Just another commercial…
There I was sitting peacefully at the keyboard with the usual background noise of the TV and the kids playing in the other room. A familiar ‘jingle’ rings out from the TV as normal when I hear my nephew call out, “That’s Zales.” Finding the statement rather odd for an eight year old child to say while playing Transfomers I turn my attention to the TV. A holiday gift giving commercial for a jewelry store was playing. I hear a pair of footsteps come up behind me.
“See, I told you it was Zales.” spoken very matter-of-factly. I turn to look at my nephew and my daughter as they walk off back into the play room. Redirecting my attention once again to the TV I was able to catch the end of the commercial, and in fact it was a Zales commercial.
Sitting back down to the computer I think to myself, “Wow.” A commercial obviously targeted to the older community has seemingly left its mark upon our youth.
Isn’t it funny to think about just how much our children truly absorb and pick up from their environment? Here I was listening to background noise and lost in thought while the children hard at playing stopped to listen and confirm that this ‘jingle’ was in fact from the company that they thought it to be from. I wouldn’t have thought twice about the familiar musical notes coming from the TV but the younger generation did.
Have you ever thought about the many things that our children pick up from outside sources throughout their lives? Be it a musical ‘jingle’ from a commercial, a swear word from a television show, a reprimand from a neighbor, or something more cynical, our children are listening, absorbing every little stimulus in their life and inevitably learning from it. So now I ask you, who is really teaching our children? Is it us as parents or our society? How much of an impact do we leave on our children’s lives? How much should we leave? Is the occasional slip of the tongue teaching our children that it’s ok swear? Are we, as parents, taking responsibility for our own actions or are we teaching our kids to blame their mistakes on others?
They listen and watch everything that we do. We are their mentors, their teachers. I know I for one am not perfect by any means. And this experience is not going to make some life changing impact on me, however, it has made stop and think. I guess that’s a start, right?
Comments
LOL That’s funny. Andrew does that all the time. He’ll say something that sounds familiar and then I realize it was from a commercial or popular saying on a TV show. It does make you stop and think about the things they pick up.
Boy this is so true! Everything in moderation I guess is the answer. I think that as long as we are an active part of their life and moderate what information they are taking in, we are at least putting them in the right direction.
Great Post by the way!
Tammy
So true! I remember a short time ago my 4 year old tried to kiss me like a man and woman kiss….know what I mean. I told him that mommies and kids don’t kiss like that. He said “But mommy I love you just like Dad!” Now he is asking me about why daddy sleeps with me in the bed.
Gotta make sure to pay attention to what your children are paying attention to.
Great post….look forward to more!
Yikes! lol
I am Amber’s mother and I have not posted on her blog before. I did want to say that as I read these coments on her observation of the kids that I honestly see that “Older” generation that she is in is actually starting to think a little on the lines that another older generation (her father and I) taught her. LOL Oh my gosh, Amber, is it a little scary to think that the day will come when you say something to your children that you will automatically think, “Oh my God, I sound like my Mom.” I know that the first time it happened to me I cried, “No, I am not like my mother!” But, all kidding aside, I am extremely proud of my daughter. She is a wonderful mother with an awesome handle on life and being a single parent. I could not have gotten through those formative years without her father by my side. You go, girl!
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