My wife and I hate this advert on TV at the moment.
The premise being that if you work all the time you can make it up to your child by taking them to Centre-bloody-Parks for an over priced break in a log cabin. The irony of that being that to be able to afford to take your child you'd probably have to take them in term time as the prices double in a the school holidays.
If it's as bad as the advert makes out, change your job. Don't let your child eat in front of the TV, in fact don't do that anyway. Nothing is worse than a child with no table manors, except maybe an adult. You don;t need to spend hundreds to reconnect as a family, it's as simple as going for a walk, playing hungry hippos on the floor or letting them paint your nails (I like mine green).
We are constantly manipulated by advertising, made to feel guilty and spend money. My girls watch CBeebies (no adverts) for their downtime and if for some reason they start watching another channel (with adverts) they soon start saying they'd like this or that for no other reason than they've watched these advert, which are aimed directly at them.
Anyway enough of my rant, I'm off to read a book!
Best thing I ever got? Freesat (eBay , secondhand) I now record programmes, watch them later and never watch ads! It's all a load of w***
ReplyDeleteWe have one to, but we do watch a few things in real time, just enough to annoy me!
DeleteWhat you are saying Kev is so true. Spending time with your children is so important and the best times with your kids often don't cost anything .
ReplyDeleteThanks leisha. I think the old phrase spend half as much money and twice as much time with your child is right as well.
DeleteI just started watching everything on the computer which means 99% of the time no ads. Of course that's not your point anyway.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you this is just them playing on the guilt parents feel because they have to work all the time. It's better than making them actually question why they have to I guess.
I watch a lot of YouTube over anything else but then I can't blame the wife and kids for not wanting to watch the same as the weird things that I watch.
DeleteI think if more people Re evaluated their fiances they'd realise there is more they can do. Not keeping up wjhb the Jones and not having every new thing that comes out can make life so much easier.
I download youtube documentaries.
ReplyDeleteI do as well but we do watch some things together like the Simpson after tea. I'd be interested if you have any good suggestions on good ones to watch, I'm always keen to find something else to watch whilst I cook tea.
DeleteKev your kids are living the "good life" every single day of their lives!! They are not only not missing anything they are getting sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more than the average kid :O)... You and your wife with the way you guys are doing things.. my goodness. What a wonderful life you guys kids are getting!!
ReplyDelete...we rarely watch regular TV here. Havent for years. Don't have cable or dish etc... but we did get netflix where we rent DVD;s. We make our Q list and they send them out to us via snail mail. Its a good deal. Cheap 12.95 a month. We have not seen most lol movies from now or years ago lol and not seen most TV shows out nor or in last sevreal years either lol so we have been enjoying all the selection. But if we had to give it up .. no problem. TV is so not on the top of our gotta have list.. Now the Internet ... thats a whole different story LOL. Gotta have the Internet :O).
Not sure about the good life at the moment it's too wet so they haven't been out as much as I'd like.
DeleteIn the the summer I go months without watching TV but after cold day at work in the winter it is quite nice to cuddle up by the fire for a few hours. We've just grid amazon prime but are disappointed by it, we'll cancel and try Netflix next, there's not much I want to watch but we enjoyed breaking bad and like the walking dead as well. A good movie is always a nice way to spend an evening together as well.
Like you I'd happily give up t and a lot of other modern conveniences but the Internet has to stay!
I liked that advertisement Kev. Just the bears and all, I know all adds are meant to manipulate. But it damn sure sums up life in the USA now. Everybody scrapping and working late and trying not to be declared "redundant.
ReplyDeleteI think that there need to be a major redistribution of wealth at some point, at the moment there is an even bigger divide between the rich and poor and it keeps getting bigger. I read a quote the other day from Stephen Hawkins Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality" pretty true I feel.
DeleteI had only two rules about child rearing. ALWAYS eat together at table, and ALWAYS read a bedtime story. That plus a comfortable bed, a waterproof roof, good food, and lots of love, is all they need to become rounded adults.
ReplyDeleteTwo rules we live by as well. We do have Friday night tea in the sitting room as it's pizza and a treat but every other meal is eaten at the table as a family. Our girls have to ask to leave the table as well.
DeleteA bedtime story is an institution in this house and even when they are very young have the same routine. Both of our girls are obsessed by books and having stories read to them, but my wife and I have a love of books so it's easy to see where it comes from. Hopefully they'll both grow up being big readers as well.
Kev, I admire the parenting strength that you and your wife have. It is not easy to be parents. I could join you in your rant, but no, because you've said it so well. You've got the right mind set and I can just see upright responsible children and later adults, you're contributing to this world - much needed these days:)
ReplyDeleteI like to think we have the right mind set but we still have the same number of tantrums as everyone else!
DeleteExcellent rant Kev, excellent. I've not seen this advert before, so I was shocked as well, it's just awful. I completely agree with everything you say, everyone is too materialistic these days, well they can keep it, as Cro says, a simple bedtime story, a roof over their head, enough to eat and lots of love is all kids need. Working all hours so that you can employ a childminder to look after your kids is ridiculous and in some houses you cannot move because of all the toys they have.
ReplyDeleteOh our house is full of toys as well! The living room is jam packed with the blinking things! It's not even about the working all the time (something I'm guilty of) it's just the basics of eating together and reading together I think!
DeleteWell said, Kev. You are good parents and giving your girls a good grounding in life. I also read to my children when they were young. It was such a pleasure to do so as well.
ReplyDeleteReading is such a big part of our lives, hopefully I'll children will love it as well.
DeleteI rather like the advert but nothing will make me spend hundreds in fact it's over a thousand on a short family break. Love the rant, a good grounding in life is essential for children it's a pity some don't get it!
ReplyDeleteA much simpler holiday is fine, it's the whole keeping up with the Jones, I can remember when I was at school and another family would always boast about going to America all the time, made no odds to me I loved our family holidays.
DeleteUnfortunately not all family's can choose to work less,my youngest daughter a single mum of three (not by choice her partner couldn't keep it in his trousers) she has been left on the benefits roller coaster, she had always been a stay at home mum but now has to go to work no choice or have her money cut, although the government are happy to pay for a childminder for her to go to work, it makes me mad that they will pay a stranger to bring up her kids but wont pay her to do the same thing, what time she has with the kids is quality time cooking baking playing games, crafting and not in front of the TV, the dad by the way pays £5 in child support as he claims being self employed he earns next to nothing, if he was to pay a respectable amount she could cut her hours and spend more time with her kids it makes me MAD if only I ruled the world, but getting back to the advert yes its all about re-connecting with your kids but there are many family's who would love to but the powers that be make it as difficult as possible for some family's. By the way Center park log cabins are all fitted out with satellite TV's sort of defeats the purpose
ReplyDeleteI never said to work less, in fact I'm of the opinion that people in general don't work hard enough.Just that when they get home the kids should eat with them at the table and turn off their technology.
DeleteSingle parents are unsung heroes in my book.
My wife and I often look at each other after a particularly bad bedtime or a tantrum and shake our heads, how people cope with this on their own is amazing and they have my utmost respect.
the governments ideas on childcare are seriously suspect as well, I completely agree with you on this. The trouble is we are governed by a group of people that went to private school and think that being left with a matron is perfectly normal.
Our son was allowed to watch Sesame Street but we always made sure we said Z not Zee! In the evenings, Thomas the Tank and that was it. The rest of the time we played games, drew pictures, read or built things.
ReplyDeleteZ not zee all the way! We certainly watch our fair share of TV in winter but try to avoid adverts if we can.
DeleteOur whole world is commercial, we have just had all the ads for a perfect Christmas, and now perfect holidays. Supermarkets control what we eat and if you let them how much we spend. Families are about laughter, fun and memories and these should be what you want, how many of our youngsters want the latest gadgets just because the are on TV or their friends have them. I don't want a glittering perfect world, I will settle for real people and laughter, less stress and happy families.
ReplyDeleteAs for the advert I would not go they have bears in the woods!
Yeah it seems they want Christmas to be grander and grander every year, since when did things like panatone become an essential Christmas item? The supermarkets keep adding to the list of what we should have each year so it adds to their profits, it's very easy to get sucked in.
DeleteI remember going to a big secondary school from my little village school and being teased about my trainers, I had no idea what these makes like rebok and addias were but apparently you got teased if you didn't have them. I was more interested in finding the right shaped stick to hit my brother with!
I agree that Centre Parcs is ridiculously overpriced. I think there is one thing to be said for it though Kev, at least when you're away from home you can't be distracted by the day to day jobs that take the focus from the kids. An occasional short break does us the world of good. Certainly won't be letting the kids eat in front of the TV though.
ReplyDeleteI'm not against breaks of any kind! It was more the child being plugged in the whole time and the parent letting them eat in front of the TV then looking miserable about it.
DeleteAnd I also think that doing jobs around the kids is important. At least that's what I keep telling myself!
DeleteWe tell ourselves that too everyday. Gives them a good work attitude and teaches them skills. I'll remember you're not against breaks next time you're moaning about having to be away during harvest time!
Deletetotally agree, the cost of a centre parks break would be the reason I'd have to work late! much rather have a yearly membership with the National Trust and take the little ones out to see landmarks around the country, see new places and try new things.
ReplyDelete