Humans crave attention of other humans. Substituting for that needed attention in infancy is disasterous.

Before they could even walk I was pointing out shapes and colors as we drove. I just hate those ABC Mouse ads. Every time they are on I'm thinking about how they support parents for ignoring their kids.

I made sure my kids learned important stuff from their Dad and I. We potty trained at 18 months and stopped baby talk about two. We went to the library! My girls read at four. My son struggled till he was 1 week into first grade. We found out when he was is college he has ADHD. I taught the math while cooking, clipping coupons and looking at grocery ads.They raised animals and participatd in 4H! We played outside! My youngest has a scar under her eye from a coyote bone she found and promptly slid down the slide to diaster with. We taught lessons at Christmas making gifts for the grands, aunts, uncles and cousins. We planned with the kids for weeks. Shopping, estimating quantities needed, we sewed, beaded, and did yarn crafts. We made pin cushions and refrigerator magnets when they were young and candles, wood work items, draft doggers and bbq aprons as they aged. The kids had to buy their own supplies so that they learned about money, budgets, and appreciation for those giving them gifts.We didn't pay allowances but they could earn their money with chores beyond their normal responsibilities. Once they were about 15-16 they got real jobs. We took them to community plays, fairs, trick or treating, memorial day, 4th of July and Christmas parades. We took them with us to the movies, out to dinner with us, to parents nights at the school and book mobiles. They learned about donations to the needy, the ballot box, and church. There was swimming, hunting, fishing and camping. We worked in the yard and gardened together. One year my youngest two helped the neighbors make maple syrup. We taught them family responsibilities too. Holidays they were expected to help nor matter where we were. Sometimes our three were the only ones of their cousins that were expected to participate in some way. Carry stuff in, ferry the elderly, cook or clean up they learned they were important to the family functions. My kids had tons of outside toys, regular and mini bikes, paint guns, sleds, balks of every kind, a bb court, even a dune buggy. They had musical instruments, played in band, sang in choir, cheered and did sports throughout their school years. Don't get me wrong they played video games, had sleep overs and watched TV. They had computer time but I think it's more important to be together as a family. Thats the best time to be had! I miss my kids. The time went by too fast! But parents that park their kids get exactly what they put into them. Nothing