Parenting Magazine = AWFUL Parenting Tips!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to use this when I have to wash my sons hair! He screams like someone is beating him! Good thing I have a water proof case for my iPhone

wow. i guess i'm sitting here thinking A. if there was a mother out there who wasn't experienced with children, had a kid who was irrationally afraid of bathing, and didn't know what else to do, maybe that is something that would give her the 5 minutes she needs to clean the kid. and B. not for me, not my problem.

i guess i don't put the blame for society's problems on a magazine. it's the people executing the "tips" (or whatever) that are the actual problem. perhaps all this ire would be better aimed at them. and i have to say, still, following this tip once or twice when someone is at the end of their rope and feels they have no choice as Jr HAS to be bathed...just really isn't that big of a deal. maybe the parent is a model (i.e. "PC" since parenting ideas change with the wind and in a year or another generation ideas will be completely different than they are now) parent in every other way.

also is this the one i got in the mail the other day...free? if so, it's not like people are paying $4 or $6 to read their "tips". which is more than i can say for almost every other magazine on the market.

bottom line who cares? good parents will continue to raise good parents...just as idiots will continue to raise idiots. it's not my cycle to break.

i wouldnt. i dont care how much a child screams they still need to be bathed. i have 2 words for moms who think about using an ipad etc- WASH FASTER!

There is a BIG difference between a "tip" and parenting advice. It's an idea. Not a theory on how to raise children. I highly doubt a parent who is otherwise engaged and whose child hates baths is going to become an "entitled brat" just because they can watch a show while in the bath.

If you don't like the tip and you're angry, ok, e-mail them give them your .02.

What makes me angry is all the judgmental statements in the responses. I think parents (mothers) who put such harsh judgments on other mothers who would choose this as an option are more concerning to me.

I'm not necessarily angry, but as an older mother, it seems to me that many of these "newfangled" parenting ideas seriously lack common sense at the very least.
Electronics near the bathtub? Not very wise for many reasons, the first of which being safety.

Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned tub toys? Whatever happened to just washing them while they cry and getting the job done?

My kids are fairly well travelled. We never had a van with TV screens, no portable DVD players. When we went camping, the only thing "electronic" for entertainment was flashlights.

To answer your question specifically, the bathtime idea is terrible.

Just my opinion.

I don't find this suggestion that off the wall. Bath time is a chore. The smartphone is another toy. Do you have bath toys for your child? Would you just pop them in a tub of pure water and expect them to look forward to it? I sure don't. I have bubbles, legos, bath crayons, and yes, *gasp* the occasional movie on the iPad while I am holding it!

Everything in moderation. 30 minutes of a movie is not going to stunt the development of your child.

Yes I agree this is a stupid 'tip' for bathtime, but I don't think its worthy of getting so upset and irate.

I have a dvd player in the car for my child, does that mean I am raising an 'entitled brat'?? Ummm, unless you live with me, you have no idea how I am raising my child. And no one can make that judgement based on a dvd player in my car.

Um...I have no idea whether I'd try this or not because I've never been in the position of it being an issue for ME.

Who knows? Maybe it will be the ONLY 10 min of "screen time" that off the chart gifted kid gets that day?

I think you're going WAY overboard here.

It's not like there's now a law to let your kids watch a movie, it was a SUGGESTION that MIGHT apply to SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE.

Really--I can't see why you're all that riled up.

As people on here like to say: Take the advice you find helpful and applicable--ignore the rest!

Calm down. I personally do not have an I-phone, and I-pad, a dvd player in the car, any game system, ect. But what I did have is a kid with sensory issues. One of his issues was getting his hair washed and at one point it was a fear of sitting down in the bathtub. Until we were able to work through it with time and exposure I tried everything and if I had an I-phone I would have used that too to get his mind off his anxiety so he could see that bathtime was fun. It's a "TIP", you can take it or leave it. I actually find the magazine useful and insightful.

Omg! I dont have a smartphone! What the hell am I gonna do????

Lol. ;)

I agree with you.

I've said this MANY times as a parent...parenting magazines and books are GUIDELINES, not set in stone RULES! I don't think I totally agree w/ this tip about using screen time for a bath, but I'm not a mom who had trouble bathing kids either. If I did, I probably would have tried anything!

As someone else said, if you don't like the advice, it's ok not to take it and to come up w/ your own ideas to make things go your way.

I also don't see a problem w/ screen time as long as the kids are well rounded in other ways...sports, reading, play, grades, etc. As long as mine are getting what they need in other areas, I don't limit screen time...it gets limited simply because we are busy doing other things...again, this comes back to a parents involvement in their child's life.

Not sure how old your kids are, but I am here to tell you that when they get to be pre-teen and teen...screen time becomes a problem for the back burner as grades, bullying, girl/boy troubles take the front runner. And since each child is different, the advice out there isn't always helpful! It gets pretty tough to know what to do!

It doesn't surprise me- lots of their advice is terrible. Their breastfeeding advice is so bad it should have a disclaimer that points to the inevitable formula ads on the facing page.

i agree it's a pretty lame idea. i think kids are already WAY too dependent on screens. seen the latest 'never stop playing' commercial?
on the other hand, your reaction is a little....er..... extreme too. i mean, if it works for someone else, is it that big a deal? i assume the article was just throwing out a lot of possibilities for someone struggling with the issue, right? not trying to say that this is THE answer.
khairete
S.

I think part of parenting is to help children get over their fears. A few times, during the screaming fear of taking a bath, I got into the bath w/my child. Sometimes that didn't even work. However, is it so awful to try this as an option once in awhile if you do have a child that is deathly afraid of water? I don't think so. I'm not saying one should do this all of the time but I am not going to bash someone for trying something out in order to help a child calm down and not be terrified........

I agree with you... I posted a few month ago upset about a toddler watching a portable DVD player while he and his mom and dad ate dinner in silence at a kid friendly restaurant. I was stunned at the responses I got saying that I should lighten up and consider circumstances that I didn't know about or hadn't thought of.

I still feel the same way... there are things that kids need to learn how to deal with. Eating out in a restaurant, taking a bath, and (gasp!!) sometimes having to wait for something without anything to "do."

I have often thought of this magazine as "Non Parenting", must be written by the same psychologist who say spanking will ruin a childs life

Another way to rear a self-entitled brat who will NEED to be entertained every freaking moment of their life with expensive things they in no way have to earn. Yeah, great parenting!

They give much worse advice than this. I think each parent knows what works best for their family and you should take everything you read with a grain of salt. I agree that 30 minutes of a show or video isn't that bad and that's it's not always practical to completely rule out electronics. And that I would be more worried about my kids dropping electronics in the tub! :(

I am absolutely with you 100%!! Kids spend too much time in front of screens (TV, dvd, computer, phones) and it's ridiculous! There's a role for technology but this isn't it - especially because it is a really dumb idea to have anything electric or electronic near water. Bubbles, special crayons for the tub walls, toys, water wheels, quick shower vs. long bath - - there are lots of options but I agree that a movie is a terrible idea. I actually feel that way about car trips - I think it's better to sing songs or even listen to a DVD, or play "travel bingo" or "I spy" or something else.

Write a letter to the magazine about what a dumb dumb dumb idea this is, and why!! They will print it!

Sometimes I suspect the writers of these articles have an assignment and have to write, well, SOMETHING, because otherwise they would have nothing to write about. Same thing as those who write articles about planning your wedding.

Personally, I would be worried about my kid dropping my phone in the tub - waterproof case or not. And I feel that some things are just non-negotiable. You are taking a bath tonight because you need one, whether you like it or not. You will eat the dinner I made, and do a reasonably good job without complaining, or no dessert. No need for electronics to "numb" them against the sometimes not-so-fun parts of life.

I have used playing games on my phone as a reward for getting my DD to poop on the potty - something we have struggled with and needed a special incentive for. The only time she gets to do it is for poops on the potty, no other time. We have the DVD players in the headrests of our vehicle but I only use them for long (i.e. hours) trips, not for short runs across town to the grocery store. I use the technology to my advantage, but with appropriate and reasonable rules and boundaries in place. For others, it becomes a crutch.

No different in my eyes than the moms on this sight who don't believe in letting their children cry.

I don't get it and that's ok.

Yes, that's just what we need - MORE electronics in our children's lives. Please! My daughter is 12 and we've never been much for electronics. Yes, we have PLAIN cell phones that we mostly use to make calls (imagine?). She has a Wii that she uses mostly for exercise & fun when friends come over. She has a DS somewhere that she got as a gift.

I never believed that I should distract her with toys or shiny things in order to get her to eat or do whatever we needed to do. When it was dinner time, we had conversation and we ate. When we are in the car, we talk or play word games together. What a concept! I'm afraid that advice like this will cause people to raise a bunch of robots with no social skills at all. I'd cancel my subscription.

Nope.. You need to write a letter to the editor and tell them how ridiculous this suggestion is..

I stopped getting this magazine because the only thing I found helpful were the advertisements! My son does not always like bathtime, but as he has gotten older and can have more responisbility for himself he has gotten better - it's the hair washing he does not like, if his hair is in need sometimes I will dry shampoo so he can go a bath or two w/out since he is a boy with short hair and does not need it too much, at least in the winter. Now that it's getting warm and he is a sweater; he will have a choice either a nearly shaved head for the summer OR he learn to wash his hair more often and be happy(er) about it.

Oh, whatever, I hate those magazines anyway. For some reason, I get Family Fun as well as Parenting (someone trying to give me a hint or something???). I look through them because I can't help it, but they always make me feel like I'm not doing enough with my kids with all of the craft stuff. Grrrr.

I knew there was a reason those went into my recycling bin without being read...I'm not even sure how or when I got signed up into getting them. They just started appear in my mailbox shortly after DS made his appearance.

Magazines are a business. The bottom-line purpose of a business is to make a profit. The bottom-line purpose of a business is NOT to help its readers, or even to tell the truth; it's to make money. This applies to any magazine - or any other product. Always, always keep this in mind. They do not have your family's best interests at heart. They are not really interested in YOU - just in your wallet.

If you want to read a magazine, read it for entertainment. If you want to hurt a magazine, the thing to do is not to buy it. Do not subscribe. Do not buy copies. Tell your friends (as you're doing). Write it off. You can let the publishers know; their only response may well be, "So sorry... will you spend money on us again if we make you an offer you can't refuse?" If that confuses you, go back to the above paragraph.

When I first became a wife and, later, a mama, I was overwhelmed, and all the colorful magazine articles (not restricted to the publication you're ranting about) just made me feel more incompetent and guilty. So I stopped reading ALL of them. I discovered I could get better advice from other places, including my doctor and my neighbors, than from a professional writer who is assigned an article about, say, children's bath-taking, but who may have never raised any children, much less bathed one. :^)

or how about Cosmo listing "stripper" as a quick, easy job to make $$.

who writes these articles? :)

totally agree that kids spend tooooo much time playing with electronics & watching tv. I know a family who began putting their 2yo to bed with a portable dvd player. She is allowed to watch movies until she falls asleep. & There are nights where she watches 2 movies before bedtime. This same child cries when she's at my house, because the kids only watch 1 show/day. Sooo sad.

& all 2yo's in my daycare know how to scroll between pictures on cell phones. When parents walk in, they clamour to see their pictures. Again, soooo sad.

Yep, that magazine is one for the birds, (I got it as a free subscription) this isn't the first idea of theirs I shook my head at...and some parents wonder why their children want to be entertained all the time and tantrum when they're not?

To me a bath is necessary, not an entertainment segment, and if he doesn't want one he's still getting in, getting his body and hair washed and rinsed and can get out immediately if he chooses not to play with toys (which he does about a third of the time.) Life is only as difficult as you make it, and I say this having met many challenges in parenting ; )

Whatever happened to "you dont want to take a bath? Well TOO BAD!" Your dirty and you need one. We are the parents. If your kid doesn't like bathes then make them either quicker, or more fun. My kid hates getting his hair washed. So I do it fast while singing his favorite song to make it easier.

I just dont see any need for movies, and electronics. But that's me.

I totally agree with you! It is kind of like a friend of mine who constantly turns on the movies in the car whenever she goes anywhere! The kids are always "plugged in" and don't know what to do if the electricity goes out. Just crazy! By the way, Parents Magazine is much better and they really give out good advice, not crazy stuff.

In my experience some of these magazines are actually just big ad samplers with articles sprinkled in . . . no wonder they suggest that you do things that lead to more commercialism.

Ugh.

I think that their brand of parenting caters to a current common denominator and obviously it doesn't jive with your parenting philosophies. Doesn't really jive with mine, either, so while I thanked my mom for the subscription, I will not renew. Vote with your wallet.

I don't allow my children to watch very much of anything, anywhere, anytime so no I would not use that tip. The suggestion doesn't bother me though. It's not the worst suggestion I've ever heard of and it doesn't seem like that big of a deal.

I agree that this is insane. I am one of those people who is living in the past. My phone can only call and text. I refuse to get a DVD player for the car. I would possibly consider it on a LONG drive such as to Texas or something. We routinely go 2 hours to my parents' and he can play with his toys while he is in the car. A lot of happy meal toys end up in a backpack in there and he has a great time with his imagination with all the superheros or whatever there is.

Parenting magazine is such a poor magazine. I'm not surprised. I wonder what genius wrote that. It makes me want to go on a rant too!

I don't get the magazine but find after reading what you said that that is crazy they would publish such a tip. Kids are so dependent on being entertained and parents are so lazy they let them get by with whatever makes them shut up. It's sad.

Who seriously reads those mags in the first place. I've never read a one, not even while bored at doctors offices, nor do I know anyone who gets one.

Yeah It's stupid advice but if something as stupid as that gets your blood pressure high you are going to need blood pressure meds in the future. I'd cancel the subscriptions to those rags. You have proof in your very hands they are a waste of your money. Heck donate that money to charity for teen parenting classes or something.

That was a pretty pathetic suggestion, why not give them candy while they bathe also. Ugh! I would be upset also.

STUPID - seriously, I enjoy the IPAD and my son is learning tons from the educational apps I find for him, but that's just beyond stupid.

Can you post the magazine link in the So What Happened section so we can all e-mail the magizine? :)

I think the parenting norm is to not parent. You just negotiate with your kids to do what you want them to. I don't think it is all the parents fault it is just you touch your kids in public and you are an abuser. A lot of people don't seem to have a problem with telling you what you are doing wrong. So quietly give them what they want to do what you want.

I think those magazines give the worst advice. I think they should be all thrown in the trash. I refuse to read them anymore because they are so ridiculous. I'm not at all surprised.

You are dead on it here Dad on Purpose. I love you!

Those magazines are written for whinny suburban parents and their socially inept kids...

I'm with you on this one. I get riled up about things, too, and screen time is one of them. When I am on hold calling the pediatrician's office one of their messages is about limiting television for kids--yet one of their offices (not ours, fortunately, but one I went to when my DD was sick) has a TV in the lobby!

My husband is 100% against any screen time and gets mad at me for showing DD 30 minutes of Sesame Street once a week. Yet he used to show DD a video of herself on his smart phone to keep her calm. He didn't realize how hypocritical this was until I pointed it out to him. Screens are just so pervasive and it takes real persistance to avoid them. Good for you for calling the magazine out.

Check out how many of the magazine's ads are for children's TV programs, or for food or clothing or toys tied in to children's TV programs. It all adds up: More screen time, more stuff sold, hooray!

I think children need to understand from the start that not EVERY thing they do, all day long, everywhere they are, MUST include entertainment and distraction. Sometimes we all -- yes! even toddlers! -- must just get through things without being constantly entertained. Kids are learning that they can have screens in front of them anywhere, any time, and that only reduces their ability to entertain themselves and to interact with other people.

Yes, I do include TVs in the car in that category. Let 'em look out the window and listen to books on CD instead. Exercise their imaginations because constant availabilty of screens provides all the "imagination" for them.

Parenting is not rocket sience. It is mostly commen sense but that seems to be of short supply. Over the past 19 years I read some really stupid stuff when it comes to advice on parenting. This one does not even supprise me anymore. In case anyone does not know this....all kids will cry at bathtime at some point. It is phase and as such it will pass. Just keep doing what you are doing and it will pass I promise.

Yah, that's insane! But my 3 year old doesn't do any tv or iPhone/computer!

Lots of parenting tips aggravate me, usually the ones that try to turn children into convenient little toys. I won't say what those are but yes I see stuff all the time that is much worse than that but that's pretty silly.