TV the Drug of a Nation

Being a parent of a toddler is hard work. Lucas is now in the “no” stage. First he’ll ask for something & then, when you try to give it to him, he screams “no!” and decides that he wants something else (this is often combined with complete tantrums) It is driving me absolutely insane. And he has the most amount of energy I’ve ever seen in a kid. He is always on the go. The only thing that stops our little “wind-up doll” is water (either being in the pool or finding puddles outside) and television. I hate to admit this, but he watches way more television than I had ever intended him to. I mean, it’s all educational stuff (PBS kids, etc.), but still…I have always been so high and mighty about this & was pretty judgmental of parents who would just stick their kids in front of the TV. But now I understand. It’s the only way to save your sanity. I keep wondering if things would be easier if he had someone to play with, like a brother or sister. But then it dawns on me that I could also end up with two high-energy “wind-up dolls” and that prospect is pretty scary indeed.

Now, I do have to add that Lucas is also a very funny and entertaining child and whenever he hugs me or gives me kisses, I just melt. Plus, I once heard the father of Michael Dell (from Dell computers) talk about his son. He said that all the traits that have made his son so successful as an adult, were also the things that drove his mum and dad crazy when he was younger (His determination, his energy, etc.) So I try and keep that in mind whenever Lucas is being high-maintenance.