3 posts tagged “children”

Surviving these days with...
my mother's hands-on support
my husband's emotional support
my friends offering an amalgum of humor, perspective, and yes, support
my breastpump
a case of dwindling diet coke
online retail therapy

Could use...
a little less spit-up
at least one more arm and hand
more sleep...in 4-5 hour blocks

Grateful for....
a quiet moment alone at my desk, on the internet, with a bag of m&m's that I'm not sharing with child or husband.

War is hell, and I really hate it. 

We live relatively close to several military installations, so it's common for us to know and interact with families who have sons/husbands/fathers serving our country, stationed in the Iraqi warzone.  My heart has always gone out to the women who pray everyday that their husbands will return safe.  My husband travels for work 50% of the time, and I miss and worry about him over this.  I can only imagine what's it like to be separated for months, and for your spouse to be somewhere actually dangerous. 

Today I was helping with my church's Vacation Bible School, by being the "Snack Lady".  I helped kids assemble a semi-nutritious trail mix, and had a chance to sit down with a few of them while they ate.  I was chatting with a cute, blond-haired boy (six years old), who mentioned he had a sister, and two brothers.  I remarked that he had a big family, and that can be a lot of fun.  He nodded, then said flatly, "My father is in Iraq."  I said, "You must miss him a lot.  I know he's thinking a lot about you."  He nodded, and was holding back tears.  I said (my voice getting shaky at this point from holding back my tears), "And you're being strong for your mom, aren't you?".  He nodded again, and said in a shaky, soft voice, "I'm trying to lift her up as much as I can."

It was at this point that all I could do was nod.  I wanted to bear hug him and tell him it was going to be alright, but I'm not sure it will be (and I also didn't want to draw attention to him by doing this).  So, I excused myself before I burst into tears in front of this group of children. 

I couldn't help thinking about what it must be like for him, and for other children, who are old enough to know a little about what it means to be a solider in the war.  He knows his father is in danger, misses him terribly, and does feel like he has to take care of his mother in his father's place.  This seems like a momentous burden for such a young child.

I know that wars have been going on since the beginning of time, and countless children have grown up experiencing this senseless loss and burden.  I know that it must be terrifying for the children in Iraq, who live near/in the combat zone not only fearing for their fathers' lives, but their own lives. 

I just hope and pray this war will be over soon. 

Recently I wrote about finding two small, hidden Pepsi logos within the coloring book pages of a California Pizza Kitchen menu/activity book.  Here's the post.  It bothered me since the logos were so small that they would fly under the radar for most parents, thus disabling us from determining what corporate endorsements are being implanted in our young children.  Well, I wrote a letter a few days afterward, and received a call from their Public Relations Manager this afternoon. 

A few points stood out from our conversation:

1) She said "Pepsi isn't something harmful to your child, it's not like drugs, or the devil's sign".  I pointed out to her that it is harmful for a one-year-old to consume Pepsi.  She seemed to agree here, but her response was that the kid's activity book also served 10 year olds, and that "most parents allow their 10 year olds to drink soda".  It's argueable that any of us should consume something with so many chemicals in it (though Diet soda has been my addiction for years).  Maybe Pepsi is possibly a drug?  I reminded her that in many examples Pepsi isn't harmful, but for a child as young as 1 or 2 or even 5, it is - bottom line.

2) One of her points was that the Pepsi logo is everywhere anyhow, so what makes this example any different.  She was a little condescending at this stage in the conversation, telling me that if my daughter suddenly requests a Pepsi it probably would be because she saw the logo elsewhere.  I told her that at one, she isn't watching television yet, and as a parent I have a right to moderate what she's exposed to.  I understand that by taking her to a national chain restaurant I run the risk of her seeing corporate logos, however, sliding it in the middle of the coloring book where she's coloring, is not an appropriate use of the logo.

3) She said the small size of the logo was not done with the intent to "sneak" it in.  She said it was done to be "playful".  Huh?  I don't get this one.  Can someone explain how this is playful?

4) She said that the restaurant industry had voted the "activity book" as the leader in the industry for it's design and ability to capture children's attention.  In so many words, I said, good for you, it's great your peers think it's an award winning production, it's too bad however, that a paying patron of many years objects to it with valid reasons.

The result of the conversation was that they would not be pulling all of the activity books in circulation, and since they had just gone to press on next season's edition (which included similar "hidden logos"), there would be no changes until October of this year, if changes are to be made.  She said my letter would be taken under advisement, however she didn't know what their contract with Pepsi specified. 

I know this is all part of living in this time and place, and that I have to pick my battles, but it's conversations like this that I want to move my family to a farm somewhere, grow chickens and my own crops, and live simply.

Am I being an Activist or Over-reactor with this issue?