Too much TV!?

Two days ago, I was having diner with my two year old boy. My hubby was watching CNN as usual at that time. In the middle of the diner, my baby uttered some words that I did not recognized at first. Then when I asked him to repeat them, I was so stunned that I started to laugh out loud. He said "CNN" pointing to the TV.
As a family, we watch CNN every day. Actually, my husband watches CNN every day. I would not watch it as much as I should because I get bored of dealing with the horror of our world and the ongoing US presidential campaign (bo---ring!!!). However, my hubby wants to be informed of what is going on around the world so we watch it. We watch that channel so much that my baby can actually say its name. Terrifying!.
The TV has a special place in our family. From the moment we wake up in the morning, to the moment we go to bed, it is on. And when we come back from work, turning the TV on is the first thing we do. Personally, I enjoy the TV. My Mother used to call me TV girl. And, college life, married life, being a mother has not changed it a bit. I still watch too much TV and not necessarily the educational stuff. I watch TV series, stupid reality shows, anything that can grab my attention. My hubby is more about news, travel and food channel. And Baby Boy is all about the Disney Chanel with Mickey Mouse.
I should not be surprised that Little Prince can say CNN, or OBAMA or McCain or can sing the opening song of the Mickey Mouse Club House. After all, it is our fault. We spend so much time watching TV that our baby became a sponge: absorbing everything that is on. Moreover this absorbing process is not very appropriate. As a child, Little Prince repeats everything he hears and mimics everything he sees. When he sees a couple kissing, he runs to me and starts kissing me as well. When he hears people shouting, he starts to yell. Very bad influence indeed! His latest craze is to say "Euw!" when he sees people kissing on TV because he heard me say it when I was watching Sex and the City.

I think that I should, we should cut the TV time in half. For the only reason that Baby Boy is glued to it like us and does not want to go to bed early or even respond to us. But more importantly, the TV should be off most of the time just to allow us to have family time; just to allow us to sit down together and have a conversation, play a game, interact like normal human beings do.
A family does not need the TV to interact. As a matter of fact, the TV is the enemy of communication. Studies showed that couples who have a TV in a bedroom have less sex than couple who do not. Recently in France, the government had decided to ban TV channels for marketing shows to children under 3 because it believes that they cause developmental risks. But, I do not need studies to tell me that I do not focus on my child enough when the TV is on. I do need studies to show me that TV is helping deteriorate my relationship with my baby and my hubby.

So, what a mother to do? Cut down TV time! This is going to be extremely hard for a woman who is addicted to TV. But isn't for the greater good: my child's welfare. I already started by taking Baby Boy to our apartment playground on Sunday afternoon instead of staying in watching 60 minutes or Miss Congeniality 2 (it was on last Sunday). I actually had a great time with him, and playing outside was the best time he had all day. I just hope I can keep this up!

Is it time yet?

My husband have been bugging me about having another child for months now. My answer has always been "no". And yesterday, he gave me an utlimatum, he wants another child by the time my baby turns three, or in other words by this time next year.
I love children. I always thought that I would have plenty of them when I grew up. The thing is I did not count on raising children being so damn hard (excuse my French). Everyday is a struggle between you, your husband and your child to figure out what is the right thing for him. Since I became a Mum, I have not had adult fun, Me time and GOD knows what else. I feel like I am trapped and that I will never be able to escape. Hence, my fear of having another child. If I feel trapped having just one child, imagine my life with two.
The thing is my baby is not responsible for me being trapped. I just use him as an excuse for not getting out of a situation I do not feel is the best for me. I want so much more out of this life, but I never seem to find out what and how to get it. So I blame the baby. Easier, right?
People(family and friends) are always eager to give you advice about your family lifestyle or plan whether you ask them or not. For my parents, it is too soon to have another child, for my in-laws it is almost a bit late; for my girlfriends: I need a better job first. I do not know what is the right thing. I just know that I do not want a child now. Maybe I am just running scared of what the future may hold.
The truth is that I need to take charge. If I am having another child, I should make sure that it will not be the dramatic experience I had with the first one. I need to be sure that I have an "exit plan" for when she or he is old enough for me to let go of her or him. I need to know that I have the total support of my husband whatever happens.
I cannot just close my eyes and be knocked up without reassurance that everything will be ok. Even though things do not always go as planned, I need to plan those things for my own peace of mind. Then I will be ready for a second child.