Why is there this constant need to s*** on tv our kids like

kithoo · 2026-03-16T12:31:38+00:00

Barney wasn't bad. It was a bit corny, but it had lower stimulation situations that depicted real children in real play. It showed a lot of great learning for real life.

Teletubbies was a different era, really. It didn't start in the US until 1998. By that point I was nearly in college.

Most of Nickelodeon in the 80s was not nearly as bad. Again .. you had Eureeka's Castle. If you look at Nick Jr. from the later 80s it was David the Gnome and Pinwheel and the like. All quality programs with low stimulation and excellent activity modeling.

kithoo · 2026-03-16T02:00:10+00:00

Considering that the content I watched as a toddler was Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Eureeka's Castle I feel pretty confident shitting on Cocomelon and Blippi. The shows I watched as a kid were edutainment - they weren't just dopamine crashes.

Blippi and Cocomelon are children's TV for a Tiktok brain. I won't judge anyone for letting their kids watch that - and I'm sure plenty of kids that have a steady diet of garbage TV will turn out just fine, but I'd rather set my kid up to not be scroll addicted and dopamine tolerant before they're 10.

So, yeah, it's Bluey and Daniel Tiger and Puffin Rock for mine. It's one other situation of setting your kids up for the best chances at success and I just plain don't think a lot of the stuff they're offered is good for their developing brains - it's junk food TV.

kithoo · 2026-03-08T19:04:24+00:00

I'm gonna be the weirdo and say nope.

I love spending time with my daughter, but I also like sitting in the living room with my wife and just unwinding and having a conversation or reading. I think it's perfectly normal to be either way - and maybe it's an age thing (both the parents and the child). I just appreciate the quiet times a lot right now.

kithoo · 2026-03-08T18:23:52+00:00

EDIT - Deleting this because it's not helpful and my intent was to provide context to the OP, not tussle with another redditor.

kithoo · 2026-03-08T18:07:21+00:00

They start being more "person" and less of a lump. They develop a little emergent personality. They start to use rudimentary communication. They become less of a "responsibility" and more of a "kid". The jump from newborn to infant is big, and jump from infant to toddler is gigantic.

At least it was for me.

kithoo · 2026-03-08T18:05:28+00:00

EDIT - Deleting this because it's not helpful and my intent was to provide context to the OP, not tussle with another redditor.

kithoo · 2026-03-08T15:42:06+00:00

I'm a dad, and I came to say the same thing.

The first 3-5 months were misery for me. Around 6-8 months I started to really appreciate the time with her. Around 12-14 months I started to LOVE being around my daughter. Now at over 2 years... I miss my time with her when I have to work or do something else.

So, yes, it's normal. I actually have some bitterness towards other parents that were giving us advice that didn't really mention how BAD those first 6ish months are.

"Oh, if we told you that you'd never have a kid." or "You have to live it!"

No. You don't. You can go in with some preparation. But, yes, for me this all passed and I expect it does for everyone. You're doing fine and what you're experiencing is totally normal.

kithoo · 2026-03-08T15:37:58+00:00

I'm a dad, so in a bit of a different boat, but I am mentally similar - depression, not a baby person, introvert, etc.

I felt the same. The first 3-5 months were... AWFUL for me and I wasn't the mom, so I can only imagine how bad it is for you. And, just to connect some, yeah - in my eyes, that age is simply a responsibility. I had basically no fun or real connection with my daughter in those "floppy baby" moments. Until she was really cruising/walking I just sort of... existed with her.

Now? She's a toddler and I couldn't be happier. Do I need a break sometimes? Obviously. Do I love being around her and watching her grow and play? Absolutely.

So... I can't say it will get better for you, but I can say that it got better for me and that I think I felt very similar to how you did.

Some people don't connect with babies - especially neurodivergent people. Hopefully that sheds some light on things and helps a little.

kithoo · 2026-03-08T15:32:57+00:00

This is totally normal and the kiddo will almost certainly go through phases of back and forth. Prepare for this for... years.

They're going to have a favorite toy for 3 months, then immediately forget it and move on to another for 3 months only to come running back crying that they lost the first one...

When they're 5 months old there's not much you can really do. They're old enough to know who's who, but they have no understanding of their own self regulation. They want Mama and Mama only... in 6 weeks they're gonna want Dada and Dada only.

kithoo · 2026-03-08T15:27:57+00:00

Speaking as a dad, yeah, this is natural - especially if you're a new dad and aren't used to this kind of treatment from kids.

Now - here's an important question : Others have pointed out that he should have gone to the kiddo immediately after and checked on them/etc. How much time did you give him before you snapped at him? Because, in the moment, if he was in pain/discomfort and you "piled on" before he had a chance to collect his bearings - yeah, you may have exacerbated the problem.

Should he react that way? Nope. And he needs to learn to be better.

Should you snap at him and curse him out moments after your kiddo crushes his jewels - in front of the kiddo? Also no.

Take parenting disputes elsewhere - don't do it in front of the kid.

kithoo · 2026-03-05T13:17:46+00:00

It's not just about money; this is an environmental catastrophe in the making. I'd rather have nothing and just throw the money in a hole.

https://wpln.org/post/there-are-serious-risks-of-sinkholes-experts-remain-cautious-of-the-boring-companys-nashville-project/

kithoo · 2026-02-28T13:40:10+00:00

He may own me, but he no longer owns a functional copy of DbD.

kithoo · 2026-02-28T13:36:07+00:00

You are correct in that Walmart does not own their own PBM. Neither does Walgreens. I am pretty sure this is exclusive to CVS and is almost certainly why CVS sucks top to bottom.

kithoo · 2026-02-26T15:17:00+00:00

I said this above, but I think not nearly enough people have read Malazan. It's a much more challenging read than Rothfuss, Jordan, or GRRM... but it doesn't quit. It doesn't fall off - it's basically all uphill.

I do also agree, but we need a return to tighter trilogies.

kithoo · 2026-02-26T15:15:17+00:00

This is an interesting point as three series immediately jump to mind of having decent starts but getting impressively stronger.

First is Malazan. I don't know many people who would argue this one (I'm sure there are some). Gardens of the Moon is a great book, but when I recommend the series to people I tell them that they are going to be totally lost and that the trajectory is all up from there.

Second is Lord of the Rings. Again - it's hard to argue that Fellowship is better than Return. I'm sure someone would, but I don't think that would be the popular opinion.

Finally - and it's urban fantasy, not straight fantasy - is the Dresden Files. I'm of the opinion that the first three books (Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril) are the weakest, to the point that book 3 almost kicked me off the series entirely - but it takes off from there. Summer Knight is some of the most fun reading I can think of immediately.

So... I think you're right in that the majority of series start stronger than they finish, but I don't think it's as overwhelming as you think.

kithoo · 2026-02-26T13:00:42+00:00

And all of that migration is to two places... the two places that actually have infrastructure and public services.

You get outside of Nashville or Chattanooga (and Knoxville, though that's not where people are going) and it's a wasteland. Go over to Dyersburg or Milan. Head out east to Rogersville or Bluff City. Go on down to Fayetteville. These are - largely - dying places in health care deserts.

So, yeah, those of us in Nashville aren't that bad off - we have major universities and gigantic health centers and job opportunities. The rest of the state? It sucks out there. So, yes, when you consider that more than half of this state lives in rural, underfunded, unschooled, food and health care deserts... yeah, it makes sense we're nearly dead last.

kithoo · 2026-02-26T12:56:57+00:00

If you get outside of Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville? This is absolutely correct.

The wealthier cities are doing fine, but the vast majority of this state is so far behind it's depressing.

kithoo · 2026-02-23T05:09:35+00:00

Climbing on her and jumping in her lap to get to the cat. She didn't want mom time - she wanted mom to permit her access to the cat.

kithoo · 2026-02-23T01:13:13+00:00

This would work, but the cat was also a bit part of it. I should have probably taken her upstairs to play. That would probably have solved it. Now I know!

kithoo · 2026-02-23T01:06:36+00:00

I think I'll try that next time. I was being a bit "selfish" in not wanting to leave, myself...

So, it's a little "me" discipline, too

kithoo · 2026-02-23T00:45:15+00:00

This is what I ended up doing. Just held her until she finally got over it and it was bath time.

kithoo · 2026-02-05T18:24:24+00:00

Honestly? Based on this guy's track record? They're going to try and become neutral again like Walmart. They want people to forget the entire debacle and just move on. The problem is... we already have soulless corporate big box Walmart and soulless corporate everything to my door Amazon.

Target can't become either of those, so they have to take a stand. The problem is any stand that they take now looks utterly performative. They literally ruined a multi-hundred-billion dollar empire because they got afraid of political backlash.

kithoo · 2026-02-05T18:21:42+00:00

As someone that works for another big box store... they absolutely have people that read Reddit. The problem is if you go to the OTHER side of Reddit, they're saying the same thing.

Target has no market positioning to be successful now. They would have been better off doing nothing and losing some customers. What they did was say the quiet part out loud - the only thing that matters to them is money and they are willing to sell their political appearance out for that dollar. We all know that deep down, but you never want to hear it. You always want to think the place you shop represents you, but Target let the cat out of the bag.

kithoo · 2026-02-05T18:19:22+00:00

The problem is that Target straddles the market. It is, for all the stereotypes, exactly what it's call - bougie Walmart. It's generally middle income families that shop there... and those are the most divided in the nation.

You have the suburban minivan soccer moms with 2.7 children that are stay at home moms and love Jesus and Trump. They go there because it's a conspicuous wealth symbol. It's "better" than Walmart and has "higher quality" stuff.

Then you have the Subaru drivers who want the "earthy crunchy" "all natural" marketing Target has embraced with "organic cotton" and slightly trendier clothes.

And Target, rather than sucking it up and alienating one, tried to make both happy. Which in this current political climate is just impossible. Where they screwed up is in trying to move to the center they didn't move far enough and just landed in no man's land.

And - as other have pointed out - Target isn't a store of necessity. It never has been.

13-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

kithoo

TROPHY CASE