C IS for Cookie

I remember thinking the world had gone too far when I heard that "they" had come out with "A Cookie is a Sometimes Food" to try and teach Cookie Monster that it's not okay to eat a diet comprising entirely of baked goods. The entire point of Cookie Monster is that his diet is wholly unrealistic and therefore an example of what not to do--isn't it obvious that you shouldn't subsist on cookies alone (however much I wish it were possible...)?

I feel a bit insulted sometimes by culture today. I think we miss out on something when the world is too sanitized--when it's not okay to find humor in our flaws and weaknesses and--gasp--even in the flaws and weaknesses of others. As I think about lessons I hope to pass along to Evelyn (for instance--self acceptance, compassion, social tact...) I also am aware that I want her to recognize that there IS such a thing as an undesirable quality. Winning is typically preferred over losing (although there are valuable lessons to be learned from being the loser). Being fit mentally and physically isn't as hard as society might have you believe and while it's good to love yourself as you are, you should also be the best you can be. You should not allow others to make you feel guilty for your success--nerds rule in the end. I'm really going stream of consciousness here and rambling more than making sense--but I think you catch my drift.

I came across this article today on Babble, Parenting Without Fear. The article is along the same lines as another article I had posted previously, The Overparenting Crisis and discusses the fact that parents fear for their children today over things that in generations past were considered safe--even wholesome. Now, I'm not saying that there aren't areas of parenting that have changed over time for the better. You can't argue the statistics that show it's safer for newborns to sleep on their backs rather than tummies to help prevent SIDS (although my mother managed to successfully raise three tummy sleepers...) or that seat belt safety should be taken seriously (we used to ride unbelted as children around the neighborhood...it was a favorite game to go all floppy and allow yourself to roll around the backseat as the car turned...) but since when did we worry that our kids are going to end up with less than 800 on their SAT verbals because in most strollers, they sit facing the street and not their mother? In the article, I discovered that the released versions of "old school" Sesame Street come with A WARNING at the beginning that labels them "for adults only." No joke.

Well, rebel that I am, I think I just may let my child watch (GASP!) Sesame Street. What kind of parent am I???

Oh, and here's a link for "adult eyes only" so you can enjoy some classic Sesame Street moments too.