we seem to rush through.

I'd also like to mind my tone of voice. Just because I'm not yelling, doesn't mean my kids don't know I'm upset or impatient.

Sometimes not saying anything is better that the sharp knife of a stern voice.

Then there's understanding the old saying that it is not quantity, but quality.  I only really have a handful of hours a day when both me and the kids are awake and together. So maybe fewer TV shows and computer games, and more wrestling on the couch and cuddling up with a book.

And finally, showing more love.  I kiss and hug my kids so much, but is it ever really enough?  Maybe instead of losing my patience or busying myself with another task, I could just kneel down, open my arms and give them a good squeeze.

Because if there is anything this past year has taught me as a parent...it's that you never know what can happen.

And the one thing I want my kids to always know, til the end of days, is that I love them.

Go ahead. Blame the media. We can handle it.

It's so easy to blame the media.  Really it is.

If you cover something too much, you're criticized and if you don't report on something, then you're not paying attention to the important stuff.

And unless you are part of the media, it can be hard to understand the juggling act many of us endure. especially when things like what happened at Sandy Hook occur.

I am not making excuses. The interview with children, the round-the-clock reporting, the images...they are at times hard to justify if you can at all.

But as a parent AND a member of the media, I hope people can  understand that the voices you hear on the radio, the faces you see on TV and the pictures online are done by people who do have families.

We are parents, we are brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles.

When something like this happens, we also see the faces of their own children and those we love.

We cry, we scream, we pray.

And remember, while you can complain about the coverage, you CAN also turn off the radio, TV and shut down the internet.

We in turn have to still our voice, dry our eyes and do our job.