All the peer-reviewed parenting guides my wife read to me while she was pregnant and I was on the Internet stated that babies shouldn’t watch more than four hours of tv a day before they’re six months old.
Dilemma: Zach is 5 1/2 months old and it’s baseball playoff season.
How was I going to show Zach the importance of baseball and only let him watch four hours a day? How was I going to instill our family hierarchical ethos of God, daddy, baseball, green beans, Calvin and Hobbes, and mommy?
Zach had been looking forward to the playoffs since he first learned to sign. His favorite team, the red colored Cardinals, were playing.
Zachman is ready for the playoffs.
I had to make a decision whether to break our malleable tv rule and crush my child’s hopes, or to capriciously follow the rule.
I asked my friends at work what they did with their babies when playoff season came around. One didn’t have a baby under six months old when playoff season started. One ignored the four-hour a day tv rule. And one was a soccer fan. I reported him to HUAC.
I came home and smelled the pesto and A&D cream. I kissed my wife and my smiling Zach. I sat on my part of the couch, looked up, and remembered that we didn’t own a tv. Zach had only seen partial episodes of Sesame Street on youtube when we taught him how to count. And partial episodes of The Wonder Years when he sat with me and Kris. And partial episodes of He-Man when I got up with him at 4 a.m. and his mom wouldn’t find out.
I sat Zach next to me. I turned on the computer. And we found a radio station playing the game. And we listened together.
Listening to the Cardinals
Since this story revolves around that picture, I might as well note here that I took it…today it is my favorite picture of you guys…because it looks like I really did catch you two boys right in the middle of disobeying mommy. You’re avoiding me, Zach is grinning his guilt. 🙂
You two will be good friends as the years go on. I’m glad. You’re a good dad, babe.
Even though you don’t follow all of my rules.
And…hoping I’ll at least move up to be before the green beans on that list. I do give him pureed prunes, after all.
Zach told me that if you want to move up, there’s going to have to be a stop on these inane rules. He wants more He-Man, more chocolate, more daddy time, and fewer baths.
Love the post – and the pictures. But mostly, I love your wife’s comment!
I, too, have always loved baseball playoffs, but my hubby doesn’t share that interest, so I don’t watch them nearly as much as I did in the past.
Good luck to your Cardinals!
Dilemma resolved! What a great picture of two young men enjoying the game together — I know you’ll be best friends forever!