There was question posted on the boards with the Meetup group that I'm apart of here in Antarctica. I typically don't chime in and enjoy being an observer instead but a recent question posed by a member brought on some answers that started to make me break my own rules. The person, who owns their own children's center, asked what theme parties people would be interested in seeing at her center. Every person chimed in with the same top 5 answers. I found myself jumping up and down shaking my head in frustration so that the next thing I knew I found myself explaining how my child would not find a Spanish speaking doll very entertaining nor would she find any humor in a group of grown men dress up liked clowns (are they clowns?) singing ridiculous songs. So instead I gave ideas that would be perfect for child like mine, which, I guess she has been labeled as a Non-TV kid.
It wasn't really something we planned. My goal was to make it to 18 months. I read some articles that recommended parents wait, I agreed, so I waited. 18 months came and went and we just have never gotten around to turning it and to be honest with you? I'd kinda prefer not too. I like the peace and quiet.
Another thread emerged from my post about having this Non-TV mentality. People where shocked and just couldn't figure out what on earth I do with my day without the power of TV. I told them about all the activities we do and how she now will entertain herself while I clean. My answers weren't really accepted with open arms, let's just say. So, I really didn't know how else to explain without offending 3/4 of the group so I just dropped it. But the more I think about it, I can't help but ask myself what they heck ercks me about the whole thing. I could blame it on my repulsion to commercialism, but that still wasn't a good enough answer, it sorta was a B.S. answer that did make a lot sense, but wasn't the whole truth.
So what is the whole truth? You really want to know?
I don't want to raise a cookie cutter kid, there I admitted it.
Why?
Simple. I'm a non-conformist, I can admit it. I come from a very long (no pun intended to those family members who actually just got that) line of non-conformist. From my Great Grandmother to my Mom, we just don't conform. I was raised without pop culture invading our home and I think was the only kid in 7th grade who wasn't all wooed by boy bands. Instead I found deeper appreciation in the sounds of Simon and Gartfunkel. Without knowing it, this lineage of non-conformity was passed down to me and it somehow has creeped into how I raise my daughter and my daughter to be. I don't want her to be like everyone just because everyone else thinks it's the thing right now. I refused to teach her sign language and we don't own any clothes with any PBS characters plastered on them. I don't like the whole bandwagon approach to anything.
Do you think that answer would hold up well on the Meetup boards?
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