The Kids are Driving Me Crazy

I used to wonder a bit about Christians that don't watch TV. Its such a foreign idea to me - I would really feel like I would miss something.

Two days of babysitting children on little sleep has meant a more cranky Auntie then the one who normally shows up. And the little darlings were really driving me crazy. They seem to be on some kind of permanent "I want" routine. In Pizza Pizza we were getting something to eat and the 6 year old sees an advertisement on an inscreen TV type of think and announces that he wants to see Step Brothers. He has seen the commercials enough to know the name and to add it to his list. He also wants to see the Mummy. In two days he has asked for so many things I finally got fed up and told him that there were children who wanted food and water and couldn't get that so maybe its time we start counting how many times he says "I want". When I say "no" he says "Why not?". As if I need a good reason to say no to giving him a cup of coffee. His response is "But I want it". As their mother was getting up from sleeping after night shift I was calling up the stairs for the door slamming to stop. "Please stop slamming the door, someone's fingers are going to get caught". She says "You sound just like me, that's what I say". In truth, I just couldn't take the noise any longer.

Being cranky is not my normal mode with the kids and I sensed once or twice that they were playing me. They work as a tag team and there is a tremendous amount of giggling going on. What am I going to do when they realise (and its coming soon) that I am not nearly as smart as they think I am? Maybe we have already reached that day!

At any rate, it distrubs me that the kids know so much about what is out there - games, food, movies, tv shows. I don't know if children who don't watch TV have this compulsive need to ask for things as well or if this is the effects of thinking that things are just their for the taking. I have had the money talk a few times - I think they think that lack of money is a problem to be fixed rather than the natural state of things. Its not that they want too much stuff, its that Auntie and Mom and Dad are being home enough moola for their needs.

So, I'm rethinking the whole question of TV. I used to think it was good for kids to be familiar with the culture out there - but now I'm thinking that it seems wrong to expose young minds to so much excessive stuff.